In Doctor Strange, Dr. Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) is a cocky, arrogant, world renowned surgeon that is passionate about his craft. One night, a terrible car accident renders his hands useless and ultimately brings the good doctor to his knees. Desperate to return to his old life, he travels all the way to Kathmandu in search of a cure and instead finds The Ancient One (Tilda Swinton), who agrees to tutor Strange in the mystical arts. It just so happens the timing couldn't be better as one of her former pupils, Kaecilius (Mads Mikkelsen), has returned with a plan to tear our world apart in order to save it. It's up to Doctor Strange and crew to stop him before it is too late.
Benedict Cumberbatch is superb as Doctor Stephen Strange. Given, this is a role he could easily perform in his sleep, but he still nails it (Only negative I'll say is his natural British accent shone through sometimes). He's pretty arrogant, but still very likable, empathetic, and charming. He also almost always looks good. I definitely felt for the poor guy and his plight. I'd say he's easily one of my favorite Marvel characters (I may like him more than Captain America and Iron Man). Tilda Swinton was superb as The Ancient One, imbuing her role with a sense of power, intelligence and kindness. I really liked her and she's in a good deal of the film. Mads Mikkelsen is also fantastic as Kaecilius. I'd say he's one of the better Marvel villains I've seen, and he manages to earn a few chuckles along the way. Rachel McAdams is sadly underutilized as Christine Palmer, a fellow doctor and potential love interest for Strange. She isn't in the film much, but plays an important role in one of the film's battles. Let's hope she gets an upped role in one of the future Marvel films.
Doctor Strange is a film about mysticism, and as such it is appropriately trippy and mind-bending at points. I'm super into this kind of stuff, but even I still found my head starting to spin at times when pondering the deep ideas this film presents. The visuals in the film are also gorgeous, fantastic, and psychedelic (This would definitely be one of the films I would strongly recommend you see in 3D. I chose not to go with this option, and am kicking myself for my bad decision). The film manages to move at a pretty decent pace, though there are moments where it drags its feet a bit. Luckily, there is always an action scene waiting around the corner. Doctor Strange houses some of the best action scenes in any Marvel film PERIOD. Each one is inventive, unique, and memorable.
Doctor Strange is the most different Marvel film we've gotten so far, and it's all the better for it. It's weird, psychedelic, funny (The film is indeed a good deal funny, though the humor doesn't always work), and very cool (I know I'll definitely be seeing it again, and this time in 3D). I have no qualms with ranking this as one of Marvel's best (I'd say it's between Doctor Strange and Guardians of The Galaxy for my favorite Marvel film), and I look forward to seeing Doctor Strange (and his cool cape sidekick) again in Avengers: Infinity War.
5 STARS
Both end credits scenes aren't necessarily essential, but are still treats for fans of Marvel.
Chiwetel Ejiofor is fine in his role here, but I expect him to have a bigger role to play in future Strange installments. Also really enjoyed Benedict Wong as Wong.
Saturday, November 5, 2016
Monday, October 31, 2016
FRIGHT FEST: SMALLS INVITES YOU TO BECOME ONE OF US WITH FREAKS
"Gooble Gobble, Gooble Gobble. We accept her, we accept her. One of us, one of us."
Freaks is directed by Todd Browning, and actually stars real circus "freaks". For a film that runs at a swift 62 minutes, it does drag its feet at times. Luckily the scenes that follow the main plot of the film and any that include the "freaks" are actually fairly interesting and are fun to watch. Some of the "freaks" are unsettling to watch, but the film portrays these people as more than just sideshow attractions. They are regular people with their own lives, and their own hopes and dreams. In this way, Freaks is actually kind of progressive.
The actors in Freaks aren't the best you'll see, and some words are hard to make out (due to some accents). That said, it's still cool to watch actual circus performers act in this film. They are all likable and relatable. The film has a strong atmosphere (it really feels like a circus), and some memorable scenes (like the wedding feast). It's also a bit freaky and creepy at odd moments (like the scene where the "freaks" start to gang up on Cleo).
Freaks is a film where it's the "freaks" who are the normal ones, and it's two of the "normal" people that are really the freaks. It's also got a great message about tolerance and acceptance. It's certainly not a perfectly made film, but it's fairly charming, I LOVE it's message, and I was surprised at how much I emphasized with the "freaks". Freaks easily emerges as one of my new favorite films, and is an easy Halloween recommendation.
4 STARS
And so ends another Fright Fest. As the creatures of the night go back into their slumber, I wish you all a very Happy Halloween and a pleasant rest of the year.
And so ends another Fright Fest. As the creatures of the night go back into their slumber, I wish you all a very Happy Halloween and a pleasant rest of the year.
FRIGHT FEST: BLAIR WITCH FILMS
As part of the ongoing celebration of Halloween, I've decided to post my reviews of The Blair Witch Project and Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2.
The Blair Witch Project: Simple, effective, creepy, and quite scary (There were a few parts that sent chils up and down my back). Perfectly captures the terror of being lost in the woods. Add onto that some seriously creepy, supernatural shit going down and you have a film that works surprisingly well. It's a plus that it moves at a pretty good clip, and doesn't overstay it's welcome. I also have to give props to the sound design which is great and effective. For a film that was only made on a budget of $60,000 (and that made a domestic gross of $140 million, worldwide total was 248 mil), I'm shocked at how well it holds up even 17 years later and at just how well made it was. The performances are believable (There are some bad lines though, not many), and the setting is a simple but terrifying. The Blair Witch Project may be the most successful film experiment I can think of, and it still stands as the best found footage horror film I've seen (They really should have stopped making found footage after this beauty). It's like a really good, scary, late night campfire story....one that I don't mind re-visiting. Naturally, it's highly recommended (There is also a good deal of shaky cam, so if you get motion sick maybe you should sit this one out....or just close your eyes when these parts happen and listen to the proceedings, trust me, you'll be just as scared).
5 STARS
Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2- You can tell that there may be a good film lying in here somewhere, but the studio done fucked it up! The film is edited to shit (so many cuts to the present and the past), the characters are unlikable, and the whole thing is confusing. There are some genuinely interesting ideas here (One example: If a group believes in a fictional thing hard enough, can that fictional thing be brought to life?), and the mystery at the heart of the film is actually an intriguing one. Unfortunately, the film throws all the puzzle pieces in a jumbled heap on the table and tells you to get to it. Figuring out what's really going on is just about impossible. It's clear that the group is suffering from severe hallucinations (sometimes even shared hallucinations), and that one or more may be possessed by The Blair Witch at different times. I suppose the simple answer is that the group is slowly being driven mad by The Blair Witch (which begs the question: Was The Blair Witch real all along, did the group inadvertently bring her to life by believing in her, or have they all been driven crazy by their love of The Blair Witch Project and it's folklore?). Either way, the film leaves you with many, many questions and tons of almost answers (and the film is assembled in such a way that finding the truth is a herculean task). Hopefully one day we'll get a directors cut, but as it stands now Book of Shadows is interesting, frustrating, and maddening. On the plus side, I actually kind of dug the score and I liked the setting of the warehouse.
2.5 STARS
The Blair Witch Project: Simple, effective, creepy, and quite scary (There were a few parts that sent chils up and down my back). Perfectly captures the terror of being lost in the woods. Add onto that some seriously creepy, supernatural shit going down and you have a film that works surprisingly well. It's a plus that it moves at a pretty good clip, and doesn't overstay it's welcome. I also have to give props to the sound design which is great and effective. For a film that was only made on a budget of $60,000 (and that made a domestic gross of $140 million, worldwide total was 248 mil), I'm shocked at how well it holds up even 17 years later and at just how well made it was. The performances are believable (There are some bad lines though, not many), and the setting is a simple but terrifying. The Blair Witch Project may be the most successful film experiment I can think of, and it still stands as the best found footage horror film I've seen (They really should have stopped making found footage after this beauty). It's like a really good, scary, late night campfire story....one that I don't mind re-visiting. Naturally, it's highly recommended (There is also a good deal of shaky cam, so if you get motion sick maybe you should sit this one out....or just close your eyes when these parts happen and listen to the proceedings, trust me, you'll be just as scared).
5 STARS
Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2- You can tell that there may be a good film lying in here somewhere, but the studio done fucked it up! The film is edited to shit (so many cuts to the present and the past), the characters are unlikable, and the whole thing is confusing. There are some genuinely interesting ideas here (One example: If a group believes in a fictional thing hard enough, can that fictional thing be brought to life?), and the mystery at the heart of the film is actually an intriguing one. Unfortunately, the film throws all the puzzle pieces in a jumbled heap on the table and tells you to get to it. Figuring out what's really going on is just about impossible. It's clear that the group is suffering from severe hallucinations (sometimes even shared hallucinations), and that one or more may be possessed by The Blair Witch at different times. I suppose the simple answer is that the group is slowly being driven mad by The Blair Witch (which begs the question: Was The Blair Witch real all along, did the group inadvertently bring her to life by believing in her, or have they all been driven crazy by their love of The Blair Witch Project and it's folklore?). Either way, the film leaves you with many, many questions and tons of almost answers (and the film is assembled in such a way that finding the truth is a herculean task). Hopefully one day we'll get a directors cut, but as it stands now Book of Shadows is interesting, frustrating, and maddening. On the plus side, I actually kind of dug the score and I liked the setting of the warehouse.
2.5 STARS
FRIGHT FEST: OUIJA: ORIGIN OF EVIL
HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!! Every year, during the Halloween season I search for a film good enough to watch in theaters during October. This year, we got Ouija: Origin of Evil and Boo! A Madea Halloween. I chose the film that seemed to be the most Halloween-y, and sat down to watch Ouija: Origin of Evil. How was it?
It's 1967, and the Zander family (mother Alice, played by Elizabeth Reaser, and daughters Lina and Doris, played by Annalise Basso and Lulu Wilson respectively) has a pretty decent business going as fake mediums. When Alice purchases a Ouija board to spice up their act things start to turn sour fairly quickly. It would seem that youngest daughter Doris actually has psychic abilities, which sinister spirits are preying on. Can Alice and Lina, along with the help of Father Tom (Henry Thomas, aka Elliott from E.T.), rid Doris of her spiritual problem?
Ouija: Origin of Evil is actually a full fledged prequel to 2013's awful awful awful Ouija. Essentially, the studio is trying to legitimize that film posthumously. It's clear that Mike Flanagan (from hidden horror gem Oculus) is having a ton of fun here, and indeed Ouija: Origin of Evil is a pretty fun film though it gets pretty dark and bleak in it's last act and is never all that scary (There were a handful of scenes that gave me a few chills though).
The actors all do pretty good jobs. I like that we get the return of Annalise Basso, who was previously Young Kaylie in Oculus. She was one of the standouts in that film, and she's pretty great here. Henry Thomas is also fairly great and is in the film a good deal as Father Tom, the principal of the school the daughters attend. I'd say the standout (for me at least) was Lulu Wilson as Doris. She sold both of her roles perfect (cute, innocent little girl and creepy possessed medium/psychic), and was very likable and quite creepy and freaky when she needed to be.
As I said before, this IS a full fledged prequel to 2013's Quija, showing us the events of what happened in the Ouija house that led to Doris' angry vengeance in the first Ouija film. I don't understand why the studio didn't just decide to do an original story instead of try to breathe life into a failed film....but that said, Mike Flanagan and crew did a pretty good job with this prequel. Flanagan brought with him Jeff Howard (Co-writer of Oculus), The Newton Brothers (composers for Oculus), and Michael Fimognari (Cinematographer for Oculus). With Ouija: Origin of Evil essentially being an Oculus reunion, you would hope the film would be at least as great as Oculus. Unfortunately, that's not the case. Ouija: Origin of Evil isn't great, it's not even really super good. There isn't much death in the film, and most of the action takes place during the last 30 minutes or so of the film. It also doesn't help that the script just isn't all that good either.
All the negatives aside, Ouija: Origin of Evil is still entertaining and fun. It's certainly eons better than the first Ouija. While I didn't love this film, I certainly liked it and will gladly admit I enjoyed my time with the flick. It's not super memorable, but for a fun, creepy time I'd say it fits the bill fairly well. Ouija: Origin of Evil makes for a decent Halloween treat.
3 STARS
It's 1967, and the Zander family (mother Alice, played by Elizabeth Reaser, and daughters Lina and Doris, played by Annalise Basso and Lulu Wilson respectively) has a pretty decent business going as fake mediums. When Alice purchases a Ouija board to spice up their act things start to turn sour fairly quickly. It would seem that youngest daughter Doris actually has psychic abilities, which sinister spirits are preying on. Can Alice and Lina, along with the help of Father Tom (Henry Thomas, aka Elliott from E.T.), rid Doris of her spiritual problem?
Ouija: Origin of Evil is actually a full fledged prequel to 2013's awful awful awful Ouija. Essentially, the studio is trying to legitimize that film posthumously. It's clear that Mike Flanagan (from hidden horror gem Oculus) is having a ton of fun here, and indeed Ouija: Origin of Evil is a pretty fun film though it gets pretty dark and bleak in it's last act and is never all that scary (There were a handful of scenes that gave me a few chills though).
The actors all do pretty good jobs. I like that we get the return of Annalise Basso, who was previously Young Kaylie in Oculus. She was one of the standouts in that film, and she's pretty great here. Henry Thomas is also fairly great and is in the film a good deal as Father Tom, the principal of the school the daughters attend. I'd say the standout (for me at least) was Lulu Wilson as Doris. She sold both of her roles perfect (cute, innocent little girl and creepy possessed medium/psychic), and was very likable and quite creepy and freaky when she needed to be.
As I said before, this IS a full fledged prequel to 2013's Quija, showing us the events of what happened in the Ouija house that led to Doris' angry vengeance in the first Ouija film. I don't understand why the studio didn't just decide to do an original story instead of try to breathe life into a failed film....but that said, Mike Flanagan and crew did a pretty good job with this prequel. Flanagan brought with him Jeff Howard (Co-writer of Oculus), The Newton Brothers (composers for Oculus), and Michael Fimognari (Cinematographer for Oculus). With Ouija: Origin of Evil essentially being an Oculus reunion, you would hope the film would be at least as great as Oculus. Unfortunately, that's not the case. Ouija: Origin of Evil isn't great, it's not even really super good. There isn't much death in the film, and most of the action takes place during the last 30 minutes or so of the film. It also doesn't help that the script just isn't all that good either.
All the negatives aside, Ouija: Origin of Evil is still entertaining and fun. It's certainly eons better than the first Ouija. While I didn't love this film, I certainly liked it and will gladly admit I enjoyed my time with the flick. It's not super memorable, but for a fun, creepy time I'd say it fits the bill fairly well. Ouija: Origin of Evil makes for a decent Halloween treat.
3 STARS
SMALLS VENTURES INTO NEW ADVENTURES AT ISLANDS OF ADVENTURE
I'm a BIG fan of Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure. I just recently got the chance to travel back to IOA to check out some of their newer attractions. Below are my thoughts.
Skull Island: Reign of Kong- This ride takes place in 1931, two years before the famous expedition led by Carl Denham in the film King Kong (That's right, this ride is kind of a prequel). We are part of The 8th Wonder Expedition Company, which has landed on the mystical Skull Island in an attempt to chart the island, record their findings, and hopefully discover the mythical Kong himself. As we wind our way through the dense, elaborately detailed queue we catch tidbits of info via radio communications and radio news broadcasts. It seems many strange things have been happening on Skull Island, and our expedition has fallen on turbulent times. We are tasked with assisting a supply run. Sounds simple and safe enough, right? WRONG! It doesn't take long for things to escalate from bad to worse and before we know it, we are battling various creatures which call Skull Island their home before coming face to face with the mighty Kong himself.
The queue itself is an impressive feat in it's own right. It's large and richly detailed. Right from the second you step foot in line, the story starts. The queue easily rivals Forbidden Journey. It gave me flashbacks to the queue for Indiana Jones Adventure in California, except more intense. In the first area, we wind through a dense jungle as the occasional expedition vehicle careens past us (Wave hi to the happy passengers, you'll be joining them shortly). Having the ride vehicle pass the queue is an ingenious way to ignite hype in the line, it certainly did exactly that for me.
The first interior room of the queue is pretty large with an animatronic native witch chanting a spell or curse in an attempt to reach out to Kong. The longer she chants, the more things start to intensify in the room. There are flashing lights, fire effects, tribal drums, chanting from the natives, screams, and more. It's quite a cool mini-show. The witch herself is extremely fluid and realistic. She's easily one of the best AAs I've seen. The remaining rooms in the queue include scareactors dressed as island natives (I passed several boo-holes, but didn't encounter any natives. I don't know if I just passed through at a bad time, or if Universal has already removed the natives from the queue due to complaining parents), and a supply room that comes complete with a realistic and freaky AA slug. The queue helps to tell the story of Kong, and is itself part of the experience of the ride. It's an odd thing to say, but the queue itself is far scarier than the actual ride.
Now, onto our expedition vehicles. These babies are a brand new ride system, rolled out specifically for Kong. The vehicles are trackless and self guiding (using wi-fi). They are 13 feet tall, 40 feet long, weigh 17 tons, the wheel height is 45 inches, and each vehicle can carry up to 72 people at a time (They also come with their own AA driver in the front carriage). In short, they are beasts. Each vehicle is highly detailed so they look like rough, rugged, expedition trucks that have been through a good deal. Riding in one that is filled with guests is quite a cool, surreal experience and the cars themselves help to add to the illusion that you are on Skull Island.
The ride itself is very cool and impressive. I wasn't in love with the 360 potion, but everything that came before and after was tops. I'm not going to go into much details about the ride portion, all I'll say is expect impressive sets, some good 3D/motion simulator portions, occasional water blasts, and one hell of a top notch Kong AA at the end (It feels right to have an AA Kong here, especially one that's as fluid, detailed and realistic as the one we got). All in all, I had spent years researching this ride and following the development of it. The hype for this bad boy was very much real, and the actual experience from the queue to the ride itself easily lived up to the hype. I was blown away by what I experienced in this ride, and would gladly ride it again. Expect long lines (I'd say the longest I would be willing to wait would be 70-75 minutes. The wait I encountered was only an hour), but to experience the next game changer, I'd say it's worth it.
Hulk 2.0- Hulk was a ride that changed my life. It is because of Hulk that I finally conquered my fear of coasters. Well, around a year or 2 ago, Universal tore down the old Hulk and re-built it. It has the same exact track layout as before, but with a new plot and updated queue. The story this time around is that General Thunderbolt Ross has been testing a new gamma radiation experiment on hapless volunteers (that would be us). He's dubbed it "Hulk-ification" (Yes, he's basically turning people in Hulks). The queue itself has never looked better. The music that plays throughout is super cool and kind of Rock-y. It's clear that there are constant experiments being performed as we wind our way up to the coaster (every time an experiment starts, there are lighting effects and a loud bass that plays. It does really feel like they are experimenting stuff in here). The layout of the queue is essentially the same, but the old familiar elements have been upgraded (The gamma core thingy at the front is now enclosed and redesigned so that it's constantly flowing with lines and sparks of electricity, and the old wires in water with bubbles have been turned into spiraling DNA Helixes that glow green). The Hulk coaster cars have also been completely redesigned (as has the launch tunnel. It still blasts off like before, but the inside of the tube looks more hi-tech and cool). The cars look like miniature beasts with glowing white eyes/headlights at the front. They look sleek, super-modern, and very cool. The ride also has a brand new on-board rock soundtrack composed by Fall Out Boy's Patrick Stump (played via blaring floor speakers that blast the music towards your face). I was tossed around a little bit more than I remember being previously (I was sitting close to the back, so that could be a reason), but the coaster was pretty much exactly like how I remember it being, just enhanced a bit. If you loved the original Hulk, you'll likely love this updated version too.
Hot Butterbeer: Looks like coffee, has the consistency of Hot Chocolate, tastes like Butterbeer. This is how the beverage is served in the books, so I had to try it out for myself. What did I think? Well, it was weird and different, but not bad. As it stands, I would probably still opt for Frozen or Regular over Hot. I could see it being refreshing on a cold day, though.
So, there you have it. My review of all the new stuff I experienced while at Islands of Adventure. Remember, The Adventure Lives On!
Skull Island: Reign of Kong- This ride takes place in 1931, two years before the famous expedition led by Carl Denham in the film King Kong (That's right, this ride is kind of a prequel). We are part of The 8th Wonder Expedition Company, which has landed on the mystical Skull Island in an attempt to chart the island, record their findings, and hopefully discover the mythical Kong himself. As we wind our way through the dense, elaborately detailed queue we catch tidbits of info via radio communications and radio news broadcasts. It seems many strange things have been happening on Skull Island, and our expedition has fallen on turbulent times. We are tasked with assisting a supply run. Sounds simple and safe enough, right? WRONG! It doesn't take long for things to escalate from bad to worse and before we know it, we are battling various creatures which call Skull Island their home before coming face to face with the mighty Kong himself.
The queue itself is an impressive feat in it's own right. It's large and richly detailed. Right from the second you step foot in line, the story starts. The queue easily rivals Forbidden Journey. It gave me flashbacks to the queue for Indiana Jones Adventure in California, except more intense. In the first area, we wind through a dense jungle as the occasional expedition vehicle careens past us (Wave hi to the happy passengers, you'll be joining them shortly). Having the ride vehicle pass the queue is an ingenious way to ignite hype in the line, it certainly did exactly that for me.
The first interior room of the queue is pretty large with an animatronic native witch chanting a spell or curse in an attempt to reach out to Kong. The longer she chants, the more things start to intensify in the room. There are flashing lights, fire effects, tribal drums, chanting from the natives, screams, and more. It's quite a cool mini-show. The witch herself is extremely fluid and realistic. She's easily one of the best AAs I've seen. The remaining rooms in the queue include scareactors dressed as island natives (I passed several boo-holes, but didn't encounter any natives. I don't know if I just passed through at a bad time, or if Universal has already removed the natives from the queue due to complaining parents), and a supply room that comes complete with a realistic and freaky AA slug. The queue helps to tell the story of Kong, and is itself part of the experience of the ride. It's an odd thing to say, but the queue itself is far scarier than the actual ride.
Now, onto our expedition vehicles. These babies are a brand new ride system, rolled out specifically for Kong. The vehicles are trackless and self guiding (using wi-fi). They are 13 feet tall, 40 feet long, weigh 17 tons, the wheel height is 45 inches, and each vehicle can carry up to 72 people at a time (They also come with their own AA driver in the front carriage). In short, they are beasts. Each vehicle is highly detailed so they look like rough, rugged, expedition trucks that have been through a good deal. Riding in one that is filled with guests is quite a cool, surreal experience and the cars themselves help to add to the illusion that you are on Skull Island.
The ride itself is very cool and impressive. I wasn't in love with the 360 potion, but everything that came before and after was tops. I'm not going to go into much details about the ride portion, all I'll say is expect impressive sets, some good 3D/motion simulator portions, occasional water blasts, and one hell of a top notch Kong AA at the end (It feels right to have an AA Kong here, especially one that's as fluid, detailed and realistic as the one we got). All in all, I had spent years researching this ride and following the development of it. The hype for this bad boy was very much real, and the actual experience from the queue to the ride itself easily lived up to the hype. I was blown away by what I experienced in this ride, and would gladly ride it again. Expect long lines (I'd say the longest I would be willing to wait would be 70-75 minutes. The wait I encountered was only an hour), but to experience the next game changer, I'd say it's worth it.
Hulk 2.0- Hulk was a ride that changed my life. It is because of Hulk that I finally conquered my fear of coasters. Well, around a year or 2 ago, Universal tore down the old Hulk and re-built it. It has the same exact track layout as before, but with a new plot and updated queue. The story this time around is that General Thunderbolt Ross has been testing a new gamma radiation experiment on hapless volunteers (that would be us). He's dubbed it "Hulk-ification" (Yes, he's basically turning people in Hulks). The queue itself has never looked better. The music that plays throughout is super cool and kind of Rock-y. It's clear that there are constant experiments being performed as we wind our way up to the coaster (every time an experiment starts, there are lighting effects and a loud bass that plays. It does really feel like they are experimenting stuff in here). The layout of the queue is essentially the same, but the old familiar elements have been upgraded (The gamma core thingy at the front is now enclosed and redesigned so that it's constantly flowing with lines and sparks of electricity, and the old wires in water with bubbles have been turned into spiraling DNA Helixes that glow green). The Hulk coaster cars have also been completely redesigned (as has the launch tunnel. It still blasts off like before, but the inside of the tube looks more hi-tech and cool). The cars look like miniature beasts with glowing white eyes/headlights at the front. They look sleek, super-modern, and very cool. The ride also has a brand new on-board rock soundtrack composed by Fall Out Boy's Patrick Stump (played via blaring floor speakers that blast the music towards your face). I was tossed around a little bit more than I remember being previously (I was sitting close to the back, so that could be a reason), but the coaster was pretty much exactly like how I remember it being, just enhanced a bit. If you loved the original Hulk, you'll likely love this updated version too.
Hot Butterbeer: Looks like coffee, has the consistency of Hot Chocolate, tastes like Butterbeer. This is how the beverage is served in the books, so I had to try it out for myself. What did I think? Well, it was weird and different, but not bad. As it stands, I would probably still opt for Frozen or Regular over Hot. I could see it being refreshing on a cold day, though.
So, there you have it. My review of all the new stuff I experienced while at Islands of Adventure. Remember, The Adventure Lives On!
Thursday, October 27, 2016
FRIGHT FEST: CHUCKY IS SMALLS' FRIEND TO THE END IN CHILD'S PLAY
"Hi, I'm Chucky! Wanna Play?"
In Child's Play, notorious killer Charles Lee Ray (Brad Dourif) is gunned down in a toy store by detective Mike Norris (Chris Sarandon). In an act of desperation, he manages to transfer his soul into the closest item he can find: A Good Guy Doll. It isn't long before Karen Barclay (Catherine Hicks), a struggling single mom, purchases him as a birthday gift for her son, Andy (Alex Vincent). Seeking revenge against those who attempted to stop him, "Chucky" sets out on a new murder spree.
Child's Play is the film that introduced audiences to the psychotic Good Guy Doll known as Chucky. The character has become a horror icon, and is beloved by horror fans the world over. The movie itself is not as fondly remembered as Chucky himself though. Chris Sarandon (who voiced Jack Skellington in The Nightmare Before Christmas and portrayed Jerry Dandridge in Fright Night) plays the "good guy" of the film and does a fairly great performance. I'd still say his above-mentioned roles are easily more memorable and iconic than his role here though.
Alex Vincent's performance as Andy continues to get better as the film progresses onwards, and Catherine Hicks does a good job as his mom. Easily the standout performance here belongs to Dourif as Chucky. While we only see him in human form for around 5-10 minutes of the film, his voice work is phenomenal (plus, I love his yells/screams). It's super easy to buy him as "Chucky". The animatronics/stop-motion for Chucky are fairly fluid and believable, and clever camerawork is used at points when live actors are utilized for the doll.
Child's Play's is not ever all that scary, and tends to border on cheese a good deal of the time. The film itself is nowhere near as memorable as the horror icon it birthed (though it does have some good lines and a great death at the end). I'd still say it is easily worth a watch for Chucky alone, and it does have a pretty decent sized fun factor to it. Yes Chucky, I would love to play!
3.5 STARS
In Child's Play, notorious killer Charles Lee Ray (Brad Dourif) is gunned down in a toy store by detective Mike Norris (Chris Sarandon). In an act of desperation, he manages to transfer his soul into the closest item he can find: A Good Guy Doll. It isn't long before Karen Barclay (Catherine Hicks), a struggling single mom, purchases him as a birthday gift for her son, Andy (Alex Vincent). Seeking revenge against those who attempted to stop him, "Chucky" sets out on a new murder spree.
Child's Play is the film that introduced audiences to the psychotic Good Guy Doll known as Chucky. The character has become a horror icon, and is beloved by horror fans the world over. The movie itself is not as fondly remembered as Chucky himself though. Chris Sarandon (who voiced Jack Skellington in The Nightmare Before Christmas and portrayed Jerry Dandridge in Fright Night) plays the "good guy" of the film and does a fairly great performance. I'd still say his above-mentioned roles are easily more memorable and iconic than his role here though.
Alex Vincent's performance as Andy continues to get better as the film progresses onwards, and Catherine Hicks does a good job as his mom. Easily the standout performance here belongs to Dourif as Chucky. While we only see him in human form for around 5-10 minutes of the film, his voice work is phenomenal (plus, I love his yells/screams). It's super easy to buy him as "Chucky". The animatronics/stop-motion for Chucky are fairly fluid and believable, and clever camerawork is used at points when live actors are utilized for the doll.
Child's Play's is not ever all that scary, and tends to border on cheese a good deal of the time. The film itself is nowhere near as memorable as the horror icon it birthed (though it does have some good lines and a great death at the end). I'd still say it is easily worth a watch for Chucky alone, and it does have a pretty decent sized fun factor to it. Yes Chucky, I would love to play!
3.5 STARS
Wednesday, October 12, 2016
FRIGHT FEST: LET'S ALL GO TO THE LOBBY WITH DEMONS
In Demons, people are invited to a special screening of a horror film in a snazzy, renovated theater. Unfortunately, their evening of popcorn munching fun turns into a night of terror when audience members begin to turn into demons and attack the other patrons. Trapped in the theater with no escape, it's not long until an all-out bloody massacre commences.
This film was AWESOME! I'm getting it out right now: I loved this film. I have been a fan of film, theaters, and horror since I was young, so it's like this movie was tailor made for me. The idea of a movie theater beset by demons is a novel one, and it's a strong and cool enough premise to keep the fun rolling until the end credits. Yes, this is a movie that's set almost entirely inside a movie theater, and it's all the better for it. It definitely takes full advantage of it's cool setting.
If you like your horror films nice and bloody, Demons is the film for you. Gallons upon gallons of blood flow freely, and the deaths are brutal but fun. The demon designs are gnarly (but not of the highest quality), and there are tons of insane, fun action scenes. The action and kills are constant, so it's pretty hard to be bored here. The film itself is also extremely well shot with a ton of impressive, cool looking scenes.
The actual story is pretty simplistic but cool, and the characters aren't super well developed. The actors also tend to over-act a good deal of the time, and the dubbing is decent at best. While these aspects are normally pretty important in a film, I'd say that's not what Demons cares about. Demons just wants to show us an awesome, bloody, gory, cool time at the theater.
As if good kills, lots of blood, and a great setting weren't enough, Demons also provides us with a rockin' soundtrack consisting of nothing but rock and roll. While the ending is a little sudden and disappointing, everything that came before is so unapologetically awesome and fun that I'm willing to forgive this film most of it's flaws. Demons is pure B-movie goodness. If only there were some way I could actually watch this in a theater. Now THAT would be a meta experience!
4.5 STARS
This film was AWESOME! I'm getting it out right now: I loved this film. I have been a fan of film, theaters, and horror since I was young, so it's like this movie was tailor made for me. The idea of a movie theater beset by demons is a novel one, and it's a strong and cool enough premise to keep the fun rolling until the end credits. Yes, this is a movie that's set almost entirely inside a movie theater, and it's all the better for it. It definitely takes full advantage of it's cool setting.
If you like your horror films nice and bloody, Demons is the film for you. Gallons upon gallons of blood flow freely, and the deaths are brutal but fun. The demon designs are gnarly (but not of the highest quality), and there are tons of insane, fun action scenes. The action and kills are constant, so it's pretty hard to be bored here. The film itself is also extremely well shot with a ton of impressive, cool looking scenes.
The actual story is pretty simplistic but cool, and the characters aren't super well developed. The actors also tend to over-act a good deal of the time, and the dubbing is decent at best. While these aspects are normally pretty important in a film, I'd say that's not what Demons cares about. Demons just wants to show us an awesome, bloody, gory, cool time at the theater.
As if good kills, lots of blood, and a great setting weren't enough, Demons also provides us with a rockin' soundtrack consisting of nothing but rock and roll. While the ending is a little sudden and disappointing, everything that came before is so unapologetically awesome and fun that I'm willing to forgive this film most of it's flaws. Demons is pure B-movie goodness. If only there were some way I could actually watch this in a theater. Now THAT would be a meta experience!
4.5 STARS
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