1. All of Us Strangers
2. Oppenheimer
3. The Zone of Interest
4. Poor Things
5. Past Lives
6. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
7. How To Blow Up A Pipeline
8. May December
9. The Iron Claw
10. Infinity Pool
11. Talk To Me
12. Nimona
13. The Holdovers
14. Killers of the Flower Moon
15. Asteroid City
16. Beau is Dead
17. Scream VI
18. John Wick Chapter Four
19. Saltburn
20. Barbie
Hello, my fellow creatures of the night and welcome back to FRIGHT FEST! Today, I present my trip report from scare central: Halloween Horror Nights 32 in Orlando.
For the past 5 event years Halloween Horror Nights has been without an icon, and it's been a long 10 years since it's received an original/new icon. Luckily, 2023 breaks that awful trend. Welcome to the roster one Dr. Rich Oddfellow, the proprietor of a traveling carnival/sideshow est. 1939. Dr. Oddfellow's Carnival of Thrills wasn't just innocent fun and games though, as many disappearances and accidents occurred at the carnival over the years, some of which were carried out at the hands of the infamous serial killer clown Jack Schmidt. Jack had been employed by Dr. Oddfellow until the good doctor tired of his antics almost bringing the authorities to the carnival, as a result Oddfellow terminated Jack's contract...and his life.
Dr. Oddfellow's main pursuit throughout his life was a quest for immortality, and he used his carnival as a way of collecting souls and showing off his unnatural discoveries. Despite reportedly being murdered at the hands of a re-animated Jack Schmidt in 2007 (Supposedly Dr. Oddfellow accidentally transferred some of his power to Jack during Jack's murder years prior, hence why he didn't stay dead), Dr. Oddfellow has returned and brought his delightfully sinful and depraved traveling carnival with him. He invites curious guests/victims to venture inside.
SCAREZONES
The scarezones this year were some of the better ones I've explored during the event (I might even say this was the best year for Scarezones that I've attended). Most are themed to the life/backstory of Dr. Oddfellow, and his foul quest.
DR. ODDFELLOW'S COLLECTION OF HORROR
Dr. Oddfellow will lure you into Halloween Horror Nights with a promise of immortality. As he lifts the veil on all the horrors to come, you'll soon realize you may not even survive the night.
There's a cool little caravan prop for Dr. Oddfellow to perform and speak from, but in general this zone isn't all that memorable. It's mostly just your typical preview zone, but with less theming. Always great to see the old HHN arch get some love. This is also the only zone where you can meet the main Icon form of Dr. Oddfellow and interact with him. I actually got to nab a photo with him and have a brief discussion with him. He wanted to know if I had come to capture souls. I told him I had come to capture greatness (implying, of course, that Dr. Oddfelow is great). Naturally, he ate this up, staring me down with a wicked grin (I didn't budge). He proceeded to inform me I had come to the right place, before striking a pose for the camera and declaring To eternity, my young friend. I chiped in with To eternity...and beyond!In the end, there's not much to this scarezone, but it's still worth at least one trek through.
4/10
DARK ZODIAC
Dr. Oddfellow has entered a dark dimension to harness the power of the Zodiac and live forever. He twists the signs into malevolent beings who foretell your doom. As his star rises, yours falls.
Why does it seem like the Hollywood area always gets the weird zones. This is another weird one, and the story behind it didn't make sense or was confusing. It's mostly twisted versions of the Zodiac signs roaming the area, with some set pieces where victims/dummy props are killed. Not a bad zone, but I spent very little time in it.
4/10
JUNGLE OF DOOM: EXPEDITION HORROR
In the 1920s, Dr. Oddfellow ventured deep into the darkest jungle, performing horrific experiments on nature. Now his monstrous creations are running amok and are coming after you.
Located in the Central Park area, this was my favorite zone of the night. The theming was rich, thick, and detailed. The creatures were very freaky and there was a good variety of them (stilt walkers, little people, etc). It also featured some of the best and most effective use of fog I've seen at the event in a long time (Always a thrill walking into fog so thick you can't see an inch in front of you). Dr. Oddfellow in jungle/explorer/adventurer garb appears near the entrance, holding his trophy: a green Crystral Skull he hopes will help him achieve immortality. An A+ zone, and one I won't soon forget.
10/10
SHIPYARD 32: HORRORS UNHINGED
Enter a 1940s San Francisco shipping yard full of mysterious crates and cages bearing Dr. Oddfellow's symbol. Beware, his nightmarish oddities have now escaped, spreading fear and chaos in their wake.
Located in the San Francisco area, this was another of the top zones of the night. This scarezone is filled with creatures/characters from the past including Tooth Fairies (from Revenge of the Tooth Fairy in HHN 30), Vampires (from The Hive in HHN 27), and Batricia (From Grown Evil in HHN 21) among many others. There's a very impressive, large, and cool crashed shipping crate/container in the center of the zone which acts as the main set-piece. There are also various cages which some creatures might appear trapped in. A very cool zone, and one that undoubtedly will stir up memories of long-time HHN fans.
9/10
VAMP '69: SUMMER OF BLOOD
At a 60's music fest in a small New York town, you'll jam to popular bands with fellow concert-goers until Dr. Oddfellow unleashes vicious vampires on the audience. They're out for your blood.
The basic idea is that Dr. Oddfellow was the leader of a clan of Vampires, which he led to the music fest and unleashed upon the participants there. As a spiritual child of the '60s, this zone (located in the NYC area) was right up my alley. There are some 60s tracks playing on a loop over loudspeakers, there were a good deal of set-pieces for scareactors to interact/play with, and there's just something fun and funny about seeing "Peace and Love" hippies turn savage and start tearing apart innocents. There is also a great variety of costumes as well. A hippie-vampire version of Dr. Oddfellow (complete with groovy 'fro) can be found wandering this zone.
8.5/10
M3GAN ROAMING DANCE TROUPE
There is a group of M3GAN dolls roaming around the event this year. They aren't the easiest to catch, and only appear briefly to do a dance number. I did manage to catch a glimpse of the M3GANs as they were leaving. Sadly, I missed their dance.
HOUSES
As per usual, we come to the part you've all been waiting for: The houses. This year, I'll go through them in the order we hit them.
THE EXORCIST: BELIEVER
Two missing girls have been found with no memory of what happened to them. But wherever they went, the ultimate evil has returned with them. Enter the most terrifying scenes from the new Blumhouse film.
Inspired by Universal Pictures’ terrifying new horror film from Blumhouse and Morgan Creek Entertainment (in theaters Friday, October 13), “The Exorcist: Believer” haunted house will transport guests to a bustling street market in Haiti, where an innocent purchase of a strange folk doll with three eyes leads to the opening of a demonic portal, the awakening of sinister spirits and the subsequent disappearance of two 12-year-old girls in the U.S. The girls are found three days later with no memory of what happened to them. After the girls begin to exhibit unsettling behavior, it soon becomes clear that only an exorcism can save them – and everyone who comes in contact with them, including unwitting guests, is suddenly at risk of losing their souls.
Surprisingly, most of the people I've talked to seem to believe this was the best and scariest house of the event. I don't exactly agree, but I do think it is very well themed and one of the top ones of the night. I haven't seen the new Exorcist film yet, so I can't speak to this house's authenticity, but I certainly enjoyed my time in it (though I didn't find it to be all that scary, I did love getting to see Pazuzu a few times).
8.5/10
DUELING DRAGONS: CHOOSE THY FATE
Two warlocks of great power were turned into dragons after trying to take Merlyn's spell book. Now you and your friends are caught in their epic battle. You must choose a path and a victor.
The great wizard Merlyn has been transformed into the Enchanted Oak, leaving a power vacuum. When two powerful warlocks invade his castle to steal his spell book, they are turned into dragons of fire and ice. Now guests are caught in the middle of their battle and are forced to choose a path and a victor. But beware, one never knows who will win in “Dueling Dragons: Choose Thy Fate.”
The mad geniuses at Halloween Horror Nights decided to pay tribute to one of the most well-themed queues in all of theme park history, essentially recreating it for this haunted house. Merlyn has been turned into The Enchanted Oak (the facade for this house), and with him gone his magic spell book is up for grabs. He entrusts you with protecting it from two evil wizards/dragons, Pyrock (Fire) and Blizzrock (Ice). I consider this to be in competition for the most well-themed house of the night. It really felt like you were traveling into a different fairy world of magic. We get recreations of the exterior forest, the castle entrance, the spell-book room, the ice room with a frozen knight hanging overhead, and more. Near the end, the line diverges into two paths: one for fire, and one for ice. Being more of a fan of the Fire side of the coaster back when it was open, naturally I chose Fire both times I ventured through the house. As a result, I got to see what happens when Pyrock wins, and what happens when he loses and Merlyn wins. Not a super-scary house, but the theming is lush and transports you back to that classic queue line from so long ago ( You also gotta love the addition of troll scareactors in two scenes).
10/10
YETI: CAMPGROUND KILLS
You and your friends are about to venture into a 1950s campground overrun by huge, menacing yetis who rip apart anyone who gets in their way. You must flee to the ranger tower to escape.
In a 1950s campground, a group of towering, terrifying yetis are running rampant, ripping apart campers, rangers and anyone else who gets in their way. In “YETI: Campground Kills,” guests must flee through the campground into cabins, a bait shack and even the outhouse in hopes of making it to the ranger tower before it’s too late.
Yeah, so this was the house I screamed the most in. Apparently, the story is that a baby yeti was killed by the campers, which is why all the yetis are in bloodlust mode. There are a few different kinds of Yeti's throughout, and the theming is very nice and detailed (Love when you walk on a dock around a shack with a lake nearby). The Bear (a fan-favorite) makes an appearance as well. In my book, Campground Kills was better than Terror of the Yukon.
8.5/10
CHUCKY: ULTIMATE KILL COUNT
Inspired by the hit USA & SYFY series and cult classic films, “Chucky: Ultimate Kill Count” casts this killer doll as the star of his very own haunted house for the first time. A true sadistic killer, Chucky has been mired in the agony of disrespect he feels from his peers at not being taken seriously. Thus begins his quest to turn his haunted house into a living slaughterhouse by killing every person who enters.
Chucky, the serial killer doll, is back for a new gorefest! He's hijacked his own haunted house with all kinds of bloody hijinx. You and your friends must try to survive his ultimate kill count.
A super-sized house (Think The Walking Dead: The Living and the Dead from HHN 25), but one that doesn't earn its length. The idea is that HHN made Chucky his own haunted house celebrating all of his kills from his new TV show, and invited Chucky himself to preview it. Unfortunately, Chucky does not approve, proceeds to murder the creators, and then hijacks the entire house. The first Chucky AA that greets us is incredibly life-like and realistic (You will believe you are meeting the REAL Chucky), but the rest of the rooms are a let-down. I always appreciate a high-concept house, but most of the house seems to be the scareactors getting killed and attacked, and not us. There's also an extra-large Chucky, but he attacks in the first room and is never seen again. What a disappointment.
3.5/10
THE DARKEST DEAL
Blues musician Pinestraw Spruce will have to face the music after meeting with The Collector and trading his soul for musical glory. You and your squad learn the terrible price of fame.
In the Mississippi Delta, blues musician Pinestraw Spruce meets at a crossroads with a diabolical entity known as The Collector to make a deal: his soul for musical glory. Guests will witness his big break performing for a crowd before The Collector drags him to Hades with the other musicians who learned the terrible price of fame in “The Darkest Deal.”
This was easily my most anticipated house of the night, and while it didn't end up being my number one, it definitely impressed. Everyone knows the old myths, legends, and tales of classic Blues musicians selling their souls for talent, fame, and glory. How freaking cool is it that we now have a HHN house based around exactly this folklore. This house is one of the best and most gorgeously themed of the entire night. Set long-ago in New Orleans/Louisiana, we get to explore various backroads, alleys, Blues joints, a graveyard/cemetery, a crypt/mausoleum, and even Hell/The Underworld. Interesting to note that not all entities seen in this house are malicious, as many are spirits of previous musicians who made the same poor choice and have now returned to taunt and warn Pinestraw (The Blues musician who acts as the star of the house, and has sold his soul for talent, fortune, and glory). Very glad I got to travel through this one twice. Pinestraw is basically an icon in his own right (at least, as far as I'm concerned).
9.5/10
THE LAST OF US
Enter the overgrown and perilous world of Naughty Dog's video game in real life, as you fight to survive and navigate your way through an abandoned Pittsburgh with Joel & Ellie.
For the first time ever, Naughty Dog and PlayStation’s award-winning post-pandemic video game “The Last of Us” comes to life in an all-new haunted house that propels guests into an obstacle course of carnage and mayhem as they join a brutal journey in a world overtaken by a fungal virus that turns humans into various forms of a new threat known as the Infected. Guests will find themselves navigating iconic locations from the video game in a desperate attempt to escape and survive.
Full disclousre: I have played some of The Last of Us, but I never finished it or got very far. That said, right from the opening scene in a collapsed car garage, I felt immediately transported into the world of a video game. To the point where many scareactors felt like actual NPCs. This was some of the most fun I had in a haunted house this night. Every time a Cordycep attacked, growling or roaring. I would growl or roar back, in an effort to communicate in their language. Definitely made me want to go back and play more of the game.
8/10
BLOOD MOON: DARK OFFERINGS
In a Colonial-era village, moon-worshippers witness a blood moon at their fall festival. They take it as a sign to hunt down any non-followers, including you and your scream squad.
Colonial-era villagers begin to worship the moon obsessively. When the blood moon rises at their fall festival, they take it as a sign that they must hunt down any non-followers within their village. Guests will need to try not to become part of the sacrifice as they gather body parts to form a grisly offering in “Bloodmoon: Dark Offerings.”
This house definitely reminded me of 2014's Roanoke Cannibal Colony. I'd qualify this as the sleeper house of the night, as it's one that doesn't seem as talked-about, but has some of the best theming and surprises of the night. The first scene is essentially walking into the village, but there's a really cool detail I bet most don't notice: There is a blood moon overhead. Other notable scenes include: The town square (another of HHN's famous wide-open set-pieces/rooms), walking through a cloth to reveal you have entered an old church and are walking down the middle of the aisles toward the pew or altar, and a large church steeple complete with a cult member ringing the church bell. It definitely feels like a fully realized, complete house (and I love how the last scene seems to be set in the same location as the second scene, really makes you feel like you've traveled through the entire town). Blood Moon easily rivals Dueling Dragons for best theming of the night.
10/10
STRANGER THINGS 4
Join the Fight Against Vecna. Don’t let Vecna get in your mind as you take on the scariest season of Stranger Things yet. Try to resist his gruesome curse before the ultimate showdown in his blood-red Mind Lair.
Season 4 of Netflix’s original series “Stranger Things” is brought to life in a terrifying all-new haunted house that transports guests to Hawkins, Indiana where they will be immersed in the eerie Upside Down for a heart-pounding experience while traveling through iconic scenes. Guests will confront their deepest fears and come face to face with otherworldly creatures like demobats, and even Vecna himself within his blood-red Mind Lair in a race against the clock to escape and save mankind from his deadly curse.
This rivals Stranger Things from HHN 29 for me. There isn't any large, impressive puppet or AA like the Mind-Flayer from that previous house, but there is a large, detailed recreation of Vecna's lair, which is sick to walk through. Overall, Stranger Things 4 is a faithful walk-through of events from season 4 including Chrissy's death, Henry/Number One's first encounter with Eleven (Very creative and cool way they did this. We are walking in-between them as Eleven sends Henry hurtling into the Upside-Down), Dustin and Eddie's show-down against the Demobats, and more. Fans of the Netflix series should be very pleased.
8/10
UNIVERSAL MONSTERS: UNMASKED
Descend into the Paris Catacombs, where you and your squad will face a new horde of Monsters: Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, the Phantom of the Opera, the Hunchback of Notre Dame and the Invisible Man.
Lurking sixty feet beneath the bustling streets of the City of Lights, the dank Catacombs of Paris house a much darker secret. . . The all-new haunted house “Universal Monsters: Unmasked” takes guests down into the infamous burial grounds where every corner and crevice overflows with millions of skeletal remains and even more sinister secrets. Deep within the Catacombs, Universal’s most notorious creatures – The Phantom of the Opera, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Dr. Jekyll and his deranged alternate personality Mr. Hyde, and Dr. Jack Griffin, aka The Invisible Man – also lie in wait as they bide their time and seek vengeance against guests after the opening of the Catacombs to public visitation. These desperate and dangerous fiends have become filled with a rage toward guests navigating the twisted tunnels of their underground labyrinth home. It is here, in the darkness, where they hunt these trespassers and where the sounds of guests’ screams will go unheard.
A disappointment, especially when compared to previous Universal Monsters houses. The different sections (Phantom, Wolfman, Hunchback, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and The Invisible Man) don't feel all that connected to each other. I do appreciate that they use an old-timey newspaper boy to announce when you're entering a new area, though. The interiors are gorgeously detailed, but it was hard to follow or make sense of the plot and why these monsters all just-so happen to be in Paris. The best scene is the opening/facade. You walk in facing a bridge,on top of it is a policeman on patrol. He yells down at us, urging us to get inside and stay safe. That's not the cool part though. The cool part is that it's actually raining when you enter. It's that little extra touch of sprinkling, light rain that cements the illusion that YOU ARE THERE! Brought me right back to Winter's Night from HHN 21. I really wish HHN would utilize effects like these more often.
7.5/10
DR. ODDFELLOW'S TWISTED ORIGINS
You won’t be able to resist going inside Dr. Oddfellow’s menacing menagerie of twisted oddities. But the price for you and your friends is steep: the cost of your souls to feed his immortal power.
In the 1930s Dust Bowl era, guests won’t be able to resist going inside Dr. Oddfellow’s menacing menagerie of twisted oddities where they’ll encounter grotesquely distorted animals and freakish fiends. In “Dr. Oddfellow: Twisted Origins,” the price to enter this creepy caravan is steep as souls feed his immortal power.
The best house of the night. The exterior entrance/facade goes on for longer than expected, really solidifying the feel that you are entering a true traveling carnival. Inside, most of the scareactors are variations on clowns (Be on the look-out for a pre-Icon Jack, doing his whole serial killer/John Wayne Gacy thing). The theming is consistent, disorienting, and detailed. This is the "fun-house" of the night, and there are some nifty gags on display throughout. The whole experience has a true twisted sense of fun about it. Naturally, the further/deeper you travel into Dr. Oddfellow's Carnival of Thrills, the more depraved and murderous the antics become. By the end, you really will feel like your "souls have been distorted", as Dr. Oddfellow says. This is the main must-do of the night as, not only do you get to walk through the backstory/history of HHN (Yes, you do get to watch Jack get murdered by Oddfellow), you also have a lot of fun while doing so. So glad I got to visit Dr. Oddfellow's Carnival of Thrills twice.
10/10
FOOD ITEMS
While at the event, I got to visit the new Minion Land and try some of the area's newest menu items. I tried the Banana Popcorn, a drink called The Antidote, and Minion Tots from the Minion Cafe. The Banana Popcorn was very tasty and sweet. I'd compare it to the glazed popcorn you could find at a mall, but of a high quality. Very satisfying. The Antidote comes topped with the same foam/cream topping they use in Butterbeer, but it's now banana flavored. I'd describe the flavor as banana cream soda. I'm not a big tot guy, but the Minion Tots lived up to the hype. Definitely some of the best tots I've had. Crispy on the outside, warm and fluffy on the inside. Just about the perfet tots (and they come in Minion shapes). As for the Minion Land itself, I was very impressed with the theming and detail. They basically took a stretch of sidewalk and turned it into a city. There's shops and stores (Some you can visit, some you can't), like a Bank of Evil. Overall, it's nice that the entrance to USF now has a consistent theme.
RIDES
I got to ride Transformers: The Ride 3-D and Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit. There not much to report: Transformers still kicks ass, and so does Rockit. As per tradition I sat in the very front row of the coaster train, and the views at night and wind in my face were thrilling and mighty satisfying. Rockit's future seems uncertain as Universal drastically reduced the number of songs you can choose from (There's literally only 5 or 6 song options now). If you love this coaster, you might want to get your rides in now before it's too late.
CONCLUSION
HHN 32 was another one for the books. It's easily one of my most successful events in years. I can't remember the last time I got to hit up three houses twice! I'm also thrilled I got to meet the Icon for this year: Dr. Oddfellow. HHN 32 marks the first time in a while that a proper Icon has been conjured up to host the event. Oddfellow's all-encompassing presence gives HHN 32 a sense of unity and connectivity it hasn't had in years. It just shows how much a proper, well-developed Icon can help to tie everything in the event together in satisfying, exciting ways. HHN 32 features a great variety of IPS, original houses, scarezones, and homages/tributes to past events/attractions. HHN 32 easily ranks as one of the best event years in HHN history.
10/10
RANKINGS
HOUSES
1. Dr. Oddfellow’s Twisted Origins
2. Dueling Dragons: Choose Thy Fate
3. Blood Moon: Dark Offerings
4. The Darkest Deal
5. Yeti: Campground Kills
6. The Exorcist: Believer
7. The Last of Us
8. Stranger Things 4
9. Universal Monsters: Unmasked
10. Chucky: Ultimate Kill Count
SCAREZONES
1. Jungle of Doom: Expedition Horror
2. Shipyard 32: Horrors Unhinged
3. Vamp ‘69: Summer of Blood
4. Dr. Oddfellow’s Collection of Horror
5. Dark Zodiac
Thanks for tuning in. Till next year, I’ll see you in the fog!
Will evil die tonight?
This review attempts to avoid spoilers while staying truthful to what this film really is. The best way to walk in is knowing as little as you can about it. That said, if you want to trek deeper, follow me into the sewers of Haddonfield. Evil is waiting...
Halloween Ends is the story of Corey Cunningham (Rohan Campbell), a young adult scorned by the town of Haddonfield after the death of a child he was babysitting back in 2019. The year is now 2022, and Corey is struggling to keep it together. Help comes when he befriends Allyson (Andi Matichak) and Laurie (Jamie Lee Curtis). It's been four years since Michael's killing spree in Halloween Kills, and The Shape has vanished but the town hasn't forgotten his legend. When Corey has a close call with Michael, everything changes.
Halloween Ends is the finale for David Gordon Green's Halloween sequel trilogy. It's penned by David Gordon Green, Paul Brad Logan, Chris Bernier, and Danny McBride. Ends is one of the most different, original, and unique entries in the franchise. It's also certain to be one of the most divisive. This film makes some ballsy, bold, unexpected, and surprising choices that will likely alienate or even anger many fans.
Jamie Lee Curtis is back as Laurie, and puts on her strongest performance as the character since the original Halloween (Way back in '78). In this finale, she has worked to put Michael behind her. She's bought her own house and is working on a memoir.
Her granddaughter Allyson is now living with her and is working as a nurse at Haddonfield Memorial. Laurie has quite a few voice-overs, and they are all pretty stellar, accentuating themes about dealing with trauma, resisting/denying evil, and moving on/ healing. This feels closer to the Laurie we saw in John Carpenter's Halloween, and it's great to finally have her back.
Andi Matichak is still pretty good as Allyson, but doesn't stand out as much as in previous installments. She's still likable, but hides an undercurrent of anger and frustration. She winds up falling hard for Corey, and the two’s relationship is focused on a good deal.
Surprisingly, the strongest part of Halloween Ends is likely Rohan Campbell as the meek good-boy guy-next-door Corey Cunningham (Who prefers chocolate milk over alcohol). Corey acts as our "protagonist" this go-round, and Ends deeper explores the character of Michael through Corey and his connection with The Shape. These parts are quietly, subtly clever and pretty interesting.
Rohan plays his role to perfection (or pretty close to perfection). He is very believable and likable as a genuinely good person who has started to develop a darker side from the events that transpired during his fateful babysitting gig in 2019. The only real downsides to his character are two of the turns he takes come across as sudden and abrupt. They don’t fully make sense.
Those that buy a ticket hoping to watch a film about Michael and Laurie are going to be very disappointed. Michael is important to the events of Ends, but is treated more as an after-thought. He does do some killing, but only really appears in around a handful (maybe more) of scenes.
Don't expect to be frightened or intimated by The Shape here. When we pick up with ol' Mikey Boy, he has definitely seen better days. His home (The Meyers House) has been demolished, and his wounds/injuries from Kills (as well as his age) have finally caught up with him. He is a shade of his former self.
The previous two entries tried to establish Michael as more flesh-and-blood than boogeyman, but Ends does a complete 180 and chooses to go a more supernatural route with the character (think Curse of Michael Meyers).
Ends more-or-less discards most of the development and themes from 2018 and Kills, making this finale feel disconnected to and separate/distant from what came before. That said, the new path David Gordon Green and crew decide to tread isn't necessarily a bad one.
Ultimately the execution and run-time do Halloween Ends in. The new themes and ideas aren't given the adequate time to be properly or fully explored, and the third act feels pretty rushed (Also, In the first act there's a character from Kills that is shown to have somehow survived Michael's attempted murder of them, though how this person didn't succumb to their wounds is impossible to understand).
Luckily, the final fight between Michael and Laurie is A+. It might top the final fight in H20 for some. The opening sequence was stellar as well. It might be the best since the original Halloween. The way Michael and Laurie's story finally concludes is a bit anti-climactic, and it's difficult to imagine how they could plan any further sequels or spin-offs (unless they just started over from scratch, maybe).
In the end, Halloween Ends resembles a mixture of Christine, Carrie, The Cult of Thorn trilogy (specifically Curse of Michael Meyers), and Mr. Brooks. Many will likely view it as the Jason Goes To Hell of the Halloween franchise. For my money, this isn't the worst Halloween film (that honor still goes to Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Meyers) but it will undoubtedly be the most divisive since Rob Zombie's Halloween 2.
Halloween 2018 was a love letter to John Carpenter's Halloween. Halloween Kills was a love letter to Halloween 2 (the first sequel) and Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Meyers, Halloween Ends feels like more of a love letter to the ending of Halloween 4, Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Meyers, Halloween 6: The Curse of Michael Meyers, and even Halloween 3:Season of the Witch (The opening credits are done in blue, much like Halloween 3's. This was likely done to immediately and subconsciously send the message to the audience that this finale is going to be something completely different).
Halloween Ends takes a huge, admirable swing for the fences. It's hard not to appreciate the filmmakers' decision to opt to go for the road less traveled, giving us something no one was expecting (or likely wanted). This last outing is filled with surprising, bold choices. Unfortunately, it doesn't fully hit the mark.
Personally, I really liked Ends but can imagine the overwhelming response will be anger and disappointment. There aren't many kills (most occur off-screen, or the film cuts away from them. There are a total of two stand-out deaths. ) and Michael isn't in it much.
Ends acts as more of a character study and moody introspection piece. It's not bad, but it is baffling. While I liked it, those that don't will have valid reasons for their hate. The discussion and discord over this one will certainly be interesting. Halloween Ends is one of the most unique experiences you will have in a theater this year, and for that it earns a recommendation.
3.5 STARS
The first film to ever bust the block is back on the big screen in a way like you’ve never seen it before… IN 3-D!!! Jaws is still one of the few completely flawless films out there. Luckily, the 3-D to be sampled here only enhances the experience.
Re-watching Jaws today, it confounds the mind that this was Spielberg’s first theatrical film. The script, camerawork, cinematography, and acting are all superb. It feels like an expert, experienced, confident hand is behind the camera. You would never be able to tell that the shoot was incredibly problematic (The film went over-time and over-budget, and the shark animatronic was notoriously unreliable). The multiple themes about man vs. nature, warring masculinities, and class differences among many others are still rich and interesting.
Much like Jurassic Park in IMAX 3-D, the use of fore, mid, and background elements make this flick a natural fit for the format. The shot placement and camera movement are incredibly impressive and work well with 3-D. There’s a good amount of screen-penetrating shots: waves and the ocean consistently stretch out into the audience, parts of the Orca occasionally protrude out of the screen, guns will point into the audience, and at the end when the shark jumps out of the water it looks like he’s eating the screen.
There’s an incredible amount of depth added throughout as well: shots of the beach and Ocean are very impressive, the Ben Gardner’s boat scene is gorgeous, every shot looking up at or down from the Orca’s crows nest is beautiful, and the shots of Quint standing at the very tip of the Orca with his harpoon gun resting in front of him are impressive.
The 3-D job here is exceptional and immersive. I didn’t think the film would be a good fit for 3-D, I was wrong. Jaws in 3-D is about as memorable an experience as Jurassic Park in IMAX 3-D was, which is to say: It’s great!
5 STARS
Welcome back, creatures of the night, to Fright Fest. Your Ghost Host with the most most has some frightful things planned for this year's edition, including reviews for the rest of the Psycho franchise, so get PSYCHED! For the first review though, I book a stay at an Airbnb with Barbarian.
In Barbarian, Tess (Georgina Campbell) rents a house in Detroit on AirBnb, only to find a guy named Keith (Bill Skarsgard) is already staying there when she arrives. Keith invites Tess to stay there with him, and despite giving off some odd vibes, Tess takes him up on the offer. It won't take long before Tess realizes that Keith is the least of her worries.
Having just left an unhealthy relationship, Tess is in town for a research gig that a famed documentarian needs help with. Tess wonders why it's always the girls who get their hearts ripped out, and doesn't want to be seen as a "pet". Georgina Campbell plays her "Final Girl" role to absolute perfection. She is a survivor type that kicks ass, but also cares about others she encounters during her nightmarish adventure. Campbell makes for a very memorable and likable heroine.
Bill Skarsgard plays "nice guy" Keith. He gives off his signature odd vibes, but slowly manages to disarm audiences with a natural, nervous charm. Skarsgard plays his role very well. By this point, audiences should be well aware of the roles he is typically cast in and it's hard not to suspect him of ill intent. Keith doesn't get much character development (for example: Why is he staying in such a dangerous part of town? What brings him to Detroit?), but Skarsgard makes the most out of what he is given to work with.
Justin Long plays AJ, another guy who finds himself trapped in the same nightmare as Tess. He wants to believe he is a good guy, but his behavior is questionable. It's always a joy to see Long on the big screen in a horror film, and he has fun with his role. AJ is fairly goofy and not easy to like, but he remains consistently entertaining.
Barbarian is directed and written by Zach Cregger. Cregger got his start in comedy as one of the founding members of 'The Whitest Kids You Know'. Anna Drubich does the score, and it's one of the stand-out aspects of the film. The score is filled with tasty synth, and feels 80s-esque at the best of times.
Cregger directs with a very aggressive style and, in his hands Barbarian is a real puzzle box of a film. It's always twisting, turning, shifting, and changing. It takes great joy in consistently subverting expectations. (It's like trying to keep a firm grasp on a slippery eel.) . It's hard to catch your footing or really make out exactly what Barbarian is, what it's trying to say, and where it's headed.
While Barbarian is mostly dark, disturbing, gruesome, and messed up, there are plenty of moments that come across as comedic. There are some questions that remain unanswered and some story threads that aren't fully elaborated on. The themes and messages aren't super-deep either.
Barbarian deals heavily with themes of maternal love, toxic relationships, "nice guys", and "monsters". Much like 'The People Under the Stairs', not everyone is who they appear to be at first glance. This is Cregger's first solo theatrical outing, and it's fairly impressive and well-made. It all feels very grindhouse.
Barbarian is aggressively different, unique, and original. The same can be said for it's structure. There are messages and themes to ponder, but the real draw is the intense, unrelenting roller-coaster ride this flick takes audiences on.
4 STARS
Well, Nope is now available to rent on demand, and to celebrate I've decided to do a deeper dive into the film, it's many themes, as well as the Gordy's Home scene and why it is vital to Nope as a whole. This is going to be more free-form and ramble-y, so please bear with me. MAJOR spoilers follow.
THEMES
Let's start with one of the other themes in the film that doesn't have to do with spectacle or exploitation of animals. Nope deals with characters that are fighting to not be forgotten. The Haywoods are at the forefront. They are a family of horse wranglers whose lineage comes from "Hollywood royalty" as their great-great-great granddad was the "man on a horse" in the famous Muybridge Experiment aka the first ever moving picture. With their patriarch 'Pops' recently deceased, the family business has fallen on hard times and they've resorted to selling their horses to a nearby wild west theme park owned by former child star Ricky "Jupe" Park. The Haywoods are in danger of being forgotten, their important legacy to film erased.
Antler Holst (Who's last name is a nod to Gustav Holst, a famous composer. He is most well known for orchestrating several pieces that are collectively known as 'The Planets'. Each piece is named after a planet, including Jupiter.) is introduced as a "world famous cinematographer"...yet the first time we see him, he is working on a commercial. This does not bode well for Antlers. Why would a "world famous" cinematographer be reduced to doing commericals unless his work (and prospects) have dried up? He and his work are in danger of being forgotten. Later on, Antlers uses an IMAX camera to capture footage of the UAP. This is clever, as every scene involving the UAP was shot using IMAX cameras. Angel is a lowly tech service agent at Fry's Electronics who is very interested in Aliens and UAPs. He has just recently been dumped by his girlfriend for a role on a CW show. He has also been discarded and forgotten about.
Ricky "Jupe" Park is a former child star who's status as a minority was exploited as a youth to put butts-in-seats. He starred in a famous film franchise called 'Kid Sherriff' and in an ill-fated tv sitcom called 'Gordy's Home' that centered around a chimp. As an adult, Jupe uses his former child-stardom to coast by and earn bucks. Now discarded by the system that exploited him as a youth, he has resorted to continuing to exploit himself and the shows he starred in for monetary gain out of the fear of being forgotten.
As you can see the commentary on Hollywood is rich and fairly savage. The movie-making industry is painted as a thoughtless, careless, exploitative industry that uses people and animals for it's own profit. It uses them up, spits them out, and discards them when they are no longer of use. Also interesting to note that 'Jupiter's Claim' revolves around the use and sharing of 'Jupe Jangles', the form of currency used to purchase different experiences and items in 'Jupiter's Claim'. 'Jupe Jangles' are fake gold coins that are ultimately of no value, yet people are encouraged to collect as many as possible and use them to "purchase" stuff and experiences.
Nope was advertised as a spectacle, and it's commenting on and critiquing spectacles. We, the audience, have bought tickets to view a spectacle. The film asks audiences to consider what role they play in paying to watch a spectacle. By buying tickets, are we perpetuating the cycle of spectacle? Are we encouraging more spectacles to be created?
There's a cool scene at a restaurant later on where OJ, Emerald, and Angel are sitting around, eating, and discussing what to do next. Meanwhile, outside the restaurant a fight has broken out. I can't speak for everyone, but my eyes were inevitably drawn to the fight in the background. This is yet another commentary on spectacle. We should be watching and paying attention to the important conversation going on right in front of us, but the spectacle of the fight distracts us and draws our attention away.
Another thing to note is that whenever the UAP is around, all electronics fail, meaning our protagonists have to resort to more conventional means to capture footage of it. They start with fancy digital recorders, progress on to a hand-cranked IMAX camera utilizing film, and finally on to polaroid pictures. In a weird way, it's almost like a journey into the past of movie-making, progressively traveling deeper and deeper back in time. It's kind of perfect our heroes capture "The Oprah Shot" on polaroid seeing as this kind of stuff is incredibly hard to fake using that method. By choosing to highlight older methods of capturing moving images as well as the use of film reels, Peele is also advocating for a return to the old style of filmmaking. This makes Nope both a critique of the Hollywood system as well as a love letter to old movies (not to mention, Nope might as well be a classic western).
The script in Nope is possibly Jordan Peele's most subtle yet. It's incredibly intelligent, and there are lines that reference future events in the film that are impossible to pick up on until repeated viewings. There are constant 'nopes' and 'yeps' throughout ( a memorable example is when OJ asks his sister Emerald if there's a word for a bad miracle and she responds with "nope".) and many reference to looking up and looking at people and things (After Angel lets out a frustrated scream upon first entering the Haywood property, OJ tells him "Hey, look at me".). There are many close-ups of eyes in the B-Roll footage that Antlers Holst is inspecting later on. When Emerald is recalling the loss of her chance to train her beloved horse named Jean Jacket she says something along the lines of "He (Pops) never looked up at me...but you (OJ) did". There's also a hand gesture that OJ and Emerald share that symbolizes the phrase "I see you".
Early in the film, Emerald states she rides motorcycles which comes into play in a big way later on when she rides a motorcycle to evade the UAP. The design of the fake aliens Jupe has his three boys play are similar to monkeys. It's very likely Jupe drew upon his traumatic childhood experience on the set of 'Gordy's Home' to aid in the design of these "aliens". Another cool aspect of Nope is the the original title of the film was "Little Green Men", in reference to the collective societal image of aliens as well as money (which has literal little green men featured on the front of bills). When OJ has his sit-down with Jupe about buying back some of his horses, Jupe pivots to discussion about 'Gordy's Home' when Emerald notices a framed Mad Magazine cover (in reference to Peele's start on Mad TV). It's quite likely Jupe saw her interest as a way to change the topic of conversation, as he probably didn't want to discuss selling back the horses as most if not all had likely been fed to the UAP at that point. Jupe also states his interest in buying the Haywood property and all the horses on it. This is so he would have a larger food supply for the UAP and wouldn't have to keep forking out money for individual horses.
There is speculation as to whether or not OJ was eaten by the UAP at the end. One piece of evidence pointing to OJ surviving is the lyric from "Purple People Eater" Antlers Holst chooses to sing: "Well he came down to Earth and laid in a tree, I said Mr. Purple People Eater, don't eat me. I heard him say in a voice so gruff, I wouldn't eat you 'cause you're so tough." The last we see of OJ before the final scene, he is locked in an intense stare-down with the UAP. It's possible that it decided not to eat OJ because he refused to back down and came across as "tough".
At the end of the final scene after the UAP has been vanquished, Jupe's recorded farewell to guests at 'Jupiter's Claim' can also be seen as a farewell to audiences watching Nope. "Ok cowboys and cowgirls, it's time to ride off into the sunset. That's right, happy trails. It's closing time. You don't have to go home, but you can't stay here. Till then, we wish you well. Hasta la vista, adios."
This doesn't have much to do with themes or motifs, but I still can't overstate how incredibly impressed I am with the "twist" this time around. The choice to have the flying saucer/UAP be a living extraterrestrial animal is simple but brilliant. It blows my mind no one had come up with this take/concept before. Really....why COULDN'T the flying saucer be an alien itself?
THE STAR LASSO EXPERIENCE
In the infamous 'Star Lasso Experience' scene, Jupe says to the gathered crowd something along the lines of: "In around an hour, you will leave here changed" and "As I said before, in a little less than an hour, you will leave here different". He utters these lines 1 hour and 6 minutes and then 1 hour 8 minutes into the film. Nope itself is 2 hours and 3 minutes long, making this line applicable to Nope itself.
When Jupe first describes the 'Gordy's Home' incident he says it lasted for 6 minutes and 13 seconds, during the 'Star Lasso Experience' scene he says the UAP first appeared to him at 6:13 pm. It's stated early on that Pops died around 6 months before the time of the events seen in the majority of Nope. When it's revealed the UAP has been hiding in an unmoving cloud, OJ muses "Come to think of it, I've probably been staring at the same cloud for the past 6 months". Jupe states that the UAP first appeared to him 6 months ago. All this points to the scene of Pops death likely being quite close to the first time the UAP appeared in the Agua Dulce Canyon (the setting for the entirety of Nope).
Right before The UAP eats everyone at the 'Star Lasso Experience', Jupe's wife says "Bear with us, wild animals can be unpredictable". She says this in reference to the horse Jupe plans on feeding to the UAP refusing to leave it's stable (which could be seen as the reason why the UAP decides to hover over the 'Star Lasso Experience' and eat everyone there). This line, in larger context, is directly referring to the UAP which is a wild, unpredictable animal (hence why it eats everyone there).
GORDY'S HOME
And now, we get to one of the most argued about and disputed segments of the film...the 'Gordy's Home' incident. Many are claiming this portion should have been cut completely as it doesn't add anything to the film. I couldn't disagree more as this portion is vital and integral to the numerous themes within Nope, and directly relates and informs events (as well a foreshadowing future events) during the present day parts of Nope.
Gordy's home follows a family that works at NASA in Cape Canaveral, Florida. The mother is an astronaut, and the father is a NASA scientist/engineer. They have their own daughter, chose to adopt a young Asian male (Jupe), and have a chimp that was a part of the flight program named Gordy. During a recording of an episode of the second season titled "Gordy's Birthday" one of the chimps (named Eli) playing Gordy is startled by one of the birthday balloons popping and goes into a savage and terrifying homicidal rage. It's very possible no one was killed during the rampage (Reports claim the mother lost three fingers, the father and daughter were savagely beaten with the daughter's face being eaten, and Jupe was left untouched but with severe psychological trauma. Gordy was killed while distracted by the discovery of Jupe hiding).
Gordy is a wild animal that people attempted to tame with the goal of exploitation for entertainment, "spectacle", and profit. The efforts fail as one of the chimps goes bananas and assaults the actors on set. The chimp is ultimately killed. The UAP is a wild extra-terrestrial animal that people (OJ, Emerald, Angel, Antlers Holst, and Jupe) try to tame for entertainment, "Spectacle", and monetary gain. The efforts fail as the UAP goes ballistic and starts eating and killing many innocent people. The UAP is ultimately killed/vanquished. See any similarities?
The balloon popping is what set Eli the Chimp off, and the Jupe inflatable popping at the end is what kills the UAP. Jupe is saved from Eli's wrath because he is unable to make direct eye contact with the chimp due to a green table cloth which partially shields the boys eyes. When the UAP is attempting to stare down the Jupe inflatable/balloon at the end, we get a point of view from the UAP's perspective where a part of the UAP colored green is partially concealing it's view, mimicking that same shot from 'Gordy's Home'. When the UAP eats the Jupe inflatable, the last thing we see before it "pops" is the fist of the Jupe inflatable reaching out towards the camera similar to a fist-bump. During the 'Gordy's Home' incident, Jupe and Eli are reaching out to fist bump each other right before Eli has his brains blown out by a gun (An "exploding fist-bump", much like Jupe references earlier).
This scene doesn't necessarily move the plot forward, but it informs the Jupe character, the decisions he makes, the many themes found within the film, as well as foreshadowing many future events later on. Without the 'Gordy's Home' incident included, Nope as a whole would be much weaker. It's stronger for it's inclusion.
CONCLUSION
As mentioned in my main review of Nope, this is Jordan Peele's Jaws. it follows the efforts of a small group and their efforts involving a territorial, hungry animal. Except instead of the ocean, it's the sky. Instead of a shark, it's an extraterrestrial animal. Instead of the group trying to stop the animal's eating frenzy, they try to exploit it. I've seen Nope a total of four times, and this is still only a fraction of the things I've picked up on in the film. Is there anything I missed you'd like to point out? Are there any theories you would like to share? If so, sound off below. Till next time, I wish you well.
In Nope, Emerald (Keke Palmer) and OJ (Daniel Kaluuya) Haywood are horse trainers for Hollywood films. They own a ranch near an old west theme park (named Jupiter's Claim) owned and operated by Ricky "Jupe' Park and clan. The Haywood family has been in the horse training business for a long time and their lineage is lesser-known Hollywood royalty. After the Haywood patriarch “Pops” (Keith David) dies from a tragic accident, the Haywood business falls on hard times. Lucky for them (or maybe not) the star of Jupe's newest park attraction might provide a way for them to get back on top...provided they’re ok with some pretty severe collateral human loss.
Nope is Jordan Peele's latest horror-influenced outing. This time his brilliant mind sets its sights on spectacle, the art of it, and the effects it has on those involved. Daniel Kaluuya plays OJ (short for Otis Jr), the man left in charge of the Haywood ranch and family business after Pops passes. He is more of a quiet, reserved, and serious "dude" who is intensely focused on and devoted to his work. Kaluuya puts on a beautifully nuanced, effective, affective, powerful performance as a son who is desperately doing his best to ensure his family and it’s legacy isn’t forgotten, and failing.
Keke Palmer is absolutely magnetic, charming, and funny as OJ's sister Emerald. Emerald makes for a fantastic contrast/opposite to OJ as she is all about "the sparkle" or "the pizazz". She is the person who feels right at home in front of the camera, while OJ is more comfortable quietly working behind the scenes. Emerald dreams of fame, and her quest for it might land the Haywoods in some pretty dire straights. Palmer is a ton of fun, and she effortlessly draws audience’s attentions whenever she is on screen.
Steven Yuen is fantastic as Ricky "Jupe" Park, the former child star and showboat-y owner of Jupiter's Claim. “Jupe” is sprinkled throughout the first two acts of Nope, but is integral to the themes and story of the flick. Behind Jupe's friendly, smiley façade lies some serious trauma, which stems from a bloody and horrific event from his days as a young actor. His character is a tragic one, as he has gone on to capitalize on the "spectacle" from his youth and perpetuates the cycle he once found himself caught in so many years ago. Yeun has been a real rising star for some years now, and his layered performance in Nope cements him as someone to keep an eye on.
Brandon Perea is incredibly likable as the down-on-his-luck and consistently disrespected Angel, a lowly tech service agent for (the now defunct) Fry's Electronics. The Haywoods call on him to assist in configuring cameras around their ranch, which they hope will capture footage of something big and horrifying in the sky. Much to their frustration, Angel is hard to get rid of once they enlist his aide. Perea is called in for some extra comic relief, and to represent more of a blue-collar layman's perspective. He essentially acts as third lead, and is a very memorable and funny addition to the film.
Along for the ride is Michael Wincott as Hollywood cinematographer Antlers Holst. The Haywoods call on him for extra help in capturing the footage they desire, and he is the first to warn them of the dangers of their quest. Wincott plays crusty and wise exceedingly well, and though he is only really in the third act, he manages to leave quite an impression.
With Nope, Peele has crafted a spectacle that is commenting on spectacle. There are themes about attention, popularity, "looking away", the careless exploitation of wild animals for profit, and the fool-hardy idea that wild animals can be trusted or tamed. Peele uses constant eye imagery and motifs to inform his commentary on spectacle as well.
Those lining up expecting a bloody and gory film are likely to be disappointed. There isn't much blood or gore in Nope, and when it's there, it's sparingly used (the most blood you'll get is during a horrifying sequence involving the Haywood house). Nope also tends to "look away" from some of it's grislier set pieces. This is appropriate since (as previously stated) a core theme is about "looking away" from spectacle. Luckily, what we do get to see tends to be incredibly disturbing/ horrifying and will likely stick with most well after the end credits have rolled.
Nope is a good deal horrifying throughout. Whatever is in the sky is appropriately intimidating, aggressive, and expansive. The many scenes it's featured in, and the way it’s shot and handled might leave some legs trembling. Aiding in the horror department is the phenomenal and affecting sound design by Johnnie Burn and a strong score by Michael Abels. What you hear throughout the film (especially when whatever is in the sky makes itself known) is horrific and nightmare-inducing.
Nope also looks consistently pretty, thanks to cinematography by Hoyte Van Hoytema. Most of the film has a distinct barren, desolate, "western" feel. However, the few times we get to visit Jupiter's Claim things brighten up with some lively colors and a fantastic set design (by Ruth De Jong). Expect a memorable mixture of color palettes throughout Nope, both muted and bright.
Now, onto some negatives: Nope runs at around two hours, and it definitely feels like a two hour film. The first forty minutes or so are a little slower, as this is where characters and their relationships to each other are established. Not everyone is likely to appreciate a two hour movie, and the flick as whole does have some down-time every now and then. Luckily, Nope more than earns it's length.
The proceedings are divided into four or so "chapters", and this is the only aspect of the film that might not have been needed. While what occurs in each "chapter" fits based upon what they’re titled, structuring the film this way comes across as a little clunky, confusing, and odd.
Nope sees Peele in full Spielberg mode (Think Jaws and Jurassic Park). This is without a doubt his Jaws. With Nope, Peele has crafted a smart, thoughtful spectacle that has a lot to say. Not sure how much general audiences are going to dig it. It’s long, intelligent, and likely isn’t what most are expecting it to be. It’s certainly a challenging film, one that aims to make audiences consider the part they play in partaking in spectacle.
Nope defies definition and labels. It includes horror, sci-fi (if this is an “Alien” movie it’s unlike any you’ve seen), adventure, and western elements. In the end, Nope firmly establishes Jordan Peele as one of the great directors of our time. It’s a wild, unpredictable ride (and seeing it on the largest screen you can find is a must!)! Be prepared to never look at clouds or the sky in the same way again.
4.5 STARS
