All posts by Eric Thompson

Film Editorials, Movies

Can Avatar Be As Popular As We Hope?

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That’s right, another article speculating whether or not these Avatar sequels are going to be worth the wait. And considering the second film is less than a week from when this post is being published, it should be obvious I’m trying to get attention. Better writer probably have better strategies than this but I don’t get paid to write these posts. I’m just a regular guy giving my thoughts on the first film as well as where my thoughts are leaning for these upcoming follow ups. With all of that being said, let’s look back to 2009 when this movie first came out.

Avatar is considered a theatrical experience. Utilizing 3D technology to fully immerse the viewers, James Cameron waited years to make sure the technology was good enough to help bring his vision to life. And to his credit, the visuals and the technology used to bring create them is truly impressive. Even if you are to look at it on a smaller TV screen, the environment & aliens are fully realized. It is remarkable how hard the VFX artists worked to make the CGI look that real and blend it with the practical. If there is one positive legacy that can be attributed to this movie, it’s that people always see it as a film pushing what technology can do. When we think of more recent blockbuster movies that used CGI to create whole new worlds and characters, we do have this movie to thank for that.

But this does bring us to the first flaw of the movie. For years, people have praised this movie’s world building. However, when you stop to think about what it takes to create a fully fleshed out world, this movie doesn’t really do that much. World building in any medium of entertainment has a story create a setting and/or characters that bring new ideas and/or characters that fully engage the audience. There are movies that have very familiar settings but the characters are so unique and entertaining that it sparks thoughts in your head about how they might interact with certain people or in other locations. In that case, it’s the characters that bring something new to a familiar landscape. Even if you have standard characters, the environment around them can be totally unimaginable. We will then be willing to follow the characters just so we can explore how different this place is to our own. When it comes to Avatar, there are only two unique things about the world. How the Na’vi physically connect to their world and animals through their braids and the floating rocks. Aside from that , it’s really just alien equivalent of things we already have on Earth. Even the culture of the Na’vi we meet is just their equivalent of practically any Native American tribe. So the world isn’t that fleshed out but the images do fool the audience into thinking it’s doing more than what it is.

Even if that doesn’t persuade you, I have one word that might help. Unobtainium. The name of the resource that The Company is trying to mine but is unable to get. If you don’t understand why that is a ridiculously lazy name for that substance, then I’m not sure what else I can tell you. Maybe the fact that the organization that Jake Sully works for is simply referred to as The Company in the movie. Or at least, that’s the only way he refers to them. The actual name might have been said and I’ve simply forgot, but I do remember Sully only ever referring to them as The Company. But what do you expect from a main character that’s about as bland as stock as they come. Jake Sully doesn’t display any real personality or thoughts that doesn’t directly correlate to the main story. And it should be worth pointing out that this movie leans hard on the “white savior” trope. The trope where a Caucasian man becomes part of an indigenous peoples’ culture and ends up being the person that saves them from an external threat.

Sad to say, the other characters aren’t that memorable. That’s not to say anyone gives a bad performance. But the writing doesn’t let them stand out. Zoe Saldana does fine in her role, but she is forced to ultimately play the role of being the main character’s romantic partner. The only character that stands out due to their performance is Scott Lang as the in the field antagonist. He stands out because his character’s motivations and actions are so laughably villainous – he is having a ball playing the villain with no remorse or regret.

Having said all of that, the movie overall is good. If it had made just enough to be considered a profit, it wouldn’t have remembered that well in the collective consciousness past a few years. It’s mainly because it became the highest grossing movie that we talk about it. But in the context of people wondering how a movie with a story of this quality earned so much money. Aside from that, there isn’t enough there worth talking about so many years later. James Cameron did once say that Avatar can easily be as popular as any Star Wars or Marvel film. If you are to look back on the first movie for each franchise, it’s actually easy to see how they became a franchise but Avatar so far hasn’t. The first Star Wars film had a brand new galaxy full of new characters and ideas to introduce to people. And a conflict that felt epic and grand. It was only a matter of time before a sequel came out. As for Marvel, if we were to look at Iron Man and compare it to past comic book movies, the movie actually does new stuff that proved it was worth revisiting. Mainly how it approach it’s title character, his character journey, and how he impacted the world around him. The same can’t necessarily be said for Avatar which came out a year after that film.

Now that we have gotten through all of that – this doesn’t mean there is absolutely no way Avatar can’t be a franchise. James Cameron does have a reputation of creating sequel films that are better than their predecessor. And the fact that we have waited this long for these sequels to come out might be good news for the writing quality. Perhaps they did recognize that story and character flaws of the original and worked to rectify it. So to answer my own question…it’s still very possible. It might require James Cameron to work harder than he ever has before, but we won’t know for sure until we see them.

Film Editorials, Movies

The Legacy of a Revolution

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Remember, remember…the 5th of November. One of the most famous quotes from this story. It has practically become married to the story of a masked man looking to incite a country-wide revolt. Alan Moore wrote the original story between 1982 and 1985 in the UK, later being brought over to the US closer to the end of the decade. An appropriate time as the story is about both ending and beginning. Centered around a man simply known as V, he plans a big attack against the fascist government that has long since taken over Great Britain. Although, even though V is the most famous character, it’s really about the people around him that are the focus. Those that are looking to capture/kill him and the few who might be considered allies. It’s a great story, but this story serves as an example of how an adaptation of a comic – when done correctly – can immortalize it.

Don’t misinterpret what I say, the original comic is an impressive one. And I’m not saying the movie is in any way better. There is validity in the argument that is chooses to depict the same themes differently and executes it’s message in a different way, which can turn fans of the original away. But the way that the story is adapted and shown to a much wider audience, at the time it came out, puts this version of the story in a unique position. The movie was criticized by Moore himself that several of the changes made appeared to make it American-centric. And while there is truth in that, those changes play a role in making this a timeless in a certain way. A lot of the changes made to the movie are said to focus on the Bush administration during the 2000s. But looking back on the movie in the 2020s, those changes can be easily applied to a similar administration at any time in the modern age. Just because certain issues got their first major exposure during a certain time doesn’t mean they can’t continue to appear years later.

But I want to take the time to focus on a certain set of changes that have become significantly relevant. Moore’s original story was one about Fascism versus Anarchism. Not meant to sway people to one side or the other. But to show the ideas in context of events that share similarities to some real world events that have recurred throughout history. The movie can be described as one about Liberalism versus Neo-conservatism. But despite how Moore says that taking out mentions of Anarchy hurt the story, that doesn’t mean this version isn’t about extremes. Both sides go to great lengths to advance their own agenda, creating collateral in their wake. Sure, V in the original story is more ruthless and willing to kill everyone who gets in his way, he still kidnaps and holds his closest ally in a cell for an extended period of time. Not unlike how some criminal groups might try and brainwash someone to join them.

But that criticism about switching out the political ideologies is based on a flawed assumption – that they are mutually exclusive. The Conservatives of the modern era are very willing to enforce Fascist-like policies and enforce them in similar manners. The behaviors of many politicians from that side can be described as cartoonish or surreal. Like there is no way that a real person would say that or do that, yet they just did. And while it can be argued that the government is made up of more realistically depicted people, real life has shown that people can be as direct and black & white as the government in the movie version and still retain power. You can also argue that Liberalism in the modern era is playing around with ideas and strategies not that far removed from Anarchy. Mainly methods that propose eliminating or getting rid of institutions and laws that they see as being harmful and destructive. It may not be the same as the way V embodies Anarchy in the comic. But there are still calls to completely dismantle the current systems in power being cried out in the real world that I’m sure V can get behind.

As previously mentioned, V is a much more aggressive character in the original comic. And that was deliberately done by Moore to present ideologies that are both extreme. That doesn’t mean V isn’t any less extreme or violent in the movie. But the important difference between the two versions is that the movie version allows him to hold onto a sense of humanity. I’ve already talked a bit how the criticisms made about the movie have seemingly been more rooted in real life than we thought possible. At least, in terms of how people working in and enforcing the rule of a corrupt government talk and behave. While those who protest against these kind of politicians in the real world certainly support complete dismantlement of something, their motivations are based in wanting to be kinder to their fellow people. Both versions of this story put the blame on the general public for sitting back and allowing these kinds of corrupt governments come into power. But the movie pushes us to make the decisions to act. And that’s where the legacy of this story can be directly attributed to the movie.

The Guy Fawkes mask has become a worldwide symbol of rebellion for people looking to fight back and expose the dark secrets of the corrupted people in power. It’s true that a lot of what has been discussed in this post can be directly attributed to American politics, the characteristics of a corrupt government don’t care for borders or boundaries. There are governments all across the world that are undoubtedly similar. This movie serves as a reminder to always fight for what’s right. And sometimes the extreme is necessary. But it must be done with the intention of wanting to improve the lives of your fellow citizens. Destruction for it’s own sake will ultimately be meaningless. The original comic is a great story, but it serves as an example of how anyone can decide to simply fight against something. The movie, on the other hand, pushes us to fight for a higher ideal. To fight in support of something. And that is the true legacy of this story.

Film Editorials, Movies

The Empty Man Deserves to be Seen

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It can be hard to get a movie off the ground in Hollywood. Sometimes it can feel amazing when a project finally sees the light of day. On the other hand, there are too many stories of ideas and concepts that just fell short of materializing. But what happened to The Empty Man…I would call it cruel. To not let the people be aware of a movie’s existence is not only preventing potential fans from seeing it, but it is also disrespecting the people who put hard work into creating a story they were passionate about. But in order to understand the situation, one must go back to the beginning.

This movie comes from a man named David Prior. For a while, his career was based on making documentaries and special features of various different films, including several David Fincher movies. It’s through this that he would pick up on some film-making techniques that would influence his independent short film AM1200 and his full length feature debut. The feature movie is loosely based on a comic of the same name, but David Prior was less interested in the actual story beats of the comic and more into the themes of what it presented. He then started to work on the film with 20th Century Fox, with one executive who was fully supportive, even if others were less confident. And sometimes, just knowing a guy and having him in your corner can be the key to get a movie off the ground. But during production, Disney officially purchased 20th Century Fox Studios. The executives originally attached to Prior’s film were then replaced with new ones. They forced him to present a 90 minute version of the film, which Prior eventually gave them. But they were unsatisfied with even this version of the movie. Unsure of how to handle a movie like this or how to market it, they decided to release the director’s preferred version in theaters…for one week maybe two at the longest, in massively empty theaters during the height of the pandemic. A trailer released only a week in advance that didn’t properly represented the story at all.

You might be wondering why you should care for a movie with a production history like this. If the studio buried the movie in such a fashion, doesn’t that mean it isn’t any good? My friends, that is far from the truth. It is hard to understand it, sure, and it doesn’t play out in any predictable way. But those alleged weaknesses are in reality the movie’s strengths. The reasons why it is such a unique experience. The Empty Man makes several bold story-telling choices that certainly run the risk of alienating the audience. For example, we have a cold open that focuses on a group of young adults travelling to some mountains in Asia. This cold open goes on for about 20 minutes before we get the title of the movie and then switch our focus to a completely unconnected character in another part of the world. There are several choices like this that you wouldn’t expect from most Horror movies. But it all plays into the ideas you can discover within it’s story.

The overall story, without giving too much away, is this. A former police detective named James Lasombra is still grieving over the loss of his family. However, he finds himself helping a friend of his when her daughter suddenly goes missing, the only clue being a message written in blood – “The Empty Man made me do it.” We then follow James as the movie begins like a noir story. Investigating the girl’s friends, what she had been doing in the days leading up to her disappearance. We then run into a mysterious group of people with odd beliefs that seem to be hiding more than what they reveal. But as James investigates further and learns more about them, he finds himself unprepared for the truths he has to confront.

With a running time of nearly two hours and twenty minutes, this is definitely a slow burn. But that is the nature of an investigation story such as this. We are in the dark just like the main character, and every new reveal pulls you in closer. It makes you want to learn more about what is going on and try to make sense of the slowly growing madness. What begins as a seemingly modern crime noir with a possible supernatural twist…turns into something larger. The Empty Man is a movie that challenges the viewers with questions regarding faith, the meaning of existence, and your perception of reality. And the unconventional story-telling choices it makes are designed to make you engaged and truly feel the full emotional weight and disturbance the movie wants you to feel.

This is, unfortunately, a modern day example of what happens to a movie when a studio can’t understand it. When they can’t find an easily identifiable way to market and make a profit off the movie. While 20th Century Fox at the time did give as much support as they could, it was an easy target following Disney’s takeover for getting buried and forgotten. If you are a fan of Horror movies, especially quiet and slow moving ones, this movie is a must see. If you are just someone who wants to see something different in Hollywood, something beyond the standard blockbuster or a major movie covered in the easily identifiable tropes, this movie is a must see. This movie needs an audience, and if the audience is big enough, then the movie will get what it deserves which is an official Blu Ray release. It’s one thing for a movie to never make it off the ground. But to have it made simply to have a release designed to bury the film into obscurity…that’s cruel and disrespectful to the people who worked on it. Witness the movie and let yourself get lost in the world of The Empty Man.

Movie Reviews, Movies

Review – Black Adam

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A big reason why comic book movies are so popular is because people who grew up reading some of these characters are finally being adapted for the big screen for everyone to see. The chance to see your favorite characters do what they do best, giving people who don’t read comics a chance to see how great they are, it can feel pretty awesome. I will admit to getting on the hype train for this movie because I love the character, as well as the Justice Society of America. I want to see these characters done right, to see them in a whole new format and be awesome. And now that the movie has finally arrived, I can declare it…an okay movie.

Let me make something clear. I don’t get paid to review movies. That must come as a huge shock to…honestly, no one if you know me or have become familiar with this site. I’m just a guy who has seen and enjoys a lot of movies. But I will say that because I watch so much, I’ve started to notice the same story outlines and lines of dialogue being used over and over again. And I was starting to feel a lot of familiar tropes in this movie. But tropes & cliches aren’t inherently goo or bad. It comes down to how they are presented, how they are delivered, and if anything new and/or unique is done with them. As far as this movie goes, they utilize the familiar tropes like an average movie. No surprises are thrown in to make them feel driven.

But a lot of that can be somewhat forgiven if the acting is good enough. I’ll admit right off the bat that Dwayne Johnson puts in a great performance as Black Adam. Our first scene with him is a fight scene and we do get to see him deliver out some ruthless hits. Admittedly, it would be cooler if the movie is rated R, but that’s a whole other issue with comic book movies we don’t have time to get into. Another aspect of Black Adam that works well is some of the comedy directly involving him. You can probably predict that Black Adam faces a “fish out of water” scenario where he is adjusting to how the modern world works. And most of the jokes that are based on that do land. While still keeping him a pretty intimidating and powerful force.

As for the supporting actors in this movie, it can be hit or miss. The character of Adrianna is performed well. Her son, Amon, does admittedly have some annoying scenes. He plays the kind of character you probably expect him to have when it comes to interacting with Black Adam. As for the members of the Justice Society…I’m afraid there is more disappointment. As for how they all look, their costumes are pretty good. And part of me is always happy when the JSA get adapted in a major project like this. But of the four members in this movie, two of them aren’t essential to the story. The younger members – Cyclone & Atom Smasher – can be replaced or written out entirely. And unfortunately, Atom Smasher is written to be the comic relief that is in every comic book movie these days. Probably the most annoying character in the movie.

But let’s move onto the older members of the Justice Society. Pierce Brosnan as Doctor Fate is great. A major highlight of the film. As for Hawkman…it’s underwhelming. He looks great, and as a reader of JSA comics, I’m excited this character has a chance to go up against Black Adam. But the writing for him is severely lacking. He is made to be the leader of the team, working with Amanda Waller and views Black Adam as someone who needs to be stopped. Except we don’t know anything about his backstory. What is his origin story? How long was he a crime fighter before the events of this movie? If he stopped for a while, what made him decide to pick it back up again? How and why did he decide to work with Amanda Waller? And why is he stubborn and so insistent that Black Adam is a bad guy? All we get regarding that is “heroes don’t kill people.” But we don’t know anything about this version of the character to have that carry any weight. If he had a backstory that elaborated on his beliefs, that would be something. But as is, he is a character that I want to like more than I actually do.

And finally, we have that villain that doesn’t appear until the final act. The type of villain that simply wants to take over the world and do the usual evil things. He looks a little cool, but you can replace him with so many other villains from a lot of different comic book movies. What’s so funny is that the plot that eventually introduces this villain can be taken out entirely out of the movie. They could have done something similar to Deadpool 2 and have no clear cut bad guy. Have the conflict be entirely about heroes with conflicting perspectives and fighting about it. They could have expanded on Hawkman’s backstory, give the younger heroes of the team a story where they decide that it isn’t the JSA’s place to say if Black Adam can be free or not. Create a conflict that puts the JSA against each other, make Hawkman the on screen bad guy with Amanda Waller the background villain that can continue to go up against Black Adam in future projects. But no, we have the plot that introduces a standard villain where both the JSA & Black Adam team up together to take down. It’s a very standard plot.

Having said all of that, there is stuff in this movie I liked and appreciated. As mentioned, the JSA heroes all look good and the performance from Dwayne Johnson is great. There are some fight scenes that are cool to watch and Black Adam does get a chance to showcase some of his ruthless behavior. And the movie does shine a small spotlight on how the people of Kahndaq view these heroes. They jeer Hawkman for saving the lives of a couple of Intergang members, a group that has invaded and controlled their country for many years. But when Black Adam kills them, they cheer and support him. And Adrianna points out how the JSA has never once been to their country, despite their claim that they are supposed to fight for global stability. And she points out the only reason they are here is because a country that isn’t the United States now has a superhero, one that could potentially a threat to whatever interests or agenda the US government has on an international level. If the movie had delved into this a lot more than it did – in addition to the story change I previously mentioned – the movie would have a lot of intriguing questions for the audience to discuss.

At the end of the day, this movie turned out to be all right. Definitely not one of the worst comic book movies ever. But certainly not one of the best. The movie does start going down the right path in a few areas. It has elements and pieces that could serve the foundation for a much stronger, unique movie. But it does ultimately turn out exactly how you expect it to. Hopefully, these characters get a chance to really push things down the road. And fans of these characters can truly see them in a story that captures everything amazing about them, not just some.

Movie Reviews, Movies

Review – The Exorcist III

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The Exorcist is rightfully seen as one of the most iconic films of the Horror genre. It was even nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards, the first film from Horror to do so. Which is why it was odd when John Boorman was selected to direct the second film, considering he didn’t find the original scary. That said sequel, subtitled The Heretic, ended up being negatively received by critics and audiences. Better off ignored, the third film had a lot to prove and live up to. You don’t hear many people talking about the movie, which is tragic, because it is a truly great film worth of the original’s legacy.

This film takes place 17 years after the events of the original. We focus on a police Lieutenant – William Kinderman – as he investigates a series of murders. The crime scenes seem to have disturbing similarities with the murders of an infamous serial killer, the Gemini Killer. But the problem with that is that he was executed 15 years prior. While at the hospital during his investigation, he meets an unnamed patient discovered by the staff, someone who seemed to have amnesia. As the Lieutenant sits down with the patient, it becomes clear that he is something else entirely. He appears to be Damien Karras, the Father who sacrificed himself in an attempt to kill the demon. However, he is not alone or in control of his body. It appears as though the Gemini Killer and that same demon are using his body to continue their killing spree.

Something about the original film helps it stand out from a lot of mainstream Horror flicks. While the look of a possessed Reagan can be outright creepy and scary, it was a Horror movie focused more on the implied meaning of an evil such as the demon possessing a young girl. What that existence of such a creature means to someone like Damien Karras and how that can change a person. The third movie takes more influence from the original than the second film did. Focusing more on the mood & atmosphere it was presenting. And while we do have a few kill scenes, the true fear can be induced by the acting of our killer.

Jason Miller returns to portray the character of Damien Karras, a once heroic man now being used by evil itself. But he isn’t the only actor who gets to play the Gemini Killer. While a number of scenes show Lieutenant Kinderman talking to Damien and that actor, the movie will sometimes switch him out with the man we must assume is the true Gemini Killer, portrayed by Brad Dourif. The back-and-forth between these two actors – often in the same scene – is fairly seamless and helps bring intensity and intimidation to this character. For a little while in the movie, the movie lets us wonder if this is actually real or the imagination of other characters run wild. But it does seep in that this is real and how out of his depth this policeman truly is. Despite that, he does get a chance to fight back and help assist in exorcising all of the souls of his former friend’s body.

It is by no means a flawless film. But it is a film that needs more attention. It focuses on the psychological effects the evil has in the movie, a much more character focused story than the second movie. Not to mention a powerful performance by Miller & Dourif, going up against a strong performance from George C. Scott as the Lieutenant. This is a movie where Biblical Evil is real. And it can put fear into men of strong will, sometimes even use them as tools. But as long as good men continue to fight back as best as they can, it can be held at bay. And that is why this is an underrated movie that everyone should put on when the leaves fall from trees.

Movie Reviews, Movies

Review – Halloween Ends

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Well…I guess technically this title isn’t a lie. It is the end of this studio’s run on the franchise. But we all know that after a few years hibernation, this franchise & Michael will come back. The one rule that applies to Horror movie villains & Hollywood is that nothing ever stays dead. But I’ll give props to the marketing of this installment. The trailers and TV spots focused on the fight between Laurie & Michael without actually telling us what the plot is. I have to give credit for that. More trailers should try to actually keep their movies & shows in as much mystery as possible. Enough about that though, we need to actually discuss the film.

Four years have passed since the events of the previous two movies, as well as the last time Michael was seen by the people of Haddonfield. Laurie & Allison are moving on as best as they can, trying to reclaim some resemblance of normalcy. Then one day Allison runs into a young guy named Corey who due to a freak accident, is viewed by many people in town to be a monster himself. But Allison sees the good guy he is trying to be and the two form a connection. But something seems to have start encouraging Corey to give into his darker impulses. To embrace the darkness in in and get back at the town that has tortured him for son long.

Honestly, the story and stuff surrounding Corey is some of the best stuff seen in this franchise. It’s really fascinating to see a character like and get a chance to explore some questions that can relate to this franchise. What makes someone snap? Is evil created or is it always around, waiting for the right chance to come out? The actor who plays Corey does a great job portraying someone dealing with inner torment, struggling to find some meaning in his life and figuring out how to move forward. And I enjoy his connection/romance with Allison. Granted, it is a tad rushed considering how long the events of this movie take place. But a lot of movie romances are and it doesn’t really harm the story.

One connection Corey has that is more interesting though is the one he has with Michael. I’ve never seen Michael act this way with anyone from any of the previous films. It’s genuinely new and still manages to keep him intimidating. And while the people behind this specific trilogy never outright confirm Michael is supernatural, I personally think it’s the only way to explain some of the stuff he does over the last few films. Especially when it comes to a few choice scenes from the first half or two thirds of this installment. And yet this specific depiction feels much more natural for Michael than whatever they were doing in something like Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers.

But you are probably wondering about the actual climax of the movie. Laurie & Michael have another clash, obviously. And while I feel like it’s still a kind of repeat of the 2018 film, it does admittedly feel different enough to feel exciting. As for what they do with Corey towards the end, I do feel unsatisfied. The movie was playing up that Corey might become the next Michael Myers, and I was actually on board for that idea. But the way he meets his end feels like it goes against what this movie – and what this trilogy – was about in terms of themes. They could have easily changed the way he died. Do it in a way where maybe Allison does bring Corey back just in time for him to go up against Michael, a depiction of love & kindness being stronger than evil. Corey could still die, but Michael will be weakened enough where he can still meet his fate at the hands of the Strode family.

But that version of what I wanted didn’t play out. The actual fight between Michael & Laurie is, again, still fun to watch. And the actual clash does feel conclusive. But what happens following that clash is a twisted funeral procession that feels really silly. It does harm the movie and is one of the more noticeable weaknesses of the movie. A few others include how this movie – like the last one – has too many scenes of people talking about the original film and the past two films. We already know the events of these movies! Stop wasting time repeating stuff that we’ve already re-watched in anticipation of this movie. And there are still scenes where it goes for comedy but it feels tonally jarring. That’s an issue that has persisted throughout this trilogy. The 2018 film manages to not be harmed by that problem, it’s more persistent in Halloween Kills where it still somehow manages to make it at least an enjoyable, entertaining mess. But here, it just feels awkward.

At the end of the day though, this is still better than Halloween Kills. It’s still one of the better sequels to come out of this franchise. This trilogy would have been stronger though if these filmmakers took more time to really plan things out. Spread out ideas and development across both of these movies and make it feel more connected. Because while Halloween Ends is a solid movie, the trilogy overall is pretty weak. But that shouldn’t stop you from checking this movie out. I know a lot of people feel like this was unsatisfactory for one reason or another. But for what it is and what it does successfully do, I was able to enjoy it – the good stuff, the awkward scenes, & the bloodshed. All the way to the end.

Movie Reviews, Movies

Review – Halloween Kills

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There is one thing we can all agree regarding this movie. That the title isn’t a lie. Yes, it takes place on Halloween. And yes, there is a lot of killing. But back on that former comment, this movie picks up right where the previous left off. Laurie is being taken to the hospital by her daughter and gran-daughter. But as firemen go to Laurie’s home to put out the fire, Michael Myers emerges and begins to take on all of them. And he makes his way through Haddonfield, killing those he comes across. Meanwhile, word of Michael has spread and a mob has formed to take on the Boogeyman once and for all.

A lot of criticisms have been thrown at this movie. First of all, the marketing made it seem like there would be another Laurie & Michael showdown. But that doesn’t happen. In fact, Laurie doesn’t really play much of a role in the movie. Another major criticism is that this mob that’s being formed is confusing. By that, I mean the script is confused about what it is trying to say by including a mob like this. I think it’s supposed to be against this kind of mentality. But then there are scenes where it seems like it’s supporting the mob and their actions. This won’t be the first time a Halloween sequel has seemingly supported the idea of a militia group. And that is a weird thing to say.

As far as human characters go, most of them just aren’t that interesting this time around. The two best ones are Laurie and Deputy Frank Hawkins, both of them on hospital beds following events from the previous film. Characters like Karen & Allyson aren’t bad, but nothing is really done to develop them or make them stand out in a significant way. And somehow Allyson’s boyfriend didn’t die last film and he’s a main character in this one! In other words – good characters have little screen time, previously good characters are average, and unlike-able characters get more screen time. Another major criticism is that this movie has tonal issues. There were moments from the last one that sort of had that issue. But it is amplified in this one and it occurs throughout the entire story.

I will admit there is stuff I still liked. Michael kills a lot of people. And all of those kills are enjoyably brutal. Some of the best moments in this movie involve Michael just tearing into someone with no restraint. There is still some atmosphere that helps elevate the darker or suspenseful parts of the movie. Not enough to put them on par with what was seen in the last film. But make them enjoyable. There’s also this one section of the film that plays out almost like it’s a separate short film. In the old Myers home, it’s occupied by a gay couple and they are known as Big John & Little John. That’s actually how they refer to each other and it’s funny while not being too against the darker tone. They have a little fun telling a couple of kid tricksters about the story of Michael and the old house. But then Michael sneaks in and the two try and find him to take him down. There’s a moment between one of them and Michael where you feel like there is just as much being said in silence as in the actual dialogue. And the way Michael places both bodies together afterwards does kind of make me think he didn’t really hate them or disliked them. That’s he more sorry that they got in his way.

But the issues in this movie are far more noticeable than in the previous one. It seems to imply Michael might truly be a supernatural killer in the climax because he somehow survives a beat down from the mob and takes out everyone there. I think he even survived being shot at point blank. And the ending leaves us with this jump scare that raises more questions and confusion as opposed to scaring us. This is an unfocused and uneven film. But I’ll say that this isn’t the worst Halloween film, not by far. If your looking for a Michael Myers film where you don’t mind the characters being stupid and just want some violence, well…this might be the flick for you.

Movie Reviews, Movies

Review – Halloween (Returns) 2018

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I need to get this out of the way. Why the HELL is this movie just called Halloween? This isn’t a remake! It’s a sequel to the 1978 John Carpenter film. I know Hollywood has seemingly given up on coming up with fun sequel titles, usually they just add a word like “the” to the title. But this is incredibly lazy and not to mention confusing to people who want to talk about the movie. This should be called Halloween 2 or given a subtitle like Halloween Returns. In fact, that’s how I’m going to refer to this movie from now on!

Aside from the incredibly lazy title, this movie is actually worth checking out. This wipes out the events of all the other Halloween films except for the first. Taking place 40 years after the first film, the main characters are the 3 Strode women. Laurie, who is distant from her daughter and her family due to how she acted as a parent. Karen is Laurie’s adult daughter, who has gone the opposite parenting direction and tried to create a more optimistic home life for her family. And there is Allyson, Karen’s teenage daughter and Laurie’s gran-daughter. However, when a bus transporting patients of a mental institute crashes, Michael Myers breaks free. And he returns to Haddonfield to bring havoc to everyone who lives there.

This film does a great job building suspense and creating a dark atmosphere, especially when Michael is the focus in the scene. And while this movie wipes out all the other sequels, there are little easter eggs that reference certain things from those other movies. But the story stands completely on it’s own. It does this by showing us how Laurie’s life went afterwards and how it has impacted those closest to her. As well as have a number of scenes and shots that are ambitious from a cinematography perspective. Something that had been severely lacking in other Halloween sequels. That’s only bolstered by the beautiful original score provided by the master of Horror himself, John Carpenter.

The acting for the most part is pretty good. I will say there are a couple of characters who just aren’t that like-able. Those would be Allyson’s boyfriend and his associated friend who tries to make a move on Allyson later in the story. Allyson’s female friend and her boyfriend are better, but you can also tell that they are there to die. Another issue that might get in the way with some viewers is the tone in certain scenes. This movie comes from David Green and Danny McBride, and they both inject in some humor into the script. There are moments where it does help make the characters more relatable and get us to root for them. But there are other moments where it can feel out of place and conflict with the darker tone the movie is going for. Having said that, most of those moments are short and are out of the way during the first act.

One thing I’ve felt like a lot of the Halloween sequels were missing was atmosphere. There are standalone scenes and moments spread throughout. But a sequel with a haunting atmosphere during most if not the entire runtime just didn’t exist until this movie. That’s what I appreciate the most from this movie. You feel like Michael Myers is an actual threat and menace. The confrontation between him and Laurie is tense and exciting. It’s shot in a darkly gorgeous fashion that can be seen throughout the flick. No, it’s not a perfect movie. But it is a really good movie. And that easily makes this the best Michael Myers sequel.

Movie Reviews, Movies

Review – Hellraiser (2022)

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After years of hoping and begging, the Hellraiser remake has finally moved out of development Hell. But more importantly, we finally have another good Hellraiser film! In this Hulu exclusive, the puzzle box falls in the hands of Riley, a woman struggling with drug addiction. Once she accidentally starts playing with the puzzle box, the Cenobites make themselves known, putting Riley and her friends in danger.

Let’s get some basic stuff out of the way. While some people were hoping this would be a theatrical release, having it be a streaming movie is actually a big step-up from being straight-to-DVD. A lot of streaming movies have large budgets and people put a lot of care into the best ones. And you can tell this is one where the filmmakers cared, because it looks gorgeous. Some of the best visuals since the first two films. Speaking of visuals, the Cenobites look amazing. And Jaime Clayton as Pinhead, or The Priest, is a major highlight. Her look and scenes are very memorable. And the fact the puzzle box actually acts more like a puzzle box – including changing shape into multiple configurations – feels long overdue. It also stabs the person working it, taking some blood after completing each configuration, which is also a great addition. A lot of these changes are welcome and feel faithful to the Hellraiser lore.

Now let’s get into the meat of this review. A lot of reviews for this film have mentioned how this feels like a tame Hellraiser film. Mainly pointing to how the first act or even first half focuses more on the human characters figuring out what’s happening. Speaking for myself, this didn’t bother me. This movie isn’t meant to actually remake the original. It’s more of a remix of the first trow original films, telling it’s own story. This is a new beginning and needs to establish how it is different. That also means when the Cenobites are on screen, it feels that much more special. I will even argue that the Cenobites probably have more screen time in this film than the original. As for the actual gore, that’s admittedly trickier to determine. The original had the difficult job of showing amazing practical effects/body horror while not feeling exploitative. And the best Hellraiser films always knew how to make the gore feel meaningful. The same can be said for this film. Again, I will argue this probably has more gore in terms of screen time. But I’ll admit that while the new film has some good stuff, mainly inspired Cenobite designs, the gore in the original does feel more iconic and memorable. With all of that addressed, let’s dive a bit deeper, shall we?

A major reason the original film is so memorable was because it as focused on sex, more specifically the power people can have in a sexual relationship. And it also explored how far sexual appetites can go. That can be seen in the general design of the Cenobites, where they wore leather in addition to having parts of their bodies mutilated. Their general designs were inspired by outfits from various S&M and BDSM sex clubs in the real world. While the reboot still has a sexual element to it, it’s not as focused on that. This can be explained by how the general world’s attitude towards sex has changed. There are still issues, but overall the world isn’t as conservative regarding sex as it was when the original film released. But in that case, what does the reboot explore?

With the human characters, we see them being driven by their vices and obsessions. The human villain, Roland Voight, was the one to actively seek out the puzzle box and the Cenobites. He sought them out to satisfy his hunger for pleasure and power. And it is during that pursuit where he is ultimately changed, no longer recognizable and never able to go back. For the other human characters like Riley, they struggle with their vices. Trying to better themselves but ultimately drawn back to indulging in them for bliss. It can be argued that their personalities, tied to their past behavior, is what pushes them further down their paths as seen in the film. As for the Cenobites, they are still the beings who seek out experiences that mix pain and pleasure. That’s why in the film, they don’t wear leather, but multiple beings do seem to wear their torn and altered skin as a form of clothing. That change in addition to further body mutilations shows a different focus on their motivations. That their reasoning for doing these things are actually driven by religious reasons.

It’s more accurate to call the Cenobites a cult than a major religion such as Christianity or Islam. But the bigger focus on flesh and them pushing the characters to solve each configuration and provide a sacrifice shows a different kind of devotion than the original film. Riley and company see the Cenobites taking them as killing and capturing. But the Cenobites see it as freeing them. They encourage and force the characters to keep solving and offering sacrifices to their God, Leviathan. A better example of what I’m trying to get at is a scene from a movie. Riley is in a situation where a Cenobite is forcing her to offer herself or her friend in order to move onto the last configuration. But she ultimately selects the Cenobite, stabbing it with the box for the blood as required. There is a moment where the Cenobite and a nearby Pinhead pause, and you wonder what’s going through their minds. Will they try and use a loophole to take one of the humans instead? But no, the stabbed Cenobite actually freely offers itself up to be sacrificed. We see Pinhead give a vague smile, happy for her fellow creature. And then the Cenobite is torn apart. The scene feels like how a brainwashed member of a cult is unexpectedly selected for a deadly ritual but is more than willing to proceed.

This is a version of the lore where it explores how so many people are explored by the darker impulses we submit to. And yes, a lot of the time that has destructive results, as demonstrated in this film. But within those vices and obsessions we can find our true selves, an escape of the version we are expected to conform to. And when we fully deny ourselves what we desire for…what does that leave us? While Roland suffers and is unprepared for what happens to him, he ultimately gets what he has always wanted. And while Riley makes it out at the end of the movie, there is doubt about if she truly got what she wanted. The Cenobites seem to pity Riley’s desire to return to her regular life, struggling to stay away from the things that bring her pleasure and bliss. It can be argued that a reason Riley has done drugs, or briefly returns to them in the beginning of the movie, is to feel something, anything. At the end, she seems to feel empty. Going through everything for nothing.

While this movie is an exploration of how dangerous our various obsessions and vices can be, the movie also implies that a life full of denying yourselves pleasure is one not worth living. The original first two films are masterpieces, the first being one of my personal favorite films of all time. While I still like the original over the reboot, this film is worthy of being in the same league as these two films. And it explores truly fascinating ideas worth talking about and discussing during future viewings. This is truly a great film that any Hellraiser fan should seek out.

Movie Reviews, Movies

Review – Hellraiser: Judgment

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I know what your probably thinking already. But no, “judgment” is indeed spelled correctly. I know, I was thrown off by it as well. Just thought I’d address that so that it’s out of the way. Actually, that’s kind of a similar attitude Dimension Films had when it came to this franchise. Just make another sequel so they can be done with it and hold onto the franchise rights. It would explain why most of the straight to DVD sequels took pre-existing scripts and inserted Hellraiser characters into them. However, not only is this one of the few always meant to be a Hellraiser film, but this is actually pretty good for what it is.

This movie focuses on two brother who work as detectives. They are trying to capture an active serial killer known as The Preceptor. One of the brothers, Detective Sean Carter, finds himself face-to-face with the supernatural. But the beings he are first introduced to aren’t technically Cenobites. This is a movie that actually introduces new creatures & characters in the franchise that add to the world’s lore. Pinhead is still involved, don’t worry. And this time around, he’s played by Paul Taylor, who is much better than the actor from Hellraiser: Revelations. Some might argue that this actor might be underplaying it a bit in certain scenes. But this is an actor that still cares. He even picked up smoking to get the voice right and took late night walks in the dangerous neighborhoods in his hometown to control his fear. I don’t think either of those actions were necessary, but I’ll give credit for dedication.

And that’s what separates this film from the other straight to DVD sequels. The people making it did actually care. Gary Tunnicliffe worked on the make-up effects for the series ever since Hellraiser: Hell on Earth. While he did write for Revelations, I put the blame on the rushed production rather than him. Because he also wrote this film, in addition to directing it and even playing the Auditor character, a new supernatural being working with Pinhead. He actually does a great job as the character and I’m actually curious about what he might have done in a follow-up. The effects in this film are well done, they definitely help form a dark and gritty atmosphere. A feeling of dread based on blood and physical pain. There is a lot to appreciate in this film.

Having said that, there are still flaws. The acting from the human characters are decent, but nothing to really praise. And it’s easy to identify who the serial killer is in the movie. This is still a straight to DVD sequel so the budget can only help the effects so much. And while the addition of certain supernatural beings does add to the lore, there is one addition that does complicate things. The character’s inclusion does set-up interesting ideas and questions. But the movie doesn’t have the time or the ability to really take advantage of it. If a follow-up was given the green light, it would have been intriguing to see where the characters go from this point on. But finally, the series is being rebooted with a new approach which is ultimately for the best.

As someone who absolutely loves the original first 2 Hellraiser films, it was sad to see where further sequels took this series. On the other hand, some of the other sequels do have some cool things about them if your willing to adjust your expectations. And this is the film that is arguably the best of all the straight to DVD sequels. For me, it’s actually my third favorite Hellraiser movie overall. It’s one that is more focused on the Cenobites than the humans and has people who do love the series involved in it. If your feeling nostalgic for these kinds of sequels as the reboot approaches, this is the one that will satisfy you the most.