Halloween Horrorfest: Zombieland: Double Tap

Comedy sequels are notoriously hard to pull off with far more of them failing that succeeding. The fact that Zombieland: Double Tap succeeds as well as it does is nothing short of a miracle. Is it as good as the original film? No, clearly not. But as a follow-up to a beloved Zom-Com 10 years later with a game cast, it's still plenty of fun. 

As the film opens, we are once again greeted by Columbus (played by Jesse Eisenberg) who thanks us for choosing returning to Zombieland among the plethora of Zombie related entertainment options (a nice little lampshade hanging on the fact that we are overrun with Zombie content these days). He gets us caught up on what has happened since we last saw this post-apocalyptic surrogate family. Zombies have evolved, ranging from the stealthy and lethal ninja zombie to the easily distracted and harmless "Homer" zombies, named after the eponymous Simpsons character. Meanwhile, Columbus, Wichita (played by Emma Stone), Little Rock (played by Abigail Breslin) and Tallahassee (played by Woody Harrelson) have decided to move to nicer digs, settling on none less than the White House. They settle in together making the White House their own playground of sorts while raiding area buildings for various resources and decor. When Columbus proposes marriage to Wichita, with the Hope diamond no less, she gets scared and runs off with Little Rock, who was wanting to strike out on her own after growing tired of still being treated like a kid by Tallahassee. Saddened by their departure, Tallahassee and Columbus venture out to the local deserted shopping mall, where Columbus meets and hits it off with the incredibly dense Madison (played by Zoey Deutch). Tallahassee is less impressed as he accurately pin points for Columbus why she's still alive: "Zombies eat brains and she ain't got any!" Still, looking for a rebound, Columbus takes Madison home with them. It's not long before Wichita comes back looking for weapons because Little Rock ditched her, taking off with a pacifist survivor named Berkeley (played by Avan Jogia). That's not all, there's also a new and extremely hard to kill breed of zombie out there heading their way, dubbed the T-800 by Columbus. Determined to save Little Rock, Tallahassee, Wichita and Columbus hit the road along with Madison to try and find her.

The film is once again directed by Ruben Fleischer from a script by Dave Callaham, Rhett Reese, and Paul Wernick. Despite the film coming out almost exactly ten years after the original, the film does a great job of picking up more or less where we left off with our four intrepid heroes. It's a few years later, but it is still recognizably Zombieland. The filmmakers also have a fun time expanding their zombie ridden world, from our main characters moving into an abandoned White House, to introducing us to new survivors such as Nevada (played by Rosario Dawson), who lives an Elvis themed hotel not far from Graceland. They also introduce us to Albuquerque (played by Luke Wilson) and Flagstaff (played by Thomas Middleditch) who are basically doppelgangers for Tallahassee and Columbus in one of the film's more amusing gags. They also have our heroes track Little Rock and Berkeley to a huge compound filled with pacifists who have forbidden anyone there from having guns (to Tallahassee's understandable horror). The zombie action is expanded in interesting ways as well, with the different species of Zombie that have developed (the most hilarious for me was the harmless Homer zombies that aren't even worth a bullet). They also stage some great zombie fight sequences, including an extended single take as Tallahassee and Columbus fight off two zombies at once that was impressive in it's execution. 

The cast do a fantastic job picking up their characters again after all this time. Woody Harrelson is still having a blast playing Tallahassee and the fun is infectious. Jesse Eisenberg once again captures Columbus' insecurity although he has grown a bit since the first movie, even working up the courage to propose to Wichita, even if that backfires a bit. Emma Stone recaptures Wichita's feistiness quite well and does very well playing off Zoey Deutch's Madison. Speaking of which, Zoey Deutch absolutely nails the role of the air head Madison. She was hilarious from her first introduction throughout the rest of the movie. Abigail Breslin has a lot to play with as Little Rock is going through some serious growing pains, wanting to strike out on her own and feeling smothered by her surrogate dad, Tallahassee. This leads her directly into the arms of Berkeley, a pot smoking pacifist who has inexplicably survived in the wilds of Zombieland. Rosario Dawson is a fun addition to the cast as a potential love interest for Tallahassee and is every bit his equal in the badass department, as we quickly discover. Luke Wilson and Thomas Middleditch have fun with their cameo roles as Albuquerque and Flagstaff as they find fun ways of twisting the traits of Tallahassee and Columbus that we know and love.     

Zombieland: Double Tap is a better than average sequel that finds plenty of new material to mine as we continue to follow the adventures of Tallahassee, Columbus, Wichita and Little Rock. It doesn't quite have the novelty of the first film, but I don't think a sequel was ever going to recapture that. This follow-up is still a brisk, funny and worthy follow-up to the original film. If you liked the first one, chances are you are going to enjoy the second one as well. I know I did.   

Halloween Horrorfest: Zombieland

It's a little hard to believe the zombie horror comedy Zombieland is ten years old now. Essentially America's answer to Shaun of the Dead tracks four misfits as they traverse their way across an America that has long fallen to the Zombie Apocalypse. With a much heavier emphasis on comedy over horror, Zombieland quickly became a favorite comedy of mine, even now ten years later. 

Anxiety ridden and overly cautious Columbus (played by Jesse Eisenberg) is probably not someone most would have pegged as surviving the zombie apocalypse but he has due to a long list of carefully established rules, such as making sure to double tap all zombies to ensure they really are dead and always wear your seatbelt. He soon meets the far more free spirited and tough Tallahassee (played by Woody Harrelson) who has taken to the new reality quite well, proving quite adept at offing zombies. He takes pleasure in using assorted weapons, such as a banjo or a pair of hedge clippers. He also is a man on a very specific mission: He has a craving for Twinkies that will not be denied. This leads to a detour when they stop at a grocery store only to encounter sisters Wichita and Little Rock (played by Emma Stone and Abigail Breslin). Initially, the two sisters hijack Tallahassee and Columbus' guns and ride, but when they re-encounter them down the road, the four decide to team up after Columbus points out they collectively have bigger problems, like being stuck in a world filled with murderous ghouls that would love nothing more than to make any one of them their next meal. With no better options, the four of them agree to keep traveling west, each looking for a home. Preferably one that is zombie free.   

The film was directed by Ruben Fleischer from a script by Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick. The novelty of this film is the film is a much lighter look at the Zombie Apocalypse than most films. The film is narrated by Columbus, who gives us a darkly witty and humorous look at how the world fell to hordes of zombies. Much of the humor of the film comes from our four main characters and their interactions with one another. There are also frequently re-occurring jokes, usually tied to Columbus' many rules for Zombieland. These rules frequently appear on screen to great comedic effect, usually when another character does or does not adhere to one of the rules (such as when Tallahassee pulls a muscle smashing up a mini-van to let off some steam (breaking the Limber Up rule). Another interesting touch is that we never find out the characters names and they are only referred to by the city they are trying to get to. The film juxtaposes the frequent humor with a good amount of zombie violence, much of it inflicted on the zombies by our four main characters as they make their way through the United States of Zombieland. Much of it is over the top and played for laughs, so it works. 

Jesse Eisenberg is great in the lead role of Columbus, giving his character a certain neurotic charm that also provides a good amount of humor to the film. He really establishes his character as being overly cautious and excels at anticipating and planning while also being and efficient combat pragmatist. Emma Stone makes a good foil for him as Wichita, who prior to the zombie apocalypse worked cons with her younger sister and now, things have not changed so much. She's tough, smart and clever as she frequently outsmarts both Columbus and Tallahassee. Woody Harrelson is clearly having a ball playing Tallahassee, a bonafide badass who finally found his calling in offing zombies. He also finds pleasure in the small things in life, such as automatic weapons, destroying things and the aforementioned love of Twinkies. Abigail Breslin is the perfect companion to Emma Stone's Wichita and the two play off one another wonderfully. You totally buy them as sisters and she is every bit as cunning as her older sister, which Breslin plays wonderfully. I also loved her bonding with Tallahassee as the film went on. One of the biggest laughs for me is her explaining the show "Hannah Montana" to him while they're driving late at night and Tallahassee is genuinely interested.      

Zombieland is easily one of my favorite horror comedies. It moves at a brisk pace, is frequently very funny and, perhaps unexpectedly, shows the upside of the zombie apocalypse. The film keeps it's focus on it's four intrepid, misfit heroes as they deal with a world gone mad and try to make the best of it, forming a surrogate family of sorts in the process.    

Class of '99: The Sixth Sense

It's funny to reflect back on the legacy of The Sixth Sense twenty years later. It's a movie that is so overshadowed by it's twist ending, and to be fair it is a doozy. But initially when it was released, it didn't have a lot of buzz behind it. From the trailers, it looked like another Bruce Willis saves a troubled kid movie that bore a striking resemblance to another recent Bruce Willis movie, Mercury Rising, that had been greeted by audiences with a collective shrug. But word of mouth quickly spread from people who did see it, telling other people they needed to see it too. That was how I initially saw the film as I was dragged to the theater by my friend who insisted I had to see it. Needless to say, I was blown away by one of the more tightly plotted supernatural thrillers I have ever seen. 

Celebrated Child Psychologist Malcolm Crowe (played by Bruce Willis) is injured in his home in a confrontation with a disturbed former patient, Vincent (played by Donnie Wahlberg), that broke in. Several months later, he encounters a kid named Cole Sear (played by Haley Joel Osment) who Malcolm realizes shares several traits with that same former patient. Quiet, withdrawn and clearly troubled, he also displays bruises and scratches he can't or won't explain to the worry of his mother Lynn (played by Toni Collette). Slowly, Malcolm is able to gain the trust of Cole who opens up to him and tells him what is going on...he can see ghosts. Initially, he doesn't believe Cole but as he reviews old session files with Vincent and recordings of their sessions, he discovers the tapes picked up voices of ghosts speaking to Vincent. Convinced, Malcolm sets out to try and help Cole find a way to cope with his abilities and in the process find out what these spirits want from the boy. 

The film was written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan and he has created a carefully plotted movie that keeps it's focus squarely on it's characters rather than the scares (although there are some solid ones in this film too). I loved the way he took his time establishing his characters, especially with Malcolm and Cole and the way their bond grows over the film. Because we care about the characters, that only heightens the drama and the scares. The way the film is structured is very interesting as well and how it carefully reveals it's secrets. Upon rewatching the film for this review, I was struck with the realization that we never see any of the ghosts until Cole tells Malcolm, and by extension us the viewer, about his ability. We see what they do, but we don't actually see the ghosts ourselves until after that pivotal scene. I thought this was a really clever touch. 

The film has a phenomenal cast led by a very much against type Bruce Willis as Malcolm Crowe. I don't think I've seen as gentle and subdued performance from Willis before this film or after. It's one of his best performances, especially compared to now where he is basically just collecting paychecks and phoning it in in most of the movies he appears in. Haley Joel Osment has a star making turn as Cole Sear. He is so endearing as Cole, who has become withdrawn and is frequently terrified by the ghosts he sees. He does a great job showing Cole's growth throughout the film with Malcolm's help. Toni Collette gives a fantastic performance who desperately wants to help her son but isn't sure how to. You really get the sense of despair her character is going through, especially when a doctor she takes Cole to see suggests he might be abused after seeing the scratches and bruises. 

The Sixth Sense still holds up 20 years later as a fantastic thriller and drama. It's scares may be infrequent, but the ones that it has are quite good. But more than that, the film has a strong and genuinely moving story backed with fantastic performances from a great cast. It's still a movie I have fond memories of seeing in the theater all those years ago. It was a movie that really was a sleeper hit of 1999 as word of mouth spread from those who saw it. I wound up seeing it twice in the theater myself as I went back bringing my brother along with me. The whole time I was half watching the movie, half watching his reactions. It was just that kind of movie. And surprisingly, it still holds up to multiple viewings too. I enjoyed it just as much now as I did the first time I saw it all those years ago. 

Class of '99: The Blair Witch Project

As I reflect back on The Blair Witch Project 20 years later, I find myself immediately remembering the publicity machine that was operating behind this movie. Before this movie, the whole concept of a "found footage" movie didn't really exist aside from a couple fringe movies here and there. But this one was playing multiplexes throughout the country and trying to play up that this whole thing was real, when it really wasn't. 

Heather (played by Heather Donahue) is a college student making a documentary on the legend of the Blair Witch in Burkittsville, Maryland with two fellow students, Josh (played by Joshua Leonard) and Mike (played by Michael C. Williams). The film we see unfold is the footage they shot for their documentary that was shot in 1994 by the trio who disappeared in the woods outside Burkittsville and only the footage they shot was found a year later. The beginning unfolds like a standard documentary with Heather explaining the legend of the Blair Witch and local residents are interviewed about the legend. Things take a turn when they head into the woods to find evidence of the Witch herself camping out for a few nights as they hike through the woods. Things start getting eerie as weird stick sculptures start showing up, their map goes missing and they quickly get lost. Things only get more intense from there as we watch their final days unfold through the footage they left behind. 

The film was carefully conceived by directors Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sanchez who drew up a 35 page outline for their three actors to follow but left the three of them to improvise the scenes between the three of them with the actors acting as their own camera operators as well. They also told all three actors all the information about the Blair Witch legends as if it were a real thing, planting actors for them to interview to make everything that much more real for the three actors. The filmmakers also kept in contact with the actors as they shot the film. They would stage certain things for them to react to throughout the film, most of it things the actors were not expecting making their reactions all that much more authentic. Shot on a shoestring budget of $60,000, the filmmakers manage to craft a film that works with a frightening authenticity as their situation grows more and more dire. The fact that the actors themselves are shooting the film adds another level of authenticity to the film as well with the shaky camera footage and poor lighting. Then they were brilliant in their marketing of the film utilizing the internet to build buzz for the film by playing up the mystery of what happened to the three main characters and playing it all as authentic. This marketing continued as the film was picked up by Artisan Entertainment and continued into the Summer of 1999. It wasn't firmly revealed to be a fictional film until just before the film premiered. The level of hype behind this movie was huge, especially for such a small movie. 

The bulk of the movie is carried by the three leads and they give fantastic performances in the film. The experience of making the film for them was basically method acting to an insane degree. So much of what Heather Donahue, Joshua Leonard and Michael C Williams convey in their performances is based on what they went through filming it in the cold, rainy woods. Throughout the film they grow more irritated with one another as the actors themselves are cold, hungry (because the directors increasingly left them less and less food as the shoot went on) and exhausted. Of course, this authenticity plays through in the film making their desperation and fear all that more palpable. They had no idea what was going to happen each night so the majority of their reactions are genuine. They're not just acting scared, they are legitimately terrified. It had to have been a hell of an experience shooting this movie and those feelings read on film to a palpable degree. Since so much of what is going on in the woods is only heard and not seen, it's the reactions and performances of the three actors that stir the imagination of the audience and can only make those scenes more tense and scary.   

Revisiting The Blair Witch Project 20 years later, after all the hoopla and the subsequent backlash and parodies has died down was interesting. The film started a trend of "Found Footage" horror movies but none of them really amounted to much or had the impact this one did, at least with me. In fact, it was a genre I came to actively hate and avoid so I wasn't sure I wanted to come back to this one because of that. But I can't talk about the horror movies of 1999 and not acknowledge this cultural phenomenon. But, to my surprise I still found it genuinely scary. I was able to get into it just as a movie on it's own terms and it really freaked me out again. Maybe because it played into my own fears and anxieties. I hadn't seen it in probably a good fifteen years but it all came back to me. I know this movie has been mocked endlessly, especially Heather's famous "I'm so sorry" confessional, but with some distance from all that I was surprised to find for the most part the movie still worked for me. Except for the plot point about the map. That's still stupid.  

Class of '99: The Mummy

One of the more enduring movies of 1999 has certainly been Stephen Sommers' remake of the classic Universal Monster movie, The Mummy. In fact, when the film was rebooted with Tom Cruise in 2017, that film was met with a collective shrung with audiences just wishing Universal had made another movie with Brendan Fraser and company instead. One can hardly blame them too, as this movie is still a blast 20 years later. 

Evie Carnahan (played by Rachel Weisz) is a librarian and aspiring Egyptologist living in Cairo when she is presented with a unique artifact from her brother Jonathan (played by John Hannah). It is a intricate box that contains a map that Evie quickly recognizes as the lost city of Hamunaptra, the City of the Dead. Jonathan reveals he got the box through less than legal means from an American Adventurer Rick O'Connell (played by Brendan Fraser), who was at the city three years prior while fighting with the French Foreign Legion. After negotiating his release from prison, Rick agrees to take Evie an Jonathan there. They soon discover another group of American treasure hunters led by a former comrade of Rick's, Beni (played by Kevin J O'Connor), are searching for the same place in pursuit of treasure. Both groups soon arrive at the fabled lost city and begin exploring. Evie, Rick and Jonathan discover the mummified remains of the High Priest Imhotep (played by Arnold Vosloo) while the Americans discover the Book of the Dead. Later that night, Evie sneaks over to the American's camp and quietly steals the Book of the Dead. Reading a passage from the book, she unwittingly awakens the mummy of Imhotep. With Imhotep unleashed, he sets out to begin sucking the lives out of the people who invaded his tomb, restoring himself in the process. He also sets his sights on Evie as the perfect person to use to resurrect his beloved Anck-su-namun. This leaves our trio of intrepid heroes scrambling to figure out a way to put the all powerful Imhotep back in the grave and save Evie from similar fate in the process. 

The film was written and directed by Stephen Sommers, who took the basic plot of the original 1932 Universal monster movie and mixed in a heavy dose of Indiana Jones Saturday Morning Serial adventure and plenty of humor to craft a thoroughly thrilling and fun film. Still, there is a fair amount of horror elements throughout the film too with the main villain Imhotep working his way through the Americans in a bid to restore himself to his former glory, as well as targeting Evie to use to resurrect his beloved. These elements never stray out of the usual realm of a PG-13 movie, but still can be rather creepy even if some of the CGI effects, especially a partially deteriorated Imhotep or the ancient scarab beetles that love to burrow under people's skin, don't quite hold up all these years later. Yet what the film may lack in effects, and they hold up more than they don't, it makes up for in it's own spirited and at times genuinely funny storytelling. The production design of the film is exquisite, from the wide open deserts to the ruins of Hamunaptra as well as the flashback to ancient Egypt that opens the film. It all gives the film a wonderful sense of scope on which the filmmakers are able to tell their goofy little tale.    

The film has a wonderful cast led by Brendan Fraser as the quick-witted Rick O'Connell, always ready with a firearm and a one-liner. Fraser imbues the character with plenty of charm and is clearly having a blast playing the role. Rachel Weisz does a great job as Evie, showing her character's intelligence with ease as she is an incredibly accomplished librarian, including able to read ancient Egyptian. And like all true voracious readers she isn't always careful about what she reads aloud, which unfortunately directly leads to the resurrection of Imhotep (whoops!). John Hannnah is a lot of fun as Evie's scheming and carefree brother Jonathan. Kevin J. O'Connor is equally fun as the cowardly Beni who is willing to do anything to survive, including helping Imhotep just to save his own skin. Arnold Vosloo is great as Imhotep, especially when he is back to full power, proving to be a powerful and frightening adversary that proves immune to Rick's preferred way of dealing with such threats - copious amounts of ammo. 

It's hard to believe that The Mummy is really 20 years old. I still remember fondly when it was released in theatres, as well as the the trailers for it playing repeatedly on the monitors in the Blockbuster Video I used to work at back in the day. The film itself was a huge hit, spawning two sequels and an animated series. It's a film that remains beloved by it's many fans to this day and rightfully so. It's a fun adventure yarn with a monster movie twist that everyone seems to be having a lot of fun making and that fun remains contagious to this day. 

Class of '99: Sleepy Hollow

As I was looking back at the horror films I wanted to feature this year, I noticed there were a number of them from 1999, each turning 20 years old. So, I decided to dedicate a week to these members of the Class of 99, so to speak. It was a banner year for horror with a number of unique films within the genre. I decided to kick things off in high fashion with a look back at Tim Burton's spirited and quirky take on Washington Irving's The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. 

Constable Ichabod Crane (played by Johnny Depp) is sent to the small village of Sleepy Hollow to investigate a series of murders. Upon arrival, he is greeted by Katrina Van Tassel (played by Christina Ricci) as well as her father Baltus (played by Michael Gambon) and stepmother Lady Van Tassel (played by Miranda Richardson). He soon meets with Baltus and the other town elders, Magistrate Phillipse (played by Richard Griffiths), Reverend Steenwyck (played by Jeffrey Jones) and Notary James Hardenbrook (played by Michael Gough). They inform him they believe the culprit to be the undead apparition known as the Headless Horseman. Skeptical and certain his culprit is made of flesh and blood, Ichabod begins his investigation using cutting edge scientific methods of his own creation, with assistance from the young Masbath (played by Marc Pickering). Soon enough, he comes face to face with the horseman himself. Surviving the ordeal unscathed, he realizes the Horseman is not killing at random. With the assistance of Katrina and Masbath, Ichabod tries to find out the connection between the Horseman's victims and put him to rest once and for all.  

The film was directed by Tim Burton from a script by Andrew Kevin Walker. The two do a great job expanding on and reinventing the classic Washington Irving tale into a a fun and scary piece of Gothic horror. Burton himself draws from the pantheon of Hammer horror films in the design of the film, creating a fantastic sense of mood and dread to the film. At the same time, they infuse the film with a cheeky sense of humor to keep things from getting too dark. It's a delicate balance, but they manage to pull it off quite well. The film is nicely de-saturated of most color with much of the film shot through blue filters. You really get a cold feel for Sleepy Hollow and how dead it seems, with the threat of the Horseman looming large. The production design of the film is positively exquisite in the way it crafts the village of Sleepy Hollow as well as the surrounding woods that are easy to believe are haunted. It adds a lot of character to the film that only helps the overall mood and atmosphere.  

The film has a fantastic cast led by Johnny Depp as Ichabod Crane. He plays Crane as an intelligent man but also one who is throughly unprepared for dealing with something like the Headless Horseman, prone to repeatedly fainting after each encounter. Probably my favorite scene of the movie is Ichabod cowering in bed after his first run in with the Horseman, shaking in terror as he tells Baltus and Katrina of his encounter and them calmly responding yes, we told you there was a Horseman. It's a wonderfully comedic moment that is played perfectly by Depp. Christina Ricci is quite enchanting as Katrina Van Tassel, who proves to be a bit of a witch herself, working spells to help protect Ichabod as she watches over his investigation. She gives her character a lot of strength and smarts, as Katrina is one of the few willing to ride into the woods to track the Horseman with Ichabod. Michael Gambon is clearly having fun playing Baltus who is at once able to be welcoming to Ichabod while also seeming to be someone one hiding a secret or two. Christopher Walken makes a couple brief appearances as the Horseman in flashback (when he still had a head) and makes for a suitably menacing character, even if all he gets to do is growl as he mows through he opponents with a broadsword. It was also a nice touch to see Christopher Lee pop up in a cameo as the Judge who sends Ichabod to Sleepy Hollow at the beginning of the film in another nod to the film's Hammer Horror inspirations.  

I've always had a soft spot for Sleepy Hollow with it's creepy atmosphere and entertaining mix of humor and horror. The film is well directed by Tim Burton and his style really fits the material quite well. It's a handsomely mounted production that has a fantastic cast to match. If you've never seen it, or it's been a while since you have, it's well worth checking out and perfect viewing for the Halloween season.     

Halloween Horrorfest: Thirteen Ghosts

Following up Dark Castle's flagship release of The House on Haunted Hill in 1999 came another reimagining of a William Castle film, this time out it was Thirteen Ghosts. Keeping the same sort of tongue in cheek supernatural mayhem fun of the previous film, this one had a bit more of a mixed result. Still, the pluses do outweigh the minuses for me on this one, so it's still worth taking a look back at. 

Arthur Criticos (played by Tony Shalhoub) has been having a hard time of it since his wife died tragically in a fire that claimed their house and most of their belongings. Trying to make the best of it, he's cramped in a small apartment with his children Kathy (played by Shannon Elizabeth) and Bobby (played by Alec Roberts), as well as their live in nanny Maggie (played by Rah Digga). When a lawyer, Benjamin Moss (played by JR Moss), visits and notifies them they are the sole heirs of the estate of Arthur's late uncle Cyrus (played by F. Murray Abraham), they are overjoyed and soon make their way to Cyrus' very unique house in the countryside. They quickly discover the house is no ordinary house but a glass walled structure with etched glass designed specifically to contain a group a of the nastiest, most mean spirited ghosts Cyrus could find.  As they arrive at the house, they encounter Dennis Rafkin (played by Matthew Lillard), a powerful psychic that helped Cyrus collect ghosts and was trying to get into the house to retrieve the money Cyrus owed him. Soon enough, they group find themselves locked in the house as the mechanics of the house spring into motion and the machinery inside begin winding up towards something, leaving our characters to scramble to stay alive while they try to figure out what the house was designed for as the titular ghosts are released from their containment one by one. Ghosts they are only able to see through special sets of glasses. 

The film was directed by Steve Beck and written by Neal Marshall Stevens. They manage to craft a reasonably fun haunted house flick that moves at a brisk pace and doesn't over stay it's welcome. One of the main things the film has going for it is the house itself. It is eye candy from the viewer with all the walls made up of large panes of etched glass, covered in symbols that are meant to contain the movie's many ghosts. It's all lit and shot incredibly well and makes for a unique setting for the film. It is unlike any other haunted house seen in movies before or since. Alongside the house, the filmmakers also craft a grouping of some of the gnarliest, meanest and most memorable ghosts I've seen in a film. Each one has their own clear cut identity and all are memorably brought to life both by the actors portraying them and the memorable makeup designs by Gregory Nicotero, Norman Cabera, and Don Lanning. It's also a nice touch that a gimmick from the original film, where the audience can only see the ghosts through a special set of glasses, was incorporated into the plot of the movie itself this time around.

Tony Shalhoub leads the cast as the caring father of his fractured family and does a lot with the fairly standard role. He does a great job showing the stress and worry his character goes through but also remains sympathetic throughout. Matthew Lillard carries a fair amount of the exposition of the story and manages to keep it engaging in his own uniquely idiosyncratic way. Wisecracking his way through the film, it's not hard for the audience to love his character, even if he is at least partially responsible for their predicament. Rah Digga also provides a good amount of comic relief as the family nanny and often times is the only one speaking any sense, even if often times it falls on deaf ears. F. Murray Abraham is clearly having fun chewing the scenery as the human villain of the film and is fun to watch in the role.  

Overall, Thirteen Ghosts is nothing earth shattering in terms of the horror genre, but it can be a fun late night horror movie romp when you're not looking for something too heavy or too deep. The strengths of the film are definitely in the visuals, both in the absolute eye candy of the house itself and in the unique designs for each of the ghosts. The concept of the house and what it does when fully activated is a unique concept, and the filmmakers do pull off a couple surprises in the process. In the end, it probably doesn't amount to much, but when you're in it the movie is a lot of fun and I can't help but enjoy the movie every time I've seen it in that same spirit. It's cinematic junk food, but that doesn't mean it isn't good cinematic junk food.

Halloween Horrorfest: Slaughterhouse Rulez

I'm a sucker for horror comedies. Movies that blend the scares and the laughs can be a lot of fun to watch with characters cracking wise while dealing with terrifying situations. Since both genres can deal with the outrageous and absurd, they tend to blend well together. But sometimes, despite having all the requisite pieces, it just doesn't quite work as well as it should. Unfortunately, Slaughterhouse Rulez would be one of those examples. 

Don Wallace (played by Finn Cole) is transferring to the prestigious Slaughterhouse boarding school in Gloucestershire, England at the urging of his mum (played by Jo Hartley). Paired with the rebellious Willoughby Blake (played by Asa Butterfield), Don finds a school that follows a strict pecking order by house, of which has found himself on the lowest rung. Dominating over the students is Clegg (played by Tom Rhys Harries), the bullying school prefect that takes his styling and behavior cues from Draco Malfoy. It's not all bad for Don as he catches the eye of Clemsie (played by Hermoine Corfield). The school's headmaster, known as The Bat (played by Michael Sheen), informs the school that the woods are now off limits due to part of the school land being sold to a fracking company. Their house master is Meredith Houseman (played by Simon Pegg), a nebbish and ineffectual educator more focused on Cricket and bemoaning his girlfriend Audrey being overseas with Doctors Without Borders than his students. Things take a turn for the worse when the fracking creates a giant sinkhole that releases large subterranean monsters that begin to snack on the residents of the school, as well as some local protesters, led by a guy named Woody (played by Nick Frost). The social stature of the school is quickly discarded as the students find themselves in a fight for survival. 

The film was directed by Crispian Mills from a script he co-wrote with Henry Fitzherbert. The resulting film is a mixed bag. The first half of the film is very much a oddball teen comedy with the assorted students of the school, but keeping the focus primarily on Don and Willoughby. There is a wonderful sub-plot as the Willoughby's history with his previous roommate is revealed as well as what happened to him that allowed a space to open up for Don to enroll. The school is also populated with assorted other colorful characters but it gets bogged down in the same tired teen romance and teen bully cliches we have seen before. The film does pick up steam again once the monsters finally show up roughly 45 minutes into the film. Once it does the film moves from set piece to set piece with a brisk pace and a solid sense of humor that made the second half some reasonably breezy monster mayhem fun. I just wish the film had found a better pacing for the story and better mixed the raunchy teen comedy elements with the monster movie bits so it felt a bit more consistent throughout. 

One place where this movie does not slack is in the acting department. The cast is giving the film their all to try and make it work. Finn Cole is left with the straight guy role and manages it well, generally reacting to the insanity around him pretty much from the beginning when he lampshades the fact that the school is called "Slaughterhouse" and wonders why anyone would want to go there. Asa Butterfield has fun with his role as Willoughby and it's fun to see him play a more rebellious and mischievous character and step outside his usual type of role. Simon Pegg is clearly having fun playing his character, who is desperately missing his girlfriend Audrey and finding solace in Cricket while trying rather ineffectually to keep order in his house. Michael Sheen is clearly having a blast hamming it up as the school headmaster, making his grand entrance in flowing school robes like Snape on mescaline. He is an absolute hoot as he hams it up from beginning to end doing everything but literally gnawing on the scenery. Nick Frost pops up from time to time in the film as one of the protesters of the fracking operation on the school grounds, but also seems rather preoccupied with trying to sell the students he comes across drugs at the same time. 

Overall, Slaughterhouse Rulez is a definite mixed bag. When it worked, I enjoyed it for it's spirited energy and game cast. But when it didn't work, it was a bit of a slog to get through, especially getting to the monster mayhem in the second half. It has it's moments and the movie sure is trying hard. It's entertaining in fits and starts but as a whole it's disappointingly underwhelming, which is a shame because I was really looking forward to this one.         

Halloween Horrorfest: Child's Play (2019)

When I first heard they were doing a remake of Child's Play, my initial reaction was one of befuddlement and annoyance. The original series was still going strong with Cult of Chucky having just been released. It just seemed like a shameless cash grab with a familiar title. But, then a funny thing happened. They actually hired filmmakers who decided to try something new with the premise that resulted in a film that was actually pretty good? I certainly didn't see that coming. 

Struggling single mom Karen Barclay (played by Aubrey Plaza) is newly divorced and living with her young son, Andy (played by Gabriel Bateman) in an apartment they just moved into. In an attempt to help him socialize and cheer him up, she brings home a Buddi doll for him that was returned to the department store she works at. Buddi dolls are equipped with the latest in AI technology and can sync with other automated home technology. The Artificial Intelligence within the Buddi doll is state of the art and imprints on the owner, in this case Andy. However, this particular doll is defective and had the safety protocols turned off at the factory by a disgruntled employee. Without those this Buddi doll, named Chucky (voiced by Mark Hamill), has free reign to learn to emulate all sorts of actions, including stabbing and murder. As he bonds with Andy, he becomes more protective of him and anyone that threatens him or his family, such as Karen's douche bag new boyfriend, or threaten to replace Chucky as Andy's best friend fall within Chucky's cross hairs. Andy has few options to turn to for help, with his mom working and their neighbor Detective Mike Norris (played by Brian Tyree Henry) more likely to suspect him, he is going to have to take down the murderous doll himself.    

The film was directed by Lars Klevberg from a script by Taylor Burton Smith. They do a good job of taking the basic premise of the original film and fashioning a whole new movie from it. They kept the names of the three main characters, as well as the doll, and basically jettisoned everything else. Rather than a doll possessed with the spirit of a deceased serial killer, this doll is a malfunctioning toy equipped with state of the art technology. This is an intriguing direction to take the premise and adds a much needed freshness to the material as well. It also allows for a new take on Chucky himself, who starts out glitchy but innocent and only becomes dangerous through a warped sense of what he is supposed to do. The filmmakers also come up with some intensely original sequences as people come face to face with the new Chucky, who only becomes more lethal with his upgraded ability to interface with other household implements created by the same company that makes the Buddi Doll, with items such as drones or thermostats becoming lethal implements for him to exploit. Yet, the film also has a dark and wicked sense of humor at the same time and for the most part finds a nice balance between the horror and the humor. They also create a surprising amount of empathy towards Chucky, at least in the beginning, as Andy initially rejects Chucky due to his glitching and the fact that he feels too old for such a toy. There is an unexpected bit of tragedy as Chucky descends into his more homicidal ways because he starts out just wanting to help Andy, even if it's in a very twisted way. And to top it all off, we have a genuinely creepy score by Bear McCreary to up the creepy factor even further.  

With any Chucky movie, the focus is going to be on the doll and I have to say Mark Hamill does an impressive job making the role his own. This is a very different role from the one played by Brad Dourif in the original series. Hamill is able to really give this living doll some unexpected depth as I found myself empathizing with him in the beginning of the film as he is trying to be Andy's best friend. It's here that Hamill's talents as a voice actor really shine though as they are flawlessly matched with some impressive puppetry. They also give Chucky a programmed "Buddi Song" sung by Hamill that starts off sweet and innocent, but by the end of the movie when he sings it again it is genuinely creepy. Gabriel Bateman does well as an aged up Andy and therefore has a much more active role in the story as opposed to the original film where Andy was much younger. Much of the film revolves around Chucky and Andy as it falls to the kid to take down the homicidal toy when the parents and other adults don't believe him until it's too late. Aubrey Plaza does quite well as Andy's mom in a role that is much more serious than the roles she's known for currently and it's a great change of pace for her. She does a great job conveying Karen's stress and concerns as she tries to build a new life for herself and her son, even if she is not always making the best choices. Brian Tyree Henry steps into the role of Mike Norris quite well. I thought it was a nice touch to have him be a neighbor of Andy and Karen and already friends with both of them. 

While it doesn't quite replace the original Chucky or the large impact he made on the horror genre (certainly the killer doll sub-genre), there is a place for this new iteration too. Aside from the broadest strokes and a few characters, this iteration of Child's Play is a whole new beast. Some people have said they shouldn't have titled it Child's Play but gone with an original title instead. Then, of course, everyone would have been calling it a rip-off instead. So, it's a damned if you do, damned if you don't situation. Instead, they went for it and created a remake that broke new ground and did something different, taking the premise in new and exciting directions. I can't help but appreciate that.       

IT Chapter Two

Stephen King's IT has always been one of my favorites of his many, many works, whether it's the epic novel, the 1990 mini-series, or now the two-part theatrical films. What was started in 2017 with the first half of the story resolves now with the member of the Losers Club coming back together 27 years later to once again confront the monster they thought they killed when they were kids. 

It's been 27 years since the Losers Club had last faced the monster known as IT and now it has resurfaced, as Mike Hanlon (played by Isaiah Mustafa) has discovered. He sets out to recruit his fellow club members to live up to the pact they made all those years ago: if it isn't dead, if it comes back, they return to finish the job. Scattered across the country, they all reunite in their childhood home town of Derry, Maine. Each one had carved out a life for themselves. Bill Denbrough (played by James McAvoy) is a bestselling author. Beverly Marsh (played by Jessica Chastain) is a famous fashion designer, Ben Hanscom (played by Jay Ryan) is an architect, Eddie Kaspbrak (played by Jay Ransone) works as a risk analyst for a major insurance company, and Richie Tozier (played by Bill Hader) is a famous stand up comedian. As they reunite, they all remark how much they had forgotten about their childhoods and how any memory of Derry at all had faded until Mike called each one of them. The only one that remembers everything is Mike, who never left and had devoted the past 27 years working at the Derry Library and preparing should the monster they fought as kids ever return. And it falls to Mike to get the rest of his friends up to speed and unite them all, setting the stage for the final showdown between them and the monster they know as Pennywise (played by Bill Skarsgard). 

The film was directed by Andy Muschietti from a screenplay by Gary Dauberman from the iconic novel by Stephen King. The two manage to craft a follow-up that is every bit as good as the first film, if not actually better. The film is by turns terrifying, hilarious, and at times heartbreaking. Muschietti and Dauberman do a fantastic job balancing the tone throughout the film as they craft their epic tale of horror. They also bring back the younger actors for some key flashbacks throughout the film that never feel extraneous and fill in some scenes we didn't get to see in the first film that only strengthens the bond we feel between the characters. That is the theme that runs the strongest throughout both of the films and brings the story home by the end and that is the power of friendship and their unified strength in standing up to the darkness of the world. The filmmakers hit this theme so perfectly that the movie perfectly hits those emotional highs. At the same time, they manage to craft some memorably scary moments in the film as well, especially with our intrepid heroes each having an encounter with Pennywise or his assorted other forms, with Beverly, Richie and Eddie's encounters sticking out, as well as a very tense sequence of Bill chasing after potential Pennywise victim in a carnival funhouse. The film also has a good amount of humor to break the tension and often in the most unexpected places.      

The cast assembled for this is phenomenal and there isn't a weak link between them. You really believe that these are the adult counterparts of each of the kids we saw in the first film. I have to start with Bill Hader. Now, I've been a fan of his since his days on SNL but he blew me away here. Richie Tozier has always been my favorite character, whether it's the novel, the 1990 mini-series or here and he absolutely nails the role, not only hitting every comedic beat but hitting emotional depths with the character's vulnerabilities that had me sobbing in the theater. Jay Ransone likewise impressed as Eddie, capturing his character's insecurities and fear perfectly. He also plays off Bill Hader's Richie perfectly and the special bond between the two characters shines through beautifully. Jessica Chastain also manages to capture an adult Beverly quite well. Isaiah Mustafa has the trickier role with Mike Hanlon having to deliver a large amount of exposition as he gets the other characters up to speed and prepared to face off against Pennywise, but he handles it effortlessly. James McAvoy more or less picks up when his character's youthful counterpart Jaeden Martell left off as he continues to cope with his survivor's guilt, something he tries to atone for when he realizes the re-awakened Pennywise has set his sights on a kid roughly the same age as Georgie that lives in his childhood home. Jay Ryan doesn't have as much to play with in his role as adult Ben Hanscom, but does the most with what he has since much of his arc has to do with his unrequited love for Beverly, who as kids was crushing on Bill instead. I also appreciated that when we are first introduced to adult Ben, we get a cameo from Brandon Crane, who played young Ben in the original mini-series in a fun little moment at the beginning of the film.

Overall, IT Chapter Two is a thoroughly satisfying conclusion to an epic tale of the power of friendship. By turns frightening, funny and emotional it captures the spirit of the original novel. Rather than be a simple monster movie or horror movie, much like the novel, it finds it's real strengths in it's characters and with them at the forefront injects the film with a surprising amount of heart and emotion behind the scares and shocks, which gives the film more depth that your average cinematic horror film and is all the better for it. Clocking in at an impressive 2 hours and 45 minutes, the film flew by for me as I got pulled into the continuing adventure of a group of friends I have loved for almost 30 years now, ever since I saw the original 1990 mini-series. I've always had a strong affinity for this story. Probably because growing up I was part of a group of friends that very well could've been the Minnesota chapter of the Losers Club. And I say that with the utmost affection.       

Ready or Not

There is something about Horror and Comedy that makes the two mesh so well together. Horror movies tend to rely on plot elements that under normal circumstances would be ridiculous, outrageous or absurd but with a difference in tone can be suspenseful and frightening instead. When mixed well, a horror comedy can move from scary to funny with ease. Ready or Not is one such movie, a suspenseful thrill ride that can also at times be very funny. 

Grace (played by Samara Weaving) is getting married to Alex Le Domas (Mark O'Brien), who is part of the La Domas family who own a huge gaming empire (or dominion as Alex says), at Alex's family's mansion. On their wedding night, the family has a very important tradition. The family has to gather at midnight to play a game. It doesn't matter if the new member wins or loses as long as they play. Grace agrees to go along with it and gathers along with Alex's parents, Tony and Becky (played by Henry Czerny and Andie MacDowell), brother Daniel (played by Adam Brody) and his wife Charity (played by Elyse Levesque) along with the stern Aunt Helene (played by Nicky Guadagni). Grace is presented with a mysterious box with a blank card inserted inside. She would then press a button on the box and whatever game comes out printed on the card, is the game they play. Grace's card comes out saying Hide and Seek. Grace is given time to hide and the rest of the family has to find her in the mansion. What they don't tell her though is that if the box picks Hide and Seek, the family has to sacrifice Grace as part of a pact their Great-Great Grandfather allegedly made with the devil. If they don't, the legend states the rest of the family will die instead. Grace quickly realizes what is happening, kicking off a battle for survival between Grace and her new in-laws.  

The film was directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett from a script by Guy Busick and Ryan Murphy. The film may on it's surface seem like another gruesome horror movie, but it is also filled with all kinds of biting social commentary towards the upper class while engaging in some literal class warfare (although the film is still pretty gruesome but in a very over the top sort of way). The film does a solid job covering all of the possible plot holes, such as if Alex knew this possibly was going to happen, why didn't they just elope? Alex informs her the wedding had to be with his family, and had to be there at the family mansion, showing that on a certain level Alex believes the legend as well and was just hoping the card would come up with them all Clue or something instead. The house itself is quite the set piece, complete with security cameras, security locks, dumb waiters and secret passageways that all come into play throughout the film. The film is filled with dark humor as the family proves to be inept at trying to capture Grace, and as Grace proves to be a far more formidable opponent than they may have anticipated. The film also has it's knives sharpened for the one-percenter Le Domas family, who made apparently made a  deal with Satan generations ago for business success and have no problem carrying on that tradition that occasionally requires the sacrifice of a new family member if that means they get to continue to survive. 

This film has managed to gather a rather impressive cast, starting with Samara Weaving. Weaving is quickly creating a niche for herself in the horror genre after impressive turns in both The Babysitter and Mayhem and continues here. She really shows both Grace's fear and confusion at the outset, as well as her intelligence and strength as she overcomes her initial panic to pull herself together and try to find a way out of her situation. Adam Brody has plenty to play with as Alex's brother Daniel, who is having trouble dealing with his family's  bloody history and as a result has become an alcoholic due to his guilt. Brody plays the role well and is a natural fit for his character's deadpan snarkiness throughout the film. Yet, he really sells his character's inner turmoil as well. Andie MacDowell is great as the Matriarch of the Le Domas clan Becky, giving her role a certain iciness that shows the wear of decades of her family's sacrifices has brought. Henry Czerny infuses a good amount of humor to his role as patriarch Tony. When one of the character remarks they at least don't have to wear masks during the Hide and Seek game this time, he responds, "That was Dad's idea...it was the 80's," in an amusing nod to the slasher genre that often includes a masked killer. Mark O'Brien has a trickier role as Alex, who leads his new wife Grace into this nightmare while keeping her completely in the dark about what could come. He does manage to keep his character reasonably sympathetic and is deservedly chewed out by Grace once he does finally explain to her what is going on.

Ready or Not is a deft mix if humor and horror creating a fun ride of a film that while at times feels familiar, remained unpredictable for me (even if the trailer does ruin some of the best moments in the film) with plenty of crazy surprises. With a spirited lead performance from Samara Weaving and a talented supporting cast, this one is an easy recommendation for genre fans looking for something a little more offbeat as the blockbuster season winds down.   

Blinded by the Light

Among my list of movies I was looking forward to this summer was Blinded by the Light, a touching coming of age story of a teenage boy of Pakistani descent growing up in the turbulent 1987 Luton, England who finds solace and inspiration in the most unlikely of places...the music of Bruce Springsteen.

Javed Khan (played by Viveik Kalra) is trying to be a good son, but also finding his own desires at odds with his strict and no nonsense father, Malik (played by Kulvinder Ghir), who is continually pushing Javed to pursue business as a career despite Javed's clear talents as a writer. He does have his friend Matt (played by Dean Charles Chapman) from across the street to confide in. Things get even more difficult for Javed's family when his father is laid off from the local automotive plant and the family becomes reliant on his mother's work as a seamstress. But a chance encounter with another student at school, Roops (played by Aaron Phagura), changes everything when Roops loans him a couple Bruce Springsteen tapes. Initially hesitant as he can't imagine anything Bruce would sing about would be at all relevant to him, he eventually relents and is shocked to find just how deep he feels the music of The Boss. He takes it so to heart that be begins collecting Bruce Springsteen memorabilia and even begins to dress like him. But even more so, begins to pursue writing as a career in earnest with the encouragement of his Writing teacher Ms. Clay (played by Hayley Atwell) and his next door neighbor. He even gains the courage to ask out a girl he fancies from class, Eliza (played by Nell Williams), with some assistance from Matt's Dad (played by Rob Brydon) in a cute scene set to Springsteen's "Thunder Road." Yet, Javed still feels himself torn between his dreams and a sense of responsibility to his family in their moment of crisis. 

The film was directed by Gurinder Chadha, and she co-wrote it as well with Sarfraz Manzoor, whose memoir inspired the film. The film paints a portrait of Great Britain in turmoil. A massive recession his the populace hard leaving millions out of work. They also saw a strong rise in White Nationalism who many of their efforts were directed towards Pakistani immigrants like Javed and his family. The film depicts this with an earnest sincerity as we Javed and his family face this discrimination head on, whether it's Javed being spit on by one on his way home from school or him and his father witnessing racist kids urinating through a friend's letterbox. Malik's response to this is to keep his head down, not make noise whereas Javed is at first frightened and then angered as evidenced in an empowering scene where he and Roops stand up to a trio of skinheads while belting out Springsteen's "Badlands." Chadha and Manzoor balance the trials of Javed with his triumphs as he finds confidence with his writing quite well. The film, which is not quite a jukebox musical and yet kind of is at times, still wears it's heart on it's sleeve and the plot is a bit predictable at times. Honestly though, I didn't care because the story was so relatable to me. And then on top of that, it's all punctuated with some choice selections from Bruce Springsteen's discography. The film does a great job capturing the world of fandom and how obsessive it can seem when you have such a strong, positive reaction to something, in this case the music of Bruce Springsteen. Gurinder Chadha brings it to life on screen in such a fantastic way too as Javed listens to the music, the selected lyrics he responds to appear on screen as he's listening to them, visually showing the impact it's having on him in a creative and visceral way.  

Viveik Kalra was quite good as Javed and really captures his character's arc quite well, from the lonely and introverted boy at the beginning to the film who grows throughout the film to begin standing up for himself and go after what he wants. Kulvinder Ghir gives a lot of layers to his performance as Malik. Now, coming of age movies are littered with disapproving fathers that the main character needs to overcome and on the surface Malik is no different, but Ghir shows that everything he does and says comes from a place of real concern for his childrens' futures. Ghir is able to convey so much with just a look, you can tell he's terrified that being out of work and not being able to provide for his family means they could lose everything. He is also a traditional and proud man who feels absolutely humiliated at having lost his job after 18 years and having to rely on his wife's work to help make ends meet, as well as the part time jobs of his children and Malik does a fantastic job conveying this throughout his performance. I really liked Aaron Phagura as Roops. He does a great job portraying Roops' fan love for Bruce Springsteen, as well as being a much needed friend for Javed as the two bond over the music, especially since Matt is completely mystified at his friend's new obsession. I really liked Nell Williams as Eliza. Her character is a fun one with her style and independent spirit that informs her character's political activism that no doubt is just as much an inspiration to Javed as Springsteen's music. Williams imbues her with a spunky charm that I really enjoyed and responded to. Hayley Atwell takes a refreshingly grounded approach to her role as Javed's creative writing teacher, Ms. Clay. She encourages him to continue to pursue his writing, whether it be poems or essays as she pushes him to find his own voice and relates the talent she sees in his work. It's a wonderfully understated performance that made it more memorable to me as it reminded me of teachers who filled a similar role in my life. Rob Brydon may have only had a small role in this film, but he made the most of every scene he was in. I loved how he and Javed formed a bit of bond over their shared love of Bruce Springsteen as it was a little something Javed was missing with his own father. It also may just be because I've been a fan of his since his role of Uncle Bryn in the U.K TV series Gavin and Stacey.    

Blinded by the Light functions not just as a tribute to the music of Bruce Springsteen, but also the trials and tribulations of growing up and finding inspiration and solace in fandom, in this case Springsteen's music. It's a heartfelt and joyous film that also draws some rather stark parallels to our current political climate with once again seeing a rise in racism and hatred as well as a tumultuous Government, both here and in the U.K. Still, if I was able to relate to a British-Pakistani teen in 1987 Luton, so much so that I was moved to tears, perhaps there is hope for us all. That's certainly something this film has in abundance and is all the better for it. 

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

I've long been a fan of Quentin Tarantino's films and various phases they have gone through over the many years from Pulp Fiction to Django Unchained to The Hateful Eight. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is easily his most mature and thoughtful film since Jackie Brown, anchored by two fantastically drawn characters making their way through a Hollywood in transition. 

In 1969 Hollywood, Rick Dalton (played by Leonardo DiCaprio) is an actor facing a career downturn. He made a name for himself starring on a T.V western and making a number of Western and War movies. But now he is getting by on making guest appearances on T.V shows, often playing the heavy. The best offer he has gotten is from a Producer Marvin Schwarzs (played by Al Pacino) to star in a series of Spaghetti Westerns, something he is less than enthused about. He relies a lot on his best friend and stunt man Cliff Booth (played by Brad Pitt). The two share a close bond and Cliff often acts as Rick's personal assistant as well, going so far as running errands and even fixing his T.V antenna. Living next door to Rick is Sharon Tate (played by Margot Robie) and Roman Polanski (Rafal Zawierucha), whom Rick clearly envies since Polanski is hot off directing the hit film Rosemary's Baby. During this, Cliff keeps crossing paths with a girl known as Pussycat (played by Margaret Qualley), who is a member of the Manson Family, who are currently squatting at the old Spahn Movie Ranch and led by Charlie Manson (played by Damon Herriman). It's only a matter of time before all the parties converge in unexpected ways. 

Quentin Tarantino wrote and directed this cinematic love letter to a bygone era of Hollywood. In 1969, outside influences were starting to impact the kinds of movies Hollywood was making. Films were becoming grittier and what kinds of films were able to made were growing. The Vietnam War was in full swing and all the differing attitudes towards it as well. During this period of transition, some actors were finding their opportunities drying up as the current iteration of the Western genre was becoming played out with audiences gravitating towards the more complex and violent Spaghetti Westerns. Tarantino and his amazing crew lovingly recreate the Hollywood of the era as they not only painstakingly recreate Los Angeles circa 1969, but also some of the shows Rick stars on throughout the film, including a spot on recreation of an episode of The FBI that originally starred a young Burt Reynolds among a few other fun surprises. He also has a number of actors of the era turning up throughout the story, with notable appearances by Steve McQueen (played by Damian Lewis) and Bruce Lee (played by Mike Moh). And then he has the Manson family slowly working their way into the story and anyone who knows their history of the time knows that the two storylines will eventually and violently converge. Yet, as anyone who has seen Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds might already suspect, things don't go quite the way you might expect it to. 

Leonardo DiCaprio is quite good as Rick Dalton as he digs into his character's insecurities and anxieties as he faces a faltering career and tries to figure out what to do next. DiCaprio has a great scene where Rick is in his trailer and he melts down over what he thought was a bad performance and then eventually pulls himself together, goes back out and knocks it out of the park. That scene has really stuck with me because as someone who has dealt with their fair share of anxiety and insecurity I really related to it. Brad Pitt's character Cliff is also experiencing a career downturn but, unlike Rick, he seems to be taking it in stride content to help out his buddy Rick day to day and retire each evening to his trailer located behind a drive in theater with his dog Brandy (herself practically another star of the movie) and just take things as they come. It's an interesting dichotomy between the two characters that I really enjoyed. Margot Robie has an interesting task in playing Sharon Tate and does a really great job in the role as well. She is very much a supporting character, but makes the most of each scene she is in, most notably an extended sequence when Tate is walking in downtown LA and decides to pop in to a matinee screening of a film she is in, The Wrecking Crew. Robie does such a great job showing Tate's initial insecurities slowly melt away to genuine elation at the audience around her and their enjoyment of her performance. It's completely non-verbal and fantastic. As an aside, I also appreciated that Quentin used actual footage from The Wrecking Crew with the real Sharon Tate in the footage in the scene as well. I also have to single out the performance by Damian Lewis as Steve McQueen. He's only in one scene, but he captures McQueen so well it's incredible to watch. Mike Moh is great in a similarly small appearance as Bruce Lee, although that has been a bit more controversial with his family stating the performance in the film doesn't match who Bruce Lee really was. To be fair, in the scene in question Cliff is antagonizing Bruce while they are both on the set of The Green Hornet and there is a scene later in the film where Bruce is teaching Sharon Tate some martial arts that seems to better match the real Bruce his family describes. It is also seen in flashback as Cliff reflects on the incident, so there is an unreliable narrator aspect to it as well. But, then again anyone who has seen the entire film can attest Quentin Tarantino isn't particularly interested in adhering strictly to historical fact anyway.   

There is a lot to really like about Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. It has a slow burn quality for much of the film as it focuses on it's characters as the film builds towards it's inevitable end. But as the film goes on, I really got to know these characters and came to genuinely care about them so that when they do converge with the Manson Family, the tension is palpable as I wondered how this was all going to play out. It's also a far more character driven film than the last few Tarantino films, which makes for a different film than some people might be expecting. The film moves at a deliberate pace as it works establishing these characters day to day lives, including an extended scene of Cliff making Kraft Macaroni & Cheese that is shot so throughly, it had more that a few viewers picking up a box or two on the way home from the movie after winding up craving it themselves. It's a film that takes it's time telling it's tale, clocking in at roughly 2 hours and 40 minutes, and honestly is all the better for it.    

Deep Blue Sea

Opening a mere few weeks after the aforementioned Lake Placid, along came Deep Blue Sea to give some new teeth to the beleaguered shark movie left largely adrift with the last notable film being Jaws: The Revenge 12 years earlier. Yet, here was a film that very much knows what it is and wears it's B-Movie roots proudly, while coyly hiding some rather memorable surprises among it's bloody shark mayhem. 

Dr. Susan McAlester (played by Saffron Burrows) has been working on cutting edge experiments to try and find a cure for Alzheimer's Disease in a very unlikely place: the brain fluid of Mako sharks. When one of her sharks gets loose from her isolated lab in the middle of the ocean and attacks a nearby sailboat, corporate investor Russell Franklin (played by Samuel L. Jackson) flies out to personally observe the facility and process to determine whether or not to continue with the project. The lab is running on a Skeleton crew for the weekend and aside from Susan we also have Shark wrangler Carter Blake (played by Thomas Jane), fellow scientists Janice Higgins (played by Jacqueline McKenzie) and Jim Whitlock (played by Stellan Skarsgard, technician Tom Scoggins (played by Michael Rappaport) and resident cook known as Preacher (played by LL Cool J). There are three Mako sharks at the facility and Russell is impressed and terrified at the large beasts. When a demonstration of the extraction of the brain fluid goes terribly wrong, Susan begrudingly admits she took a shortcut in her research to genetically engineer the sharks to be larger than usual, especially their brains, and as a side effect the sharks got smarter. Through some rather ingenious means, the sharks manage to start a chain of events that leads to the largely underwater facility to begin to flood, with the sharks infiltrating the facility and hunting down our intrepid human characters, who are desperately trying to escape the sinking and crumbling facility.

Renny Harlin directed the film from a script by Duncan Kennedy, Wayne Powers and Donna Powers. Harlin approached the film knowing that his audience was going to be very familiar with Jaws and realized there was no point trying to hold back showing the sharks and instead resolved to show them as much as possible. It helps that in the intervening 24 years, the effects had decidedly improved in terms of the animatronics for the three sharks. All three sharks are very convincing and work well in the film as they create convincing and unique thrills as they work their way through the flooded facility. He also employs CGI for them as well, with more mixed results (but given the B-movie roots of the film, I didn't mind). From a narrative standpoint, they also manage to create a few genuine shocks as they play with audience expectations, especially in terms of who will survive. I won't say more than that because even 20 years later this film contains one of the more legendary shock movie deaths this side of Psycho. The film has a few amusing nods to the Jaws films as well, starting with one of he sharks found chewing on a license plate...the same license plate Richard Dreyfuss pulls out of the Tiger Shark's stomach in Jaws. The whole film is then capped off with a genuinely great Trevor Rabin score that keeps the film moving at a breakneck pace as it moves from one crazy and intense moment to another.  

The film assembled quite a good cast for the film led by Samuel L. Jackson. This film is a bit of a departure for him playing a business executive Russell Franklin, although hints of a past tragedy with his character shows he may have some experience in survival situations. Still, Jackson does a great job in the role as the outsider of the group and actually shows some vulnerability as well at times. Thomas Jane really nails the big damn hero with a dark past role as Carter Blake, who got the job at the research station after being paroled from prison. Saffron Burrows really digs into her role as Dr. Susan McAlester and really shows her character's fierce determination with her research. It's only when disaster strikes and people start to die that she begins to see the horrible consequences of the short cuts she took in her research. I also have to call out LL Cool J who plays the facility's scripture quoting badass chef Preacher. He functions a bit as the comic relief but at the same time is such a cool character and LL Cool J makes the most of every scene he's in.

Deep Blue Sea is a movie that knows exactly what it is, a big goofy monster movie that has the primary function of being a big rollercoaster ride and the movie succeeds supremely at that. Does the plot stand up to a lot a scrutiny? No, of course not. But it knows how to play with audience expectations and has some damn good twists and turns to it along the way. It's also a lot of fun and when it comes to a monster movie you can't ask for much more than that.