Halloween (2018)

Halloween is the latest sequel to 1978's Halloween, but not a sequel to 2007's Halloween. Jamie Lee Curtis is back as Laurie Strode in a film that basically ignores every other sequel in the franchise's long history. To be honest, as far as follow-ups to the original Halloween go, this is one of the better ones.

The movie catches up with Laurie 40 years after that fateful Halloween night in the original film. That traumatic event left her as something of a paranoid recluse; she lives way out in the woods, has a strained relationship with her daughter, she converted her basement into a panic room, and she spends her free time preparing for the day when she'll get the opportunity to kill Michael Myers. As it turns out she's about to get her chance. Michael is set to be transferred from his current rehabilitation facility to a new location, but he escapes en route and just starts killing again.

Overall, I think fans of the Halloween franchise are going to enjoy this one. It's back to basics; there is no ancient Druid curse and no sign of Busta Ryhmes, just a guy in a mask killing people in a small town on October 31st. John Carpenter isn't back in the Director's chair for this film but he did return to do the musical score, and it's one of the true highlights of the film. I don't think this one is going to become one of those staple films that I pop in every October, but it's an entertaining slasher flick and I had fun with it. 
3.5 out of 5

High Anxiety

Though not as well known as Blazing Saddles, Young Frankenstein, or Spaceballs, 1977's High Anxiety is actually one of my favorite Mel Brooks films. The movie stars Brooks movie regulars Madeline Khan, Harvey Korman, and Cloris Leachman, as well as Mel Brooks himself. It is a parody of suspense films, particularly those of Alfred Hitchcock and most notably the 1958 classic Vertigo.

(watching these two back-to-back works as a solid double-feature)

In the film Mel Brooks plays Dr. Richard Thorndyke, a psychiatrist that suffers from a condition known as 'High Anxiety' and who has just accepted a job as the new Director at the 'Psycho-Neurotic Institute for the Very, Very Nervous'. The previous Director, Dr. Ashley had recently died, and there are some suspicious goings on at the institute. For example; there is one patient whose family is paying $12,000 a month for his recovery, and yet his file shows that each time he shows signs of getting better he conveniently suffers another psychotic breakdown. Once Thorndyke starts to suspect that Nurse Diesel (played by Cloris Leachman) and Dr. Montague (played by Harvey Korman) are exaggerating the illnesses of wealthy patients to keep them institutionalized longer, the two hatch a scheme to frame him for murder. 

There are a ton of great gags and memorable scenes in this film. All of the actors are on top of their game and each one gets some great lines. Mel Brooks and Alfred Hitchcock are two of my all-time favorite filmmakers so this is a movie that hits the mark for me and it's one I come back to time and time again.

Overall, while I don't think anyone will consider this one Mel Brooks' best, I definitely recommend it.

5 out of 5

The Addams Family

Released in 1991, The Addams Family received mixed reviews from critics but it did very well at the box-office. The film of course is based on the 1960's TV show of the same name, which it itself was based on a cartoon in The New Yorker. The plot here is pretty thin; The Addams family has a lot of money stashed away. The family's lawyer happens to owe a bit of money to a loan-shark, and notices that her son bears a striking resemblance to Gomez Addams' long lost brother Fester. So the lawyer and the loan-shark hatch a plan to pass this man off as Fester and have him steal the money. In the end two con artist get their comeuppance when it turns out that the imposter really is Fester and he just had amnesia for the last 25 years.

Despite the less than complex plot, I think the film works because it features such a watchable cast. Raul Julia as Gomez Addams and Anjelica Huston as Morticia Addams are both terrific, and I'll watch Christopher Lloyd in just about anything. That being said, the real standout, scene-stealer in the film is Wednesday Addams played by Christina Ricci. She has some of the funniest lines and it's obvious why she was given a bigger role in the sequel (1993's Addams Family Values). 

Overall, you get what you'd expect from The Addams Family; a fun comedy about a spooky family living in an ordinary world. It's a solid movie worth going back to from time to time, particularly around Halloween.

3 out of 5

Western Wednesday: The Star Packer

The Star Packer is a 1934 John Wayne film, and was one of NINE films to star 'The Duke' that year (the others being The Lucky Texan, Blue Steel, 'Neath the Arizona Skies, The Lawless Frontier, The Trail Beyond, Randy Rides Alone, West of the Divide, and The Man From Utah). 

In the film Wayne's character, John Travers, becomes sheriff of a small town after the previous sheriff is shot and killed. This town and folks occupying the surrounding outskirts are, as usual, being hassled by some outlaws. What's interesting is that this particular group of outlaws is being given orders by a mysterious man known only as "The Shadow". So it's up to Travers, and his faithful native-american sidekick Yak, to set up a trap and capture "The Shadow" and his gang, thus saving the town.

This is a relatively short film with a runtime of only about an hour and it's pretty easy to find if you want to check it out. You'll frequently see it bundled in John Wayne DVD compilation packs and it's free on Amazon Prime Video. That being said, it definitely isn't one of Wayne's better films, and not a "must-see" unless you're a big John Wayne fan determined to go through his whole filmography.

1.5 out of 5

The Wolf Man

"Even a man who is pure in heart, and says his prayers by night, may become a wolf when the wolfbane blooms and the autumn moon is bright."

I love all the classic Universal monster movies but The Wolf Man from 1941 is probably my favorite (with 1931's Frankenstein being a close second). It's a movie I've referenced in numerous blog post, including '10 Movies to Watch in October' but interestingly enough I've never written anything in-depth about it.

 The film stars Lon Chaney Jr. as Larry Talbot, a man who returns to his family's estate after learning that his brother has passed away. While back in town Larry becomes interested in a woman named Gwen (played by Evelyn Ankers), who runs an antique shop. One afternoon while visiting her shop, he purchases a walking stick decorated with a silver wolf on the top. Later that night, Larry attempts to rescue Gwen's friend Jenny from what he believes to be an ordinary wolf. He kills the wolf with his new walking stick, but Larry was bitten during the encounter. Soon After, a gypsy tells Larry that the wolf that bit him was actually her son Bela (played by Bela Lugosi) in the form of a wolf. She also tells Larry that since he was bitten by a werewolf and lived, he will turn into one himself. From there Larry struggles to control his condition, occasionally turning into the Wolf Man and lurking in the foggy woods outside the village. In the end he's killed by his own father, with the silver-topped walking stick. 

While so many modern horror films rely on jump-scares and gore, The Wolf Man is engaging because it's a well made film with a good story, and an atmospheric score. Lon Chaney Jr. is great in the movie and every time I watch it I feel bad for Larry Talbot. He was just trying to do the right thing, he didn't ask to become a werewolf and he never turns into a stereotypical evil monster. He's just a regular guy with an unfortunate curse he can't control. 

Overall, it's a pretty short movie, with a runtime of only about an hour and ten minutes, but that doesn't make the story feel any less developed. Film critic Leonard Maltin once called it "One of the finest horror films ever made", and I couldn't agree more. I definitely recommend this film to any one interested in going back to check out some classic horror flicks, and it's a perfect film to pop in if you're looking to for a movie to get yourself into the Halloween spirit. 

5 out of 5

The Conspirator

The Conspirator is a 2010, American Civil War era, courtroom drama Directed by Robert Redford. It follows the trial of Mary Surratt, a widow who owned a boarding house and was accused of being connected to the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln. There's a lot to like about this movie but it isn't without some notable faults. Now, as always, I'm taking the movie at face value and ignoring any historical inaccuracies because;

 A) This is a movie review.

-and-

B) I don't like doing research.

Where it works: 

I think it's a well made,and mostly well acted film. Even though I'm not a big James McAvoy fan, I though he was solid in this film. Also, this isn't one of those historical stories that's been done a million times. Sure, the death of Lincoln has been done a lot but not so much the trials afterwards (at least not that I've seen) so I was intrigued throughout.

Where it doesn't:

Despite having a solid starring cast and Redford directing, the film did give me a bit of a TV-movie vibe. It's paced a little oddly; slow and methodical overall, but yet breezing though some of the story's more interesting details. Also, even though he's not in it much, whenever Justin Long would enter a scene it would completely take me out of the movie. I just think that was a bad casting choice.

Overall, The Conspirator isn't the best or most tense of courtroom dramas and it isn't a film that I see myself re-watching over and over again, but I still found it entertaining enough. I wouldn't recommend this movie to everyone, but it's worth a watch for any history buffs out there.

2.5 out of 5

Western Wednesday: The Magnificent Seven

"...the graveyards are full of boys who were very young and very proud." 

1960's The Magnificent Seven is one of the all-time great Westerns. In my opinion, it's up in that top-tier alongside classics like True Grit (the 1969 one), The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Once Upon a Time in the West, and The Searchers just to name a few. Yes, the movie is essentially a remake of Akira Kurosawa's 1954 film Seven Samurai, just set in the old west, but it still feels like it's own thing.

 The plot involves a small Mexican village that is occasionally raided by bandits. Since the village is primarily populated by farmers, three of the men decide to set out to purchase some guns to protect themselves against the bandits. It isn't long before they come across a gunslinger named Chris (played by Yul Brynner), who convinces them that hiring experienced gunfighters would be cheaper then buying guns. They agree, and Chris recruits five other guys; Vin (played by Steve McQueen), Bernardo (played by Charles Bronson), Harry (played by Brad Dexter), Britt (played by James Coburn), and Lee (played by Robert Vaughn). Shortly after they head off toward the Mexican village, a headstrong, young gunslinger named Chico (played by Horst Buchholz) convinces Chris to let him tag along, bringing the group to seven. All goes pretty well initially, with the group working with the farmers to build some fortifications for the village and training some of them to shoot. A few days later when the bandits return, the seven and the villagers hold their ground fairly well and the town celebrates, believing it's all over and they won. Of course it's not that easy and I won't jot down any more of the plot here in case you've never seen the film.

Overall, this is one I highly recommend. I think it's perfectly cast, incredibly entertaining and rewatchable, and it has one of the best musical scores of any Western. The themes from The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly and A Fistful of Dollars are probably two of the only pieces of music in a Western as iconic as the main title theme of this film.

If you've never seen it, go watch it. 

5 out of 5

Have a suggestion for a 'Western Wednesday' review?

Leave a comment below.

Take Me Home Tonight

Take Me Home Tonight, which is not an Eddie Money biopic but rather a comedy set in the late 1980's, was released back in 2011. The film stars Topher Grace, who you may remember from either That '70s Show or Spider-Man 3 aka 'that terrible one with Topher Grace'. The film has a mixed-bag of a cast with Anna Faris, Dan Fogler, Teresa Palmer, and Chris Pratt staring alongside Grace.

The movie is about a guy named Matt (played by Topher Grace) who is at a bit of a crossroads in his life. He has a degree from MIT, but he currently works at a video store in the mall because he doesn't know what he wants to do with his life. On top of that, one day his high school crush named Tori (played by Teresa Palmer) walks into the video store. After lying to her about working at Goldman Sachs, Matt sees an opportunity to finally try and impress Tori at a party later that night. From there the bulk of the film is a bunch of shenanigans set to 80s music. Matt's friend Barry steals a car and does some cocaine, there's a dance-off, Matt and Tori ditch her boss' cocktail party to go have sex on a trampoline, and Matt rolls down a hill in a big steel ball ending up in a swimming pool.

If you ever thought to yourself 'I would really like to watch less funny version of an American Pie film, made in the this decade except set in the 1980's', then this one is right up your alley. It's not a bad movie, but it could've used a bit more comedy to punch-up what is largely an unoriginal script.

It's watchable, but not memorable.

2 out of 5

Jack and the Beanstalk

Unlike Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948), Africa Screams (1949), or one of my personal favorites Buck Privates (1941), 1952's Jack and the Beanstalk is not one of the better Abbott and Costello movies. Sure, there are a few good jokes and fun bits, but they're few and far between.

The film is bookended by opening and closing sepia tone scenes, with the majority of the film being in color similar to The Wizard of Oz. In the movie, Jack (played by Costello) takes a job babysitting, but falls asleep while one of the kids he's babysitting reads the classic fairy tale. From there the bulk of the film is pretty much what you'd expect; a comedic retelling of 'Jack and the Beanstalk'. While there are entertaining moments, the film overall feels uninspired. Bud Abbott and Lou Costello became a legendary comedy team because of how funny they were working off of each other, but in this movie Abbott's role feels unnecessary and there are very few fun interactions between the two. Additionally, there are a couple of musical numbers thrown in, but most of them aren't great and don't enhance the film much. 

Overall, it's a harmless hour and fifteen minute watch if you're curious but, I don't recommend the movie unless you're a huge Abbott and Costello fan.

1.5 out of 5.

Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween (2018)

So this afternoon I went to see Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween which is, obviously, the follow-up to 2015's Goosebumps. The first half I was a bit bored, but I found the second half to be entertaining enough and I even got a few laughs out of it. 

The story is pretty standard stuff for a kid-friendly Halloween flick: There is a supernatural ventriloquist dummy who wants to bring all the Halloween decorations to life for reasons that aren't really explained. The only way to stop him is by using a magic R.L. Stine book to trap all of the spooky monsters. All the kids are pretty stock characters: There's a fat kid, a black kid, a bully, and a girl... It's one scrawny kid with glasses away from the full Screenwriting 101 set. 

Is this one destined to become one of those films that is a staple of the Halloween season for years to come? I don't think so, but if you have young kids it's worth taking them to see. 
I give this one a 2 out of 5.

Medicine Man

Following the success of Predator, Die Hard, and The Hunt for Red October, 1992's Medicine Man was a bit of an odd choice for Director John McTiernan. It didn't do well with critics and it barely broke even at the box office. I personally have gone back and forth on this one over the years. It's far from a perfect movie, but there are enough things I like about it that I have rewatched it multiple times.

First off, I think the core premise is compelling: A scientist living in the rain forest discovers a cure cancer, but for some reason he can't seem to replicant the serum. Additionally, I think Sean Connery is good in the movie, and the musical score by Jerry Goldsmith is solid.
On the opposite end of things, I think Lorraine Bracco was a bad casting choice, it's not particularly well-written, and it feels about 15-20 minutes too long. 
With some minor changes this could've been a really good movie but, as is, it's just ok. 

If you're a big Connery fan like myself, then you'll probably be entertained. Otherwise... well, it's a 26 year old movie that most people have either never seen or forgotten about, so you can probably skip it.
I give it a 2.5 out of 5


For some movies that you shouldn't skip, check out '10 Sean Connery Movies Everyone Should See' 

Chappaquiddick

Chappaquiddick is a film about an infamous, real life incident involving former Massachusetts Senator Ted Kennedy in July of 1969. The film starts off a day or so before the incident, we see Ted Kennedy (played by Jason Clarke) giving a TV interview, and then competing in a sail boat race. After the race Ted goes to a party with some friends and campaign staffers. He leaves the party with a woman named Mary Jo Kopechne (played by Kate Mara), and heads toward the beach. Unfortunately, Ted drives his car off a bridge and into the water, he escapes the vehicle but Mary Jo is not so lucky. From there the rest of the film is pretty much just following the damage control efforts being done by Ted and staff at the Kennedy compound to preserve Ted's public perception. 

Overall, it's not a bad movie but it isn't particularly memorable either. If that event and the days following is a subject that interests you then it's worth watching. I personally found the film to be a little dull. It leaves questions unanswered and ignores famous theories about the crash not being an accident. Maybe this particular film wasn't seen as a good fit to address those rumors, but it would've made the movie more interesting. 

It's an ok flick but I wouldn't recommend it.

2 out of 5

A Quick Review of Venom

Oh boy, this one is a train wreck.

The best way I can think to describes Venom is as a dated piece of 90's comic-adaptation trash that somehow found itself being released in 2018. It's a poorly constructed film overall, with dodgy CGI, inconsistent acting, some terrible (though sometimes unintentionally funny) dialogue, haphazard editing, and a musical score that is comically over-dramatic at times. No, the villain's plan doesn't make a whole lot of sense, there's a chase scene that goes on for a bit too long, and the final fight does devolve into a nearly unintelligible CGI mess. However, if you can look past all of that -and- a pretty boring first 30 minutes, then the remaining runtime of the film is so aggressively dumb that it actually manages to be sort of entertaining... and the AMC I went to was giving out a free movie tie-in comic, so that's something.

Despite a small moment here and there that I found enjoyable, I honestly can't think of anyone I would recommend this one to.

1 out of 5

10 Sylvester Stallone Movies Everyone Should See

With another film featuring Sylvester Stallone (Creed II) due out later this fall, it seemed like a good time to add a new entry to my ongoing '10 Movies Everyone Should See' series. I have previously written similar posts about Tom Cruise, Sean Connery, Tom Hanks, Alfred Hitchcock, and others. If you're not familiar with how I make these lists, they aren't necessarily a 'Best Of' or 'Top 10', It's merely 10 films that I feel are a good representation of someone's overall career.

(and if you're interested in checking out the other entries in the series, you can by clicking HERE)
  

10. Tango & Cash (1989)

This isn't a great film. However, if you're in the mood for a buddy-cop style action flick and you like Stallone and Kurt Russell then it's worth a watch.

9. Cliffhanger (1993)

It's a pretty average action plot, except it's set in mountains which apparently was interesting enough for audiences as this one was a decent financial success for Stallone.

8. Antz (1998)

A bit of a change of pace for the action star, Stallone lent his voice to this computer-animated comedy, and I thought he did a pretty good job.

7. Creed (2015)

In the original Rocky film the late, great Burgess Meredith played Rocky's manager Mickey. In this film it's Stallone that's taking on the old, ex-boxer, mentor role to up-and-comer Adonis Creed (played by Michael B. Jordan). Honestly, it's one of Sly's best performances to date.

6. The Expendables (2010)

'The Expendables' movies are not good, but this is worth watching for the novelty of having so many past-their-prime action stars in one movie.

5. Lock Up (1989)

Stallone starred in two duds in '89, one was Tango & Cash and the other was Lock Up. Much like Tango & Cash, if you go into this one with lowered expectations then you might have fun with it.

4. Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985)

First Blood is a legitimately good film, but the sequel Rambo: First Blood Part II is what most people think of why you say "Rambo". This is a big, explosion-filled, bullet-riddled, high body count, action flick. It's pretty awesome.

3. Cop Land (1997)

Just look at the poster: Sylvester Stallone, Harvey Keitel, Robert De Niro, and Ray Liotta... There was no way I could leave this one off the list.

2.Over the Top (1987)

There just aren't enough movies about a truck driver who is trying to reconnect with his son, while also traveling to Las Vegas to compete in an arm wrestling competition.

1. Rocky (1976)

It's the movie to which every underdog story will forever be compared to. Rocky isn't just a great sports film, but a great film in general and it even won the Academy Award for Best Picture.

Hocus Pocus

-As October continues, so do the Halloween-themed reviews.-

1993's Hocus Pocus is an interesting case of a subpar movie that didn't do that well initially upon it's release, going on to become something of a Halloween staple. 

The story about three witches (played by Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy) who return to modern day (1993) Salem in hopes of reclaiming their youth is an entertaining watch. The comedy is hit and miss, the acting is uneven, and it's one of those films that feels like it's struggling to keep the plot on track as characters keep having to remind each other of various supernatural rules and the abilities of the three witches. With that being said, it does have some genuinely funny moments. It is a family film, so there is never anything scary but it does have a lot of Halloween imagery with the witches, costumes, trick-or-treating, Halloween parties, cemetery scenes, etc. This makes the film good background noise for pumpkin carving or putting up Halloween decorations. 

Obviously not a recommend if you're looking for some scares, but if you have kids or just want to take a break from the blood-and-guts slasher flicks and enjoy something a bit lighter then this will do fine.

2.5 out of 5

Creature from the Black Lagoon

Released in 1954, Creature from the Black Lagoon came out at the tail end of horror's Golden Age which mostly takes place during the 1930's and 40's. This may be a contributing factor as to why the Creature or "Gill-man", while usually lumped in with the Universal Classic Monsters, is not more famous. Sure, the Gill-man's look is iconic but not more than the likes of Karloff's Frankenstein or Lugosi's Dracula.

The film starts of with a man named Dr. Carl Maia discovering a unique fossil of an unknown creatures hand. The discovery leads to couple of scientists setting off on an expedition to the Amazon in search of additional fossils. Soon after arriving at the camp, two of Dr. Maia's assistants are found dead. This, for me, highlights one of the films many strengths: The plot moves along at a brisk pace (the runtime is a little less than an hour and a half) and there's very little time wasted. The first creature attack occurs just after the 10 minute mark. Unable to find more fossils, they hypothesize that some of the rocks containing such fossils may have broken off and traveled downstream. Their boat Captain informs them that the nearby river leads to the 'Black Lagoon', and so the group heads in that direction. Shortly after arriving at the lagoon, the lone woman on this expedition, Kay (played by Julie Adams) decides to go for a swim and this leads to my personal favorite part of the film. The scene of Kay swimming along the water's surface with the creature swimming below is a beautiful little piece of filmmaking. After that, the group has a series of encounters with the Gill-man resulting in a few deaths and injuries, and of course ending with the creature being defeated. 

Overall, this is a very entertaining film. Sure, the musical score is a bit generic with overly dramatic cues every time the creature appears onscreen and the human characters aren't particularly memorable. However, though dated obviously, I think the creature still looks pretty cool, and the 'Black Lagoon' setting provides great atmosphere and tension. 
Not a perfect film, but a solid 4.5 out of 5 and one that I definitely recommend.

Ranking the 'Saw' Movies

I have a bit of a love-hate relationship with the horror genre. Psycho from 1960 is my favorite film of all-time and I love all of the old classics Dracula(1931), Frankenstein(1931), The Mummy (1932) The Wolf Man(1941), Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954), etc. However, I don't get into a lot of modern horror flicks and when I do it's usually some low-budget, direct to video, schlock I come across on Amazon Prime Video or Netflix that I can get a few laughs out of. That's what makes the Saw series unique for me. It's a modern horror franchise that, for the most part, I enjoy. I wouldn't call any of the films great, but most of them are good enough. So, here is how I rank the Saw films:


#8 Jigsaw (2017)

This one is pretty bad. I watched all of the films in the franchise in the theater and this is the only one that I seriously considered walking out on.

#7 Saw 3D (2010)
I like the 'Saw' films, but this is one of the weakest ones in the franchise. The Jigsaw traps aren't very clever and the plot feels lazy.

#6 Saw VI (2009)
This one isn't awful, it's just kind of forgettable.

#5 Saw V (2008)
This is entertaining enough to watch at least once. However, it is a weaker entry in the Saw series 

#4 Saw II (2005)
It's a pretty good follow-up to the original. Having 8 people involved in one Jigsaw game was an interesting idea, but it wasn't as unnerving as some of the individualized ones from other films in the series. 

#3 Saw III (2006)
This isn't my favorite but it's a solid entry in the series. It's an intense movie with an ending I really like, so I can excuse the overuse of flashbacks.

#2 Saw IV (2007)
I think this is one of the most entertaining in the series and I prefer it over Saw II or III.

#1 Saw (2004)
This is one of those movies that I've seen a number of times and my eyes are still glued to the screen every time I watch it. I enjoy the entire Saw series, but this first one is definitely my favorite. 

Bleed

It's October, so I figured I would start the month off with a horror movie.

Unfortunately, I decided to start with 2016's Bleed. This film is a mess. 

Sarah (played by Chelsey Crisp) and her husband Matt (played by Michael Steger) have decided to have some friends over to celebrate their new home and soon-to-be-born baby. Then Sarah's ghost hunting, deadbeat, brother Eric shows up with his girlfriend. Eric gets into a discussion about ghost hunting and suggests that everyone go check out an abandoned nearby prison, that is supposedly haunted. The setup isn't terrible and I thought there was some potential here, but the film falls apart once the gang heads to the old prison. 

Overall, this one was a bit of a letdown. I'd score this one a zero but, I did get a few chuckles from some unintentionally funny moments.

 1 out of 5. I'd recommend skipping this one.