DISCLAIMER: If the title of this article didn't make clear enough, I'll be discussing a red-band trailer. Those have more swearing and violence than usual. So, don't say I didn't warn you, if you're not into that sort of thing.
After a couple disappointing teasers and a surprising amount of apathy from the online film press, we have our first real trailer for Shane Black's The Predator. Take a look for yourself, will you?
Like I just said a moment ago, the past two trailers weren't exactly what you would call satisfying; but, I've been optimistic about the film regardless and it looks like this trailer justifies said optimism. We get a far more clear sense of the plot (the suburban setting appears to be nice change of pace), some classic Shane Black dialogue (Keegan Michael Key's "videogame" one-liner killed me) and we get a couple good gory action bits. If nothing else, it's nice to see among all the glut of superhero flicks and other blockbusters clogging up the multiplexes as of late, we're still able to have a strange B-grade genre flick from one of our best mainstream talents slip through the cracks.
Also included in this bit of news: a pretty cool looking poster* depicting the severed head of a normal Predator being held by the bigger one we got a glimpse of near the end. A rather ominous (but also really cool) image to go off of. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll be patiently counting down the days until September 14th comes around to hopefully blow our minds with this picture.
*Seriously, now, THAT is how you do a poster, baby!
Yeah, yeah. I haven't put out a lot of content over the past couple months. I'll be getting reviews of Incredibles 2 and Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom out to you fine ladies and gentlemen when I can. For now, please enjoy some coverage of other films new and old.
OCEAN'S 8
While it doesn’t reach the heights of Steven Soderbergh’s iconic trilogy, Ocean’s 8 is a fun summertime distraction with a likable cast and enough energy to keep things humming along smoothly. The editing’s slick (if a tad distracting at times), it runs at a good clip, the soundtrack is surprisingly excellent and everyone involved seems to be having a blast with the material. By no means is it a classic; but, you could do a lot worse than this.
[RATING: 3.5 Fake Jewels out of 5]
HAPPY DEATH DAY
Unlikable protagonist and glacially paced first act aside, there’s some creative flourishes to what could have been just another run-of-the-mill slasher flick. It’s got some fun editing, memorable kills, some good tongue-in-cheek humor, a decent score and a great premise; but, it’s also got those flaws I mentioned earlier coupled with annoying jump scares, a moronic twist in the third act and a desperate need to be a lot scuzzier than it actually is (seriously, an R rating would make this a lot more fun). Still, what we have here is certainly watchable and it’s upcoming sequel has plenty of potential to be better.
[RATING: 3 Poisoned Cupcakes out of 5]
A FUTILE AND STUPID GESTURE
I’m far from the first person to point this out; but, for a biopic about one of the most unique comedic institutions of the twentieth century, this is a pretty conventional flick. That being said, it’s still a pretty well-done picture with enough good jokes and decent acting to get it by on charm. If nothing else, it’s one of the better Netflix productions. Here’s hoping this is a sign of progress towards more consistently good releases.
[RATING: 3.5 Fourth Wall Breaks out of 5]
PHANTASM
Genre legend Don Coscerali’s debut initially feels like something of a Ray Bradbury-riff (weird comparison I know, but this did remind me a bit of Something Wicked This Way Comes) for adults and eventually morphs into something far stranger, darker and more interesting. It builds a rich sense of atmosphere that it sustains throughout the entire running time, thanks to some great directing and music. A total dream all in all.
[RATING: 4.5 Chrome Balls of Death out of 5]
HOW TO TALK TO GIRLS AT PARTIES
Valley Girl if it was directed by Alex Cox. A choppy and inconsistent but incredibly sweet and charming (occasionally kaleidoscopic) romance between two young misfits. Incredibly strange and refusing to conform in any conceivable way, it’s a sight to behold for those with the acquired taste for it. It’s a movie so strange yet so laidback and charming that you can’t tell what’s stranger. The alien society that Elle Fanning’s character comes from? Or Nicole Kidman’s perplexing Labyrinth-era David Bowie impression (speaking of sights to behold)? Did I mention that the soundtrack totally owns? Because it owns and owns hard.
Drew Goddard is a name that should be on everyone's radar at this point. From writing things such as The Martian and directing Cabin In The Woods, he's established himself as a remarkably strong talent with only a relatively short list of credits and that's also including his work for television. That being the case, let's check out the trailer for his latest effort behind the camera, shall we?
First things first, what is going on with Chris Hemsworth here? We need GIFs of him dancing as soon as possible. So many other cryptic and twisted visuals to dissect. In all honestly, this reminds me of 10 Cloverfield Lane in that I wish more trailers nowadays were as enticing and mysterious as those two. Not only that, but it's an original film whose trailer entices you by just throwing enough puzzle pieces at you to make you go mad and say "What's gonna happen? I have to see this movie." Now then, I've been hyped for this ever since the title was revealed a while ago. The only official synopsis for this picture that I could find reads as follows:
"Seven strangers, each with a secret to bury, meet at a run-down hotel in Lake Tahoe in 1960s California. Over the course of a fateful night, they all get one last shot at redemption before everything goes wrong."
With a plot and cast like this, we're in for something pretty bloody special with this picture. Will this be as Goddard's previous work? Only time will tell. For now, I'll say that if this is even half as good as Cabin in the Woods, we're all down for a twisted good time. Bad Times At The El Royale hits theaters on October 5th. For now, get hyped!
After much speculation and hype, David Gordon Green's upcoming Halloween sequel (simply titled Halloween, for some confusing reason neither you nor I will probably ever know) has gotten it's first trailer. Take a look for yourself!
After scrolling through social media this morning, it seems like the general consensus for this is pretty positive with a steady amount of hype coming in from horror fans and critics who grew up as horror fans. As for my take on this teaser, I'm pretty mixed on it. On one hand, this just looks like it's going through the motions as some of the other sequels from a narrative standpoint and very little here that seems to provoke any extreme reactions, positive or negative. The difference in visual quality between the nighttime and daytime footage is literally night & day in this case. With a couple exceptions, almost every shot in daylight is stale and kind of cheap looking. Compare that to the stuff taking place at night, that's about as interesting and colorful as this sort of film could hope to look. On the other hand, there's plenty of positives to keep me intrigued. Jamie Lee Curtis looks ready for action, Nick Castle (the original guy who played Michael Myers so well back in '78) seems to slip right back into character, the kills are very promising (that gag with the bloody teeth made me shiver). Plus, it seems like everyone involved is putting their heart into making a film that's genuinely scary instead of being a bog standard slasher flick. Plus, a new score from John Carpenter is most definitely a tantalizing prospect. Overall, I'd say I'm cautiously optimistic for The Shape's return to silver screen come October 19th.
One of the smartest and most handsomely produced B-movies I’ve seen in quite some time. Logan Marshall-Green gives a good performance with some interesting physical ticks to give off his newly transformed vibe, the gore is top-notch nastiness, it shows really creativity with the action (the camera movements and depth of field experimentation really stand out), it’s got a sharp script and the music compliments it all quite well; but, wow, does it end on one shockingly dark high note. Imagine if you crossed 6 Million Dollar Man, RoboCop, Death Wish, and a little bit of Black Mirror together, you’d get this awesome ride of a film. If this playing near you, absolutely check it out!
[RATING: 4.5 Bionically Enhanced Quadriplegics out of 5]
THE GREATEST SHOWMAN
Modern day Broadway lyricism synched up to classical Hollywood production values. In theory, I should love this movie. Hugh Jackman makes it all sing, some of the songs are nice, and it all looks & sounds incredibly lavish; yet, all that clashes with hokey dialogue, predictable story turns, shockingly bad lip-syncing and the elephant-in-the-room that is lionizing a man who was in reality little more than an exploitative con artist. Divorced from historical context, this is perfectly fine (albeit still questionable nonetheless) I suppose; but, I still can’t help but feel like I was right on the money when I said this picture is like the kid in class who you know is giving it all he’s got even if the best he can end up with is a C-.
[RATING: 2.5 Ham-Fisted Morals out of 5]
BLACK DYNAMITE
Without a doubt, this is the only good parody movie to be released since Mel Brooks made Robin Hood: Men in Tights in the early-90s. Adam from YMS once said anyone who doesn’t like this picture has no soul and he’s correct in that assertion. It’s consistently entertaining, lovingly satirical of the blaxploitation genre (come to think of it, this may be a better grindhouse pastiche than Grindhouse considering how much the film is committed to its vintage aesthetic) and never overstays it’s welcome. No wonder this spawned an Adult Swim cartoon.
[RATING: 4.5 Film Grain Filters out of 5]
TERMINAL
Yeah well, I’m just going to put this alongside Mute in the list of “Neon Noirs That I’m I Like But Everyone Else Hates”. Is it an amiable mess that values style over substance? Sure, but that doesn’t make it any less entertaining. Plus, if your movie looks this spectacular, I don’t see the point in complaining when just kicking back and letting it all wash over you is a much more desirable option.
[RATING: 3 Gleefully Insane Margot Robbies out of 5]
SCOUT'S GUIDE TO THE ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE
Ceaselessly juvenile and braindead jokes aside, this is still a decently entertaining horror comedy that has no pretenses of seeming smarter than it actually is (provided you can stomach the whole dudebro vibes). Tye Sheridan is a nice lead as well as a good counterbalance to his bumbling friends, the gore is fun and it occasionally gets a few modest chuckles. Also, as an Eagle Scout myself, it’s nice to see Scouts portrayed as something other than your usual wonderbread, alarmingly chipper goodie-two-shoes schtick. If nothing else, that poster is awesome and has more thought put into it than this sort of nonsense deserves. I just wish it made me laugh a bit more. Had this undergone a few more rewrites, this could’ve been something far more special.
[RATING: 3 Battle Prepping Montages out of 5]
Going into Solo with an aura of skepticism isn't entirely unsurprising, considering its troubled production history and the common symptoms that plague prequels of any and all stripes. Honestly, I went into this expecting something like Ant-Man where the movie itself escapes all the production controversy relatively unscathed and comes out as a relatively solid flick. What I didn't expect was for this to be my favorite thing to hit the multiplexes with the Star Wars brand slapped on it since The Force Awakens back in 2015.
Going back to the Ant-Man comparison for a brief moment, this is another instance where many people would've loved to who have seen the original's directorial vision for this picture (myself included); however, I do find the fact that Disney/Lucasfilm made an inspired move by choosing journeyman filmmaker Ron Howard (mainly because he's probably the closest thing to what George Lucas might've been as an artist had he not decided to continue being active behind the camera, so to speak). It never overstays it's welcome, it keeps a brisk, steady pace and it knows when to balance out serious. All of the action sequences are gangbusters (the famous Kessel Run in particular is a rather tense smash-and-grab that perfectly justifies why someone like Han would become infamous). John Powell should also get credit for his excellent score. Granted, it does use the standard John Williams themes that everyone and their mothers know by heart; but, it doesn't rely on them and has plenty of unique energy in it's own right. Appropriately for the character and story, it's as rousing and swashbuckling as the film itself in many respects.
Of course, note should be made of the cast. Alden Ehrenreich turned out to be quite a charming choice as the young Han Solo, never trying too hard by trying to copy Harrison Ford's iconic work and carving out his own niche while also embodying the character's sarcastic confidence that made him such an icon to begin with. Emilia Clarke is charming as one of Han's old flames. Woody Harrelson has brings some more nuance than one would expect as Han's mentor. Even Paul Bettany's antagonist gets a moment or two to shine. Anyone hyped for Donald Glover's portrayal of a young Lando Calrissian is going to walk away a bit underwhelmed. His role here is basically a glorified cameo. Still, Glover is a ton of fun in the few scenes he does get (the scenes where he and Han play poker in particular are an absolute hoot).
If there's one thing I can this has in its favor over something like Rogue One (above everything else that makes this better than that pile of aggressive mediocrity), its that its clear this GETS Star Wars far better than . Some will accuse this of feeling like über expensive fan fiction like Rogue One; but, this doesn't feel as cynical or boring as that film did. If that film made the same mistake as the fandom's more pathetic members in grotesquely inflating the franchise into something grander than it actually is, this new one is perfectly in tune with why audiences fell in love with the galaxy far, far away in the first place: they're just fun space adventures with likable characters and a hearty sense of gusto. Plus, it doesn't try answer many of the sacred mysteries about this universe that are best left unanswered. Is it better than The Last Jedi? Probably not because TLJ takes some more risks and tries to be something more than fun popcorn entertainment. Then again, I'd be being disingenuous if I didn't say I had an absolute blast with this.
SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY gets a... EXPERTLY DONE KESSEL RUN out of TEN
Well then, this review turned out to be harder to write than I initially anticipate. Not in the way that something Blade Runner 2049 where I'm in such awe of the spectacle I just witnessed that I can't properly convey how I felt about the film; but rather because I'm somewhat baffled by what I just sat through last night. Make no mistake, Deadpool 2 is a pretty solid comic book flick and does many things a lot better than the original. Yet, despite all of that, I still left the theater in a strange mood where I'm not disappointed while also feeling like there could've been more here.
Now then, let's focus on the positives because there is certainly a lot to like here. First off, David Leitch is definitely a better director than Tim Miller was (seeing how this film has better action and is far more visually dynamic). Ryan Reynolds still gives his maximum effort and shows really no one else could've done Deadpool as a character better than himself. Josh Brolin is even better here as Cable than he was as Thanos in Infinity War. The good cop/bad cop relationship he has with the titular Merc with a Mouth near the end is a nice touch that brought to mind the likes of Lethal Weapon and especially 48 HRs. Zazie Beets was a welcome surprise as Domino. She's cool, capable and even gets a few good one-liners in between all the chaos Even if the jokes here a lot more hit-and-miss than the first one, there are still a few that make the whole enterprise worth the price of admission. The soundtrack here is pretty killer. Even all the stuff with the X-Force business takes a few unexpected turns that I won't dare to spoil here. There are a couple gags that have been recycled from the first one; but, they're kept to a minimum and the ones they do bring back mostly land on their feet (one in particular outdid the original to where everyone at my screening was in stitches for a solid five minutes).
As for the negatives, there aren't enough to bring the party down so to speak; but, they are still worth talking about. Without a doubt, I can say the film's only major problem is inconsistency. Some jokes feel out of place, the tone is all over the map in any given scene, and it does feel a bit like a thrown together mashup of comic book goofiness. While I do admire the filmmaker's attempts at making Deadpool more of a flesh-and-blood character instead of a one-note joke, I'd be lying if I said they were entirely successful. Still, enough of that stuff works to where you feel like you're getting more out of this than some fun wordplay and gunplay.
Deadpool 2 may be kind of clunky at times and doesn't quite achieve some of its loftier ambitions. Nevertheless, none of its shortcomings keep it from being one of the more subversive and wildly entertaining films in the superhero genre. If the superhero gravy train keeps on going from here on out, here's hoping we keep getting more like this to spice things up a little. Plus, any movie that opens on a snarky dude in red tights murders criminals with a chainsaw while Dolly Parton plays in the background is going to be worth seeing one way or another.
DEADPOOL 2 gets an... STRANGELY EMOTIONAL A-HA REMIX out of TEN
PS. In case you don't know this for some bizarre reason, stay through the credits. I know it's become habitual for audiences to stay through the credits of superhero movies; but, seriously, they pulled out all the stops this time and delivered what might be an all-timer. Don't let anyone ruin it for you.
