My Review of Passages (2023)

 

Written by Mauricio Zacharias And Ira Sachs And Arlette Langmann

Directed by Ira Sachs

Tomas: "You know what I was doing last night?"

Martin: "No but whatever it was you sound very excited."

There are still a few films from last year I had not caught up and this one I had been meaning to watch for a while. I'll admit, it's got a premise I'm not particularly keen on but the execution was a bit better than I thought it would be.

In this movie, you've got German director Tomas Freiburg (Franz Rogowski) living in Paris, making movies and having a bit of a stagnating marriage to Martin (Ben Whishaw). Thomas's attempts to add some excitement to his own discontentment though would cause more harm than good.

A random encounter with a woman named Agathe (Adele Exarchopoulos) resulted in Tomas embarking on a relationship with her while also trying to maintain his marriage to Martin. For a moment, it seemed like Martin was willing to go along with the idea before he dumped Tomas.

Of course while Martin spent a lot of the movie bring angry at Tomas's growing relationship with Agathe, he didn't stay single for long. He hooked up with a hot writer named Amad (Erwan Kepoa Falé), much to the annoyance of his estranged husband. It's a relationship he was better suited to as well.

However with Tomas getting Agathe pregnant and being under the scrutiny of her parents, even Tomas realised he had it better with Martin. The reunion between the two only served as a reminder that they're a genuinely mismatched pair.

I think as a protagonist/main character, while Tomas is undeniably human and isn't being intentionally malicious, he does seem to want to have the best of both worlds. Ultimately he ended up with neither as both Martin and Agathe eventually rejected him, ending this movie on a bitter note.

- This movie got to Sundance after being rejected from both Cannes and the Venice Film festivals.

- Both Ira Sachs and Mubi rejected the NC-17 rating for the movie. There's a few sex scenes in this one.

- Standout music: Janet Penford's Won't You Buy My Sweet Blooming Lavender.

- Chronology: A contemporary setting in Paris. Tomas and Martin have been married for six years.

Despite my general dislike for a certain trope this movie was built on, I do have affection for Passages. It's well written, quite moody in parts and the performances from the three leads are good. The realistic ending very much worked in this movie's favour as well.

Rating: 8 out of 10 

My Review of Doctor Odyssey: "Quackers"

 

Written by Ryan Murphy And Jon Robin Baitz 

Directed by Maggie Kiley 

Avery: "I'm pregnant."

Heading into mid season finale domain and it was time for something a little bit dramatic but also a tad obvious. Yup, Avery's pregnant and doesn't know who the father is. 

At the start of the episode, we got her feeling nauseous over paints and then when her two highschool friends showed up on The Odyssey, Avery admitted that she wasn't sure whay she wanted to do.

Of course the more interesting part of this story was saved for the ending. The differences in reactions that both Max and Tristan had to the news was very much night and day. Max went into pure practical mode about Avery being able to balance both motherhood and her medical career. It was his way of being supportive.

Tristan on the other hand, I found his reaction more interesting. It seems that getting someone pregnant at sea isn't a new experience and was expecting Avery not to want to go through with the pregnancy. He sounded supported but weirdly resigned to something that he knew wasn't in his control. Avery on the other hand, she didn't seem to give any indicator as to what she planned to do herself.

As for the main plot of the week, well only on a Ryan Murphy show. It turned out that a bunch of eccentric people playing treasure hunt with a ridiculous amount of rubber duckies is actually a thing. The founder, Jill Manafort (Loretta Devine) had Lorena's backing and Robert's confusion for it.

However between Max's overall disdain for the premise (he's very environmentally conscious), the bigger issue came with Jill's husband Jerry eating inanimate objects (including a gold rubber ducky) that almost killed him. It does slightly ground an overall ridiculous but moderately amusing theme of the week.

- Tristan got to tell Vivian about his Venezuelan heritage during the contest while the two of them tried to define their relationship.

- It was nice to see Max getting some screentime with Rosie and Corey this week. Give them more to do in the second half of the season.

- The show will return in March with a mostly uninterrupted schedule.

- Chronology: The episode took place over the course of a week.

Quackers had more rubber duckies than anyone would ever need to see in their whole lives. It's a generally decent mid season finale but eight episodes in, the show still feels like its treading water at times. I'm hoping it gets better in its second half.

Rating: 6 out of 10 

My Review of The Northman (2022)

 

Written by Sjon And Robert Eggers

Directed by Robert Eggers 

Amleth: "I will avenge you, Father! I will save you, Mother! I will kill you, Fjölnir!"

Playing catch-up again, prior to the imminent release of Nosferatu, I found myself watching this bloody Viking led movie and its quite the bloody tale of vengeance.

Somewhat based on the legend of Amleth (Alexander Skarsgard/Oskar Novak), you've got his journey as a young man who delighted in seeing the return of his father, King Aurvandill War-Raven (Ethan Hawke) to the tragedy of his father's death. A death that was at the hands of his uncle Fjölnir the Brotherless (Claes Bang). 

Forced to stay away from his mother, Queen Gudrún (Nicole Kidman) and sold into slavery as a grown man, Amleth was determined to get his revenge and nothing was going to get in his way. In fact being sold to Fjölnir and looked over by the latter's son, Thorir the Proud (Gustav Lindh) turned out to be an advantage for Amleth.

It gave him time to form an alliance and relationship with sorceress Olga (Anya Taylor-Joy) while also undermining Fjölnir at every turn. What Amleth hadn't considered was his mother in all of this, much to a personal cost.

It turned out thst not only did Gudrún marry Fjölnir voluntarily but she also had a son with him and had been the one who conspired with Fjölnir to kill both Aurvandill and Amleth to begin with. It's a nasty blow for Amleth and o e that he reacted badly too as the battle between him and Fjölnir descended into Hel. 

The battle between the warring pair certainly lying brought this to a rather bloody conclusion. In the end, one boodline almost certainly died out while another continued through Olga. Amleth got his revenge but at the cost of his own life.

- Yes, the tale would largely inspired a certain piece from William Shakespeare many centuries later. It's the blueprint.

- There's something jarring in seeing Alexander Skarsgard and Nicole Kidman go from a married couple in Big Little Lies to a warring son and mother here. The inclusion of a certain scene also didn't help either.

- Bjork makes a rather creepy cameo as the Seer while other alumni from Eggers such as Willem Dafoe, Kate Dickie and Ralph Ineson also have roles in this movie.

- Chronology: The film started in AD 895 but moving a few years later for the adult Amleth.

The Northman doesn't make for the easiest of viewings but I have to admire Robert Eggers refusal to go all mainstream too. Unlike his previous movies, this felt like a blockbuster but also a bit too weird to be one as well. It's not my favourite of his so far but I definitely liked it.

Rating: 7 out of 10 

My Review of Hot Frosty (2024)

 

Written by Russell Hainline

Directed by Jerry Ciccoritti

Kathy: "I'm getting grief counselling from a snowman."

It's November so Netflix are a month behind on Hallmark's Christmas movie assault but that doesn't mean they can't generate the bigger headlines with some of their choices. Like this one for example.

If you were dying to see a sexy Jack Frost, well then, this one will be for you. The titular character, simply going by Jack (Dustin Milligan) got brought to life once single girl of the story Kathy Barrett (Lacey Chabert) placed a scarf on the sexy snowman and brought him to life.

From there on in, this movie played exactly as you expected to, almost beat for beat. Jack immediately found Kathy and in spite of her scepticism about being a snowman, she couldn't resist getting involved with him. 

Of course it's not just Kathy taken in by Jack's charms. The ladies of Hope Springs have no problem with his lack of attire or shirt in certain scenes while even Deputy Sherriff Ed Schatz (Joe Lo Truglio) found himself charmed by Jack. The whole community loved the guy on the spot.

Of course there was at least one exception to the rule. There was Sheriff Nathaniel Hunter (Craig Robinson). He was overzealous in wanting to uphold the law and even Jack had to pay for some minor crimes he commited when he first came to life. 

By the end of this movie, Jack was in danger of doing what snowmen must do and that was to melt away. Of course, true love had other plans and he became human instead. Come on, the kind of movie this was, there was no way it was going to end like The Snowman. It's a cute ending though.

- You get the feeling this movie was originally aimed for Hallmark before they decided that Lacey Chabert had aged out of their market range.

- There's a nice (but not subtle) Mean Girls reference as well as a reference to another Netflix Christmas movie. Two words: Lindsay Lohan.

- Standout music: The usual classics, in particular Jingle Bells Rock.

- Chronology: Christmas time in the lovely fictional town of Hope Springs.

I don't watch a lot of these movies but when I do, I'll admit in spite of their overtime cheesiness, they're usually inoffensive fun. Hot Frosty did feel a bit more polished compared to it's Hallmark counterparts but it's fun with believable chemistry between the leads. It did what it needed to and succeeded with it.

Rating: 7 out of 10 

My Review of Superman And Lois 4x08: "Sharp Dressed Man"

 

Written by Brent Fletcher And Todd Hellbing

Directed by Michael Cudlitz

Lex (to Amanda): "Now that is a killer suit."

As we edge closer and closer to the very end of this show, there's time for Lex to make a few more underhanded moves against the Kents and Superman. What better way with some good PR?

Enter talk show host Gordon Godfrey. Yes, the mystery has finally been solved in terms of who Tom Cavanagh was playing this season as he popped up here.  Usually, this guy's connected to Darkseid but here, Godfrey's sole purpose was to make Lex look to the general public. He might have just succeeded.

Despite being encouraged by Clark to go the rebuttal route, Lois instead agreed on go on Godfrey's late night show to challenge Lex publicly. At first it looked like Lex was winning, then Lous almost came out on top. She nearly had Lex but then Dr Milton Fine (Nikolai Witschl) got the upper hand.

Assuming he's Brainiac, they really did wait until the last minute to introduce the guy. They also made sure that he made a lot of noise in this episode. When he wasn't scuppering Lois's attempts to take down Lex, Milton also went after John and Natalie.

The antics with faking a crash in order to gain access to their suits was a clever ruse. Unfortunately for John and Natalie, it also worked with Lex having the suit he really wanted. Yup, despite some initial setback, Lex won this round. He even got a kiss from Amanda.

- Lois was officially cancer free, there was jokes about her grammar and that favourite bar of hers was referenced.

- Otis ended up being killed off screen. Lex didn't lie about Otis beating him up in prison.

- Bit of a subplot with Jonathan and Candice breaking up as well as a dated Jamie Kennedy reference. Would a teenager in 2024 even know who he is?

- Chronology: Not long from where the previous episode left off.

Sharp Dressed Man certainly saw Lex coming out on top while also foreshadowing a predicted fate for Superman in light of recent events. Just two more to go.

Rating: 8 out of 10

My Review of Gladiator II (2024)

 

Written by Peter Craig And David Scarpa

Directed by Ridley Scott

Lucius: "What does my past matter, when my future is only to die as a gladiator?"

Ah, the legacy sequel. When they hit, they can really hit and when they miss, they certainly miss. Where does this one fit into things? If I'm being honest, there's elements of both at play here. I liked but did not love this movie.

Following a slew of critically acclaimed and some financially successful smaller movies, this was Paul Mescal's chance to prove he could play in the blockbuster space. I think he has the knack for that and with Lucius "Hanno" Verus, he effectively was given a superhero role without actually taking one.

Lucius was the son of Lucilla (Connie Nielsen) and Maximus Decimus (Russell Crowe) and like his father, he too, started this movie by losing his wife (Yuval Gonen) and winding up in slavery. It's not long before he's acquired by villain of the piece, Macrinus (Denzel Washington) and trained up to be a Gladiator. It's a path that Lucius grudgingly embraced along with a tense reunion with his mother.

Of course like his father, Lucius was motivated by revenge to offset Macrinus's thirst for power and control over. Macrinus in particular certainly played brother Emperors Geta (Joseph Quinn) and Caracalla (Fred Hechinger) off each rather well. On top of that, he also managed to orchestrate the respective downfalls of both Lucilla and her new husband, Marcus Acacius (Pedro Pascal).

Getting to Marcus Acacius, I was expecting more from Pedro Pascal. Not in terms of performance because Pascal doesn't put a foot wrong here but more in terms of screentime. He's actually not got a lot to do here and there's a revenge subplot between him and Lucius that felt poorly fleshed out with an almost rushed conclusion to it. I have similar thoughts about Lucius's subplot with Lucilla as well.

On the other hand, the dynamic between Lucius and Macrinus was easily the best thing about the movie. Both Paul Mescal and Denzel Washington are magnificent in their scenes together with the final few minutes dedicated to their rivalry coming to a rather swift conclusion. Fortunately the movie was smart enough to make sure it didn't the exact same ending as the first one in regards to Lucius's fate, thus opening that door for a third chapter. 

- May Calamawy was meant to be the female lead in this movie but her scenes were cut big time. You see her very briefly though.

- Macrinus is bisexual and even kissed a man but that scene also got cut. Saying that, Denzel Washington certainly played him like a bisexual man.

- Derek Jacobi popped up again as Senator Gracchus and even Matt Lucas had a few scenes as the Master of Ceremonies.

- There was some genuinely mad ideas involving a massive rhino that should've killed Lucius and mutant baboons. Caracalla also appointed his monkey Dondas as first consul.

- Standout music: The soundtrack has some good ones, including Strength And Honour, Let The Gods Decide, War Real War, The Dream Is Lost and Now We Are Free.

- Chronology: It's been sixteen years since the events of the first Gladiator movie for Lucius.

Gladiator II was something that treaded similar ground to it's first movie with a few differences but didn't quite come as well as it could've done. The lead performances are great, the action sequences executed well and there's some mad ideas that are to be admired. Overall, it's a good follow up to a classic movie but not without it's flaws.

Rating: 7 out of 10 

My Review of The Fall Of The House Of Usher (2023 Netflix Miniseries)

 

Written by Mike Flanagan And Emmy Grinwis And Justina Ireland And Mat Johnson And Dani Parker And Rebecca Leigh Klingel And Jamie Flanagan And Kiele Sanchez

Directed by Mike Flanagan And Michael Fimognari 

Verna: "The house of Usher. May it rest in peace."

With this, I have come to the endeth of my Mike Flanagan Netflix horror miniseries binge. It's been a rather fun two weeks watching these shows in a near vacuum but all good things come to an end and there's something oddly full circle about this particular series.

Flanagan started off with the Crain family back in 2018 and while they were dysfunctional, they also clearly loved each other. The Ushers on the other hand, they're more the polar opposite in this Succession style retelling of some Edgar Allen Poe tales.

Let's talk about the Ushers, shall we? You've got brother and sister duo, Roderick (Bruce Greenwood/Zach Gilford) and Madeline (Mary McDonnell/Willa Fitzgerald). They're a ruthlessly ambitious sibling act, desperate to take over their illegitimate father, William's (Robert Lomgstreet) pharmaceutical company, Fortunato but instead, they're having to deal with the obstacle of Rufus Griswold (Michael Trucco). That was until he wasn't an obstacle for them.

Of course to get ahead in life and when they weren't working with/backstabbing the likes of Assistant US Attorney C. Auguste Dupin (Carl Lumbly/Malcolm Goodwin), the sibling duo entered a treacherous deal with the mysterious Verna (Carla Gugino) aka the Raven of this macabre miniseries. A deal that would cost them dearly.

Verna was happy to grant Roderick and Madeline's wish for success but it was a price that eventually Roderick's children (most of whom were illegitimate) had to pay. It probably doesn't help that because of Roderick's power games and influence that his children were predominantly selfish people, this making it harder to feel bad for most of them.

Between the second and penultimate episode, the downfall of each child varied but were effective nonetheless. Prospero (Sauriyan Sapkota) succumbed to an acid attack in a nightclub while PR machine Camille L'Espanaye (Kate Siegel) had her face mauled by another siblings monkey. Each death got crazier as the show went along.

There was Napoleon (Rahul Kohli) being driven mad by cat while Victorine LaFourcade (T'Nia Miller) ended up killing herself. Vain Goldbug founder and cuckqueen Tamerlane (Samantha Sloyan) got butchered by glass, following her public downfall but the most deserving fate was left to eldest child Frederick (Henry Thomas). Let's just there's a certain Poe story that's brilliantly executed here for this one. 

Of course while the Ushers themselves had a reputation that even Camille couldn't whitewash, what about the people within their orbit? Dupin in particular found himself summoned on the last night of Roderick and Madeline to hear the story he wanted to hear. In flashbacks we also saw Roderick's marriage to his only moral compass, Annabel Lee (Katie Parker) fall apart with the more Madeline influenced her brother.

Then there's the Ushers right hand man, Arthur Gordon Pym (Mark Hamill). He was a handy person for the Ushers to have in their pocket and one that was so hardened, even Verna herself struggled to tempt him. Even I was a bit surprised by that.

There's some emphasis on the Usher kids spouses and partners, but often they're very secondary to things. Morella (Crystal Balint), fellow doctor Ali (Paola Nunez) and fitness guy William (Matt Biedel) were probably the worst treated by their Usher partners with Leo's boyfriend, Julius (Daniel Jun) reasonably treated in comparison. Also Roderick's only grandchild Lenore (Kyliegh Curran) being the only Usher with a moral compass along with Roderick's second wife, Juno (Ruth Codd).

As for Verna herself, Carla Gugino must have had a lot of fun with this character. She got to have so many different guises as she claimed each Usher throughout the series. She also had great but often different reactions in how Verna approached each of them as well as her final scene, one they had all been taken off the board. This might be her best role yet in Flanagan's horror universe.

- Episode titles for this were A Midnight Dreary, The Masque Of The Red Death, Murder In The Rue Morgue, The Black Cat, The Tell-Tale Heart, Goldbug, The Pit And The Pendulum and The Raven.

- With the exception of Roderick and Frederick (maybe Tamerlane and Lenore), nearly all of the Ushers were LGBT. Dupin also mentioned having a husband in the last episode.

- Other alumni actors who popped up were Annabeth Gish, Lulu Wilson, Alex Essoe, Igby Rigney and Aya Furukawa.

- Althought this was Flanagan's last horror show for Netflix, he had expressed an interest in adapting Hell House. He likely will too but for somewhere else.

- Standout music: The Newton Brothers did some great work here once more.

- Chronology: The downfall itself took place over a span of two weeks in November 2023. The flashbacks were largely set between 1953 and 1980.

Now this definitely packed a bit more of a punch. The Fall Of The House Of Usher played like the horror version of Succession and did with aplomb. Some genuinely horrible but fascinating character, a man willing to finally bring down the crime family and a harbinger of doom that was fun to watch. A great final installment to this Netflix horror universe.

Rating: 8 out of 10 

My Review of Heretic (2024)

 

Written And Directed by Scott Beck And Bryan Woods

Reed: "Well, ladies. I think it's time."

Sister Barnes: "Time for what?"

Reed: "Time for enlightenment."

2024 has been quite the year for horror with both well received sequel/prequels and other original fare seeping through. Yes, there's also been a few duds but the output has been largely positive this year.

Now where does this movie fit? Is it good or bad? Does it try to do something new within the genre? After all, it's not the first religious themed horror movie this year but it's one where we're spared demonic pregnancies, so points there.

The movie started off with two Mormon missionaries - Sister Barnes (Sophie Thatcher) and Sister Paxton (Chloe East). They're spreading the word of God and on their way, they make the unwise decision to visit obvious weirdo, Mr Reed (Hugh Grant). It's a decision they end up regretting.

Going into the strange man's house, they keep asking for his wife (as part of their own beliefs to have a woman in the room with them) and he kept trying to derail the conversation. Eventually when it dawned on them that he's nuts, they're given a terrible option in order to get their freedom back.

The second half of the movie somewhat trailed into weirdness. There was an old woman (Elle Young) rambling about being a prophet and then Sister Barnes was seemingly killed off after a secret about her was revealed (a contraceptive implant). Then Reed showed Paxton all the other women that he had kept prisoner.

Needless to say, there's a battle of wits between both Reed and Paxton about the nature of all religions being used to control people. It's a bit messily done but Hugh Grant certainly sold that scene well before one of them managed to make it out of the movie alive.

- A blueberry pie was actually a blueberry scented candle and Sister Paxton had a thing for butterflies.

- Topher Grace had a brief but not very interesting or effective role as Elder Kennedy.

- Standout music: There's references to Knockin' On Heaven's Door, Creep and The Air That I Breathe.

- Chronology: Present day America. I'm uncertain as to where it's specifically set.

Heretic was a nice against type role for Hugh Grant and he certainly played the role well. He's backed up nicely by both Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East. Overall, while not as good as I thought it would, it's pretty solid and made for a diverting time. 

Rating: 7 out of 10 

My Review of The Invisible Man (2020)

 

Written And Directed by Leigh Whannell

Cecelia (to Adrian): "Surprise!"

There was a time, not so long ago that Universal had planned a big and connected horror universe but with the flop of The Mummy that idea got quickly abandoned. Instead, it was a case of reviving horror icons but keeping them in their own worlds.

That shift in ideas definitely benefits this particular version of The Invisible Man because it feels too grounded to be in a shared universe. Not to mention, it's given a rather definitive ending that doesn't seem to lend itself out to further expansion.

However while past versions of the titular character aka Adrian Griffin (Oliver Jackson-Cohen) have been more heroic, this one's a straight up menace. A controlling mad scientist and Cobalt CEO, the movie opened with Adrian being drugged by his girlfriend, Cecelia Kass (Elisabeth Moss). Yes, she had good reason to do it.

Cecelia was trying to escape the abusive relationship she was suffering from with Adrian and had gotten her sister, Emily (Harriet Dyer) to aid her escape while staying with her detective best friend, James Lanier (Aldis Hodge) and his daughter, Sydney (Storm Reid). It seemed like she was free of Adrian, even more so when his brother, Tom (Michael Dorman) told her Adrian was dead.

Of course at no point in this movie were we as an audience meant to believe that and it didn't take long for an invisible Adrian to terrorise the living daylights out of Cecelia. Messing up job interviews, breakfasts, drugging her with diazapam and yeah, killing her own sister in a restaurant. Adrian's onslaught of terror on Cecelia was relentless.

It got to the point in the movie that Adrian succeeded in nearly removing all of Cecelia's support system, even letting her rot in jail until she managed to fight back. There's a bluff with Adrian making it look like Tom had tied him up and was actually the one hounding Cecelia but the latter saw throught that and got her revenge.

For a title villain of the piece, Oliver Jackson-Cohen definitely got very little screen time as Adrian but certainly made the most of the material regardless. It's Elisabeth Moss who dominated as Cecelia and there's something satisfying in the revenge that she enacted on Adrian. He really should've seen it coming.

- Originally this was going to be a movie that had Johnny Depp as the title character but I think we fared a lot better with what we got here.

- There's a connection to Whannell's other movie, Upgrade here through the fictional Cobalt company.

- Funnily enough a sequel has been discussed (where would they go with that?) as well as a movie for The Invisible Woman but whether either happen remains to be seen.

- Chronology: Present day San Francisco, thought the movie was filmed in Australia.

This version of The Invisible Man might have taken our title character down a villainous path for a sci-fi take of domestic abuse and coercive control, but it was worth it. Great performances from Elisabeth Moss and Oliver Jackson-Cohen and a satisfying ending make this a very worthy reboot.

Rating: 8 out of 10 

My Review of The Midnight Club (2022 Netflix Miniseries)

 

Written by Mike Flanagan And Leah Fong And Julie Bicknell And Elan Gale And Jamie Flanagan And Chinaka Hodge 

Directed by Mike Flanagan And Michael Fimognari And Emmanuel Osei-Kuffour Jr. And Axelle Carolyn And Viet Nguyen And Morgan Beggs

Dr Stanton: "We look forward to helping you write your own ending."

After going down an original path with Midnight Mass, it was back to book adaptations for Mike Flanagan's fourth horror show for Netflix and this one was something a bit different. Imagine a slightly maturer version of Goosebumps and Are You Afraid Of The Dark? That's what you get with this show.

Focusing on a hospice for dying young adults named Brightcliffe, you've got a slew of younger characters all coping with life ending illnesses as they navigate the limited time they have left, form friendships and oh yes, The Midnight Club. That title had to come in somewhere.

The title of course referring to the fact that our eight young adults meet up during Midnight in the library to tell each other ghost stories that are somewhat thinly veiled thoughts and feelings on the person telling them to a point. Some of these stories are better handled than others but if you like witches, ghosts, devil pacts, serial killers, time travel and so on, there's plenty to enjoy in that regard.

The young adults themselves are a likable bunch. The recently admitted Ilonka (Iman Benson) had thyroid cancer and was actively seeking a previous Brightcliffe patient named Julia Jayne (Larson Thompson) who was cured through supernatural means. It's a bit of an obsession with Ilonka throughout the show, putting her at odds with Brightcliffe's Dr Georgina Stanton (Heather Langenkamp) as well was making her an easy mark for the manipulative Shasta (Samantha Sloyan).

With secret cults factoring into this show, there's also some ghostly encounters in Brightcliffe that Kevin (Igby Rigney) can see while the other patients have their own shit to deal with. Abrasive Irish amputee Anya (Ruth Codd) worked as a brilliant foil to Ilonka and had two of the most moving stories in the show before her untimely death.

As for the rest of the kids, Cheri (Adia) was a rich girl with a penchant for lying, Spencer (Chris Sumpter) was a gay man who had AIDS, Amesh (Sauriyan Sapkota) had feelings for Natsuki (Aya Furukawa) and Sandra (Annarah Cymone) ended up being misdiagnosed. For protagonists, they're younger than previous shows but they're likable enough that the show works with them.

In terms of the adults though, both Stanton and Shasta are the main ones, largely servicing the Five Paragon plot that ended on a cliffhanger. There was also Ilonka's well meaning foster father, Tim (Matt Biedel) while gay nurse Mark (Zach Gilford) was an ally to Spencer, though a bit underused as a character.

- Episode titles for this show were The Final Chapter, The Two Danas, The Wicked Heart, Gimme A Kiss, See You Later, Witch, Anya, Road To Nowhere, The Eternal Enemy and Midnight.

- Mike Flanagan alumni who also appeared in guest roles included Rahul Kohli as Vincent, Henry Thomas as Freedom Jack, Alex Essoe as Poppy Corn, Katie Parker as Aceso, Robert Lomgstreet as a janitor and Michael Trucco as Frederick.

- The geek in me was happy with the references to the likes of Doctor Who and The X-Files. William B. Davis from the latter show also appeared as Mirror Man.

- Originally this show (based on the Christopher Pike book of the same name) was intended to be a two season show until Netflix cut it short. 

- Standout music: There's a good 90s soundtrack through the series. 

- Chronology: This show was set in the mid 1990s, especially given Mark's love for Interview With The Vampire.

The Midnight Club admittedly would be the weakest of Flanagan's horror adaptations for Netflix but not because it's bad. It's just that the ones that preceded it were much stronger than this one, which does plenty to get into. Overall, it's worth the twn episode but you'll need to read Flanagan's Tumblr for closure.

Rating: 7 out of 10 

My Review of Doctor Odyssey: "Oh, Daddy!"

Written by Joe Baken And Byron Crawford 

Directed by Crystle Roberson Dorsey

Robert: "I'm honoured to meet my brother's better half and clearly his better looking half."

Brian: "Well, not quite half."

After last week's episode solidifying a throuple scenario for Max, Avery and Tristan, this episode was for the gays and introduced a throuple that would be more impacting on Robert. Though that wasn't a negative impact.

Robert's younger brother, Craig (John Stamos) boarded The Odyssey for Gay Week and with him came two lovers - Brian (Cheyenne Jackson) and Riley (Johnny Sibilly) for good measure. All three being recovering alcoholics and throughout the episode, all three being shown to genuinely love each other. That wasn't the issue for Robert.

The issue instead was the fact that it appeared that Craig appeared to be going off the wagon and when he hit his head, there was a lot of alcohol in his bloodstream. The actual reason behind it though was a bit more unexpected than a simple relapse but at least the episode ended with Robert and Craig on better terms with each other.

Of course they weren't the only ones focused on during Gay Week. There was a straight couple who had their baby,a bunch of TikTok influencers who got quite a bad dose due to sweet potatoes and there was Marsha (Caldwell Tidicue). For Marsha, her wig caught fire but it led to a defiant performance at the end.

As for the throuple this week - Avery was the only one who wanted to maintain the arrangement. Both Max and Tristan got cold feet and for very similar reasons too. However going by next week's trailer, there will be bigger consequences to that one night stand that Avery wanted a repeat performance of.

- Max is a daddy, Avery a femme, Tristan a twunk, Robert a silver fox, Corey a twink and Rosie a masc. 

- Tristan really laid it on thick about his love for Avery, complete with a comparison to Tikka Masala crisps. Did him and Vivian break up between episodes?

- Standout music: Marsha lipsynched I'm Coming Out to close out the episode.

- Chronology: Not long from the events of the previous episode. 

Oh, Daddy! was fun but definitely could've been a bit gayer, lol. No, the guest throuple were great but there was a bit of a missed opportunity with the recurring LGBT characters and the main throuple soured quicker than expected. Max and Tristan's rivalry even got out of hand in this one.

Rating: 7 out of 10 

My Review of The Polar Express (2004)

 

Written by Robert Zemeckis And William Broyles Jr.

Directed by Robert Zemeckis

The Conductor: "Seeing is believing but sometimes the most real things in the world are the things we can't see."

A few days ago, this movie turned twenty years old. It's a movie that I've watched in more recent years in the lead up to Christmas. It's a tale all about belief and what happened when a child lost their belief in Christmas.

The child in question being an unnamed boy (Daryl Sabara) who on Christmas Eve found himself invited onto the titular train with a bunch of other kids. Those kids included the know it all (Eddie Deezan), the girl (Nona Gayle) and the lonely Billy (Jimmy Bennett), all of whom have their moments in the movie.

On board the train, there was the officious Conductor (Tom Hanks). He was a stickler for tickets and when the girl lost hers, she almost lost her place on the Polar Express. It took some death defying attempts from the boy to make sure his new friend didn't lose her place.

Of course it wasn't the only problems for them. The train separated, there was a frozen lake setting and it took a while for Billy to feel a part of the group. As for the know it all, he was more interested in showcasing his knowledge about trains for a fair portion of the movie.

The trip to the North Pole though was where the magic really came through with this film. We got to meet Santa Claus (Hanks), children got their presents and the boy's belief in Christmas was certainly renewed.

The kicker of the movie being the plot about no longer hearing bells when you stop believing in Santa Claus. It's a sad but logical conclusion for everyone. Everyone except for one boy of course, who by the end of this movie never lost his regained belief in Christmas.

- Tom Hanks also voiced an adult version of the boy and a Hobo in this movie.

- Although he's referred to as Hero Boy, the main character is actually called Chris according to book sources.

- Standout music: The Polar Express, Spirit Of The Season, Hot Chocolate, When Christmas Comes To Town and Believe.

- Chronology: Set during Christmas Eve and decades later into the boys future.

The Polar Express is a sweet, Christmas movie. It's a lovely movie with a lovely group of characters and a nice look into believing in Christmas for as long as you can. I can see why it's endured so much as a movie.

Rating: 8 out of 10 

My Review of Midnight Mass (2021 Netflix Miniseries)

 

Written by Mike Flanagan And James Flanagan And Elan Gale And Dani Parker And Jeff Howard 

Directed by Mike Flanagan 

Father Paul (to the congregation): "Good morning. I know I'm not who you expected to see. Just know I'm only here to help and I look forward to meeting you all."

With his first two miniseries, Mike Flanagan had fun adapting haunted house material, so with this third show being more of an original piece (though very Stephen King inspired), we got something very different altogether.

While I'm definitely a Catholic myself, I wouldn't say I'm particularly devout. The exploration of faith in the small community of Crockett Island through the eyes of several characters on the other hand was certainly an eye opener.

The island itself was missing it's elderly Monsignor Pruitt but gained the much younger Father Paul Hill (Hamish Linklater) instead. He was determined to get the church full again and along with the overzealous Bev Keane (Samantha Sloyan) and a "miracle", the young priest succeeded but at a very terrible cost to everyone, including himself. 

Now the miracle itself was that Father Paul was actually a revived Pruitt and he wasn't the only one feeling the effects. You had Mildred Gunning (Alex Essoe) ageing backwards before her daughter, Sarah's (Annabeth Gish) eyes while Leeza Scarborough (Annarah Cymone) could suddenly walk again. What was going on here?

Well, it turned out that the miracle was actually vampirism and that Father Paul was saved by an "Angel" that was really an ancient looking vampire not dissimilar looking to Nosferatu if im being honest. Though this vampire was a lot quicker on its feet when it attacked male protagonist Riley Flinn (Zach Gilford) and made him into a vampire.

Riley's story made up a lot of the first half of the miniseries. He was a venture capitalist who spent time in prison for manslaughter and had a tasty relationship with his parents Annie (Kristin Lehman) and Ed (Henry Thomas). The latter in particular the most.

Riley does get several great scenes, particularly with his former childhood sweetheart Erin Greene (Kate Siegel), the latter who loses her unborn baby halfway through the series. There's a profound conversation both characters have about their own views on death. Erin's in particular served as a poignant bookend to the miniseries.

As for the rest of the characters, I did have tremendous amount of sympathy for town alcoholic Joe Colle (Robert Longstreet) but one of the best performances in the series came from Muslim Sherriff Hassan (Rahul Kohli). There's a scene in particular he gets with Sarah that's one of the most compelling performances in the series and there's a genuine sense of despair for him when his son Ali (Rahul Abburi) got caught up in the madness of the miracle.

While both previous Flanagan shows weren't exactly shy about the death count, this one really upped the ante in that regard. Excluding Leeza and Riley's younger brother, Warren (Igby Rigney), its a miserable ending for everyone on that island. Maybe the bleakest ending so far from this particular creative.

- Episode titles for this series were Book I: Genesis, Book II: Psalms, Book III: Proverbs, Book IV: Lamentations, Book V: Gospel, Book VI: Acts Of The Apostles and Book VII: Revelations.

- This show and the character of Erin Greene was referenced in the 2016 movie, Hush. I wrote a review for it on here last week.

- Carla Gugino has a voice role as Judge on the series. She's not physically seen in the series.

- Sarah is the only gay main character in this series. There's some hints of her love life in the second episode but mostly she's the doctor

- Standout music: Nearer My God To Thee is eerily used in the finale.

- Chronology: It's very much present day, though a four year gap between Riley's sentencing and release. Not to mention both Lent and Easter.

I have to admit that this was really something intriguing. A nice change of pace with Flanagan going all in on an original idea. Midnight Mass benefitted from a shorter run and while that ending was relentlessly grim, the series overall worked for me. 

Rating: 8 out of 10 

My Review of Superman And Lois 4x07: "A Regular Guy"

 

Written by Katie Aldrin And George Kitson

Directed by Gregory Smith 

Clark: "My name is Clark Kent and I am Superman."

Three years ago when Supergirl aired its final episode on the CW, the show decided to have Kara Danvers out herself as the Girl of Steel to Cat Grant. Three episodes before the series finale, Superman has done the same, though not entirely by choice.

With the locals in Smallville increasingly aware of his true identity, Clark tried his damndest to put the genie back in the closet and he almost succeeded. Then Candice's idiot father made an unwelcome return and Clark pretty much had to out himself as Superman in front of everyone.

Of course Lex was involved in using Candice's father but most people weren't buying Clark's attempts to hide his identity anyways. He really wasn't fooling anyone, especially embittered teenage boys. However taking control of the narrative was where Lois came into her own.

Bringing back Janet (who's actually related to Jimmy Olsen. How did I not know that?) was a good way for Clark to get his side of the story out there. It also led to a nice final scene reunion with Jimmy (Douglas Smith) and I'm hoping this wasn't the only appearance for him.

Jimmy was mostly in flashbacks, trying to get Clark to join the softball team with mixed results. Clark either kept missing or being late for games and tried to downplay his actual skills. It even got to a point where Jimmy worked out he was Superman and Clark had to make him think otherwise.

I really do wish we had seen Jimmy much earlier in the show in general but if this was his only appearance, it's a nice enough one for the character. Clark and Jimmy's friendship fractured in flashbacks but by the end of this one, it did seem to be on the mend.

- Nice reference to Bibbo's bar by Jimmy in flashbacks as well as Clark doing a story on Intergang.

- There was a Kyle/Chrissy subplot about a dream house that Lois and Clark ended up helping with.

- No Lana, Sarah, John or Natalie in this one. Will we see them again before the finale itself?

- Chronology: Not long since the events of the last episode.

A Regular Guy certainly worked for a good coming out as Superman story. The flashbacks were good and hopefully there will be an interesting aftermath. Has Lex lost a tactical advantage now?

Rating: 8 out of 10

My Review of The Penguin: "A Great Or Little Thing"

 

Written by Lauren LeFranc

Directed by Jennifer Getzinger

Sofia: "Oswald Cobb: man of the people."

It's been a hell of an eight weeks. On paper, this felt like yet another Batman adjacent show in the space of a decade that could've gone either way but in reality, it might be the best Batman adjacent show to date.

I really wanted this finale to stick the landing after such an impressive build up and it certainly managed to do that. There was some genuinely shocking moments and even the one moment I expected to happen all season still managed to be shocking. What the actual fuck, Oswald?

Let's talk about Victor Aguilar, shall we? Rhenzy Feliz has been incredible throughout the series with him being more than able to hold his own with the acting heavyweights here. I knew Victor wasn't making it out of the series alive. I even knew that Oswald would be the cause of his death. I don't actually like being right but even I didn't guess the nature in which Victor would die.

Victor spent most of this season constantly having Oz's back and because Oswald allowed himself to behave like an actual human being in front of Victor, the poor lad ended up dying as a result. Sofia was telling us all season that Oswald was a monster. She was absolutely spot on in that assessment.

Speaking of Sofia, I did worry that destroying Oz's relationship with his mother would've sealed her fate. He managed to turn the tables on her with Zhao and it did look like he was going to kill her. In fact, I'm really shocked that he didn't.

I do think having her framed for all of his crimes this season and having her sent back to Arkham was a suitably nastier fate than death. On the plus side, at least we know that we'll see her again and now that Selina Kyle has made contact with her, I can't wait to see these two sister cause absolute chaos.

Then there was Francis Cobb. I knew she knew that Oz killed Jack and Benny, I just knew it. I didn't expect that she initially considered getting Rex to kill Oz before changing her mind. Her stabbing of Oz before ending up in a vegetative state was also shocking. 

Even when Oz claims to love someone, he can't help him. He's punishinh Francis by keeping her in her current state in his new penthouse. Also having Eve cosplay as Francis added an even creepier layer to that whole dynamic. Oz came out on top but he better watch his back because he's making even more enemies for himself.

- We might not have physically seen him but I did cheer when the Bat Signal lit up during the last scene. 

- Bella Real has set up an anti crime squad and I bet we can guess who'll be heading that up, yes?

- Mackenzie Bock also returned to arrest Sofia while Julian rejoined Arkham to be close to her. He's a bit clingy, isn't he?

- Monroe's was the bar that Oswald set up his new operations. I wonder will it become the new Iceberg Lounge.

- Standout music: A nice cover of Nirvana's Where Did You Sleep Last Night while Sofia set her own home on fire.

- Chronology: From where the previous episode left off and also a nice lead in for The Batman Part II.

A Great Or Little Thing (Oscar Wilde reference) absolutely stuck the landing as a finale. A brilliant way to end this series as well as a fantastic set up of sorts for a certain sequel. Everyone involved should be proud of this show.

Rating: 9 out of 10 

My Review of Gladiator (2000)

 

Written by David Franzoni And John Logan And William Nicholson

Directed by Ridley Scott

Maximus: "Are you not entertained? Are you not entertained? Is that not why you are here?"

With Gladiator II coming out in less than a fortnight, I was definitely overdue a rewatch of thr first movie. A movie I confess I haven't watched since it's release in 2000. Yes, it's been that long. Does it hold up?

To that second one, yes, yes it does. I had forgotten how enjoyable this movie was and how great a director Ridley Scott can be with the right material. It's also a movie where both Russell Crowe and Joaquin Phoenix give some of their best career performances. 

For Crowe, he's in the role of protagonist Maximus Decimus Meridium, a Roman General, fresh from victory and on the cusp of becoming the regent of Emperor Marcus Aurelius (Richard Harris). Unfortunately for Maximum, there's the problem of Aurelius's son, Commodus (Phoenix).

Commodus was desperate to succeed his father's rule and if he had to kill his father to do it, that wasn't an issue for him. If he had to get Maximus and the latter's family killed in order to further secure his succession, he'd do that too. If it also meant intimidating his own sister, Lucilla (Connie Nielsen) and her son, Lucius Verus (Spencer Treat Clark), he'd do that too.

Actually there wasn't a lot that Commodus wouldn't do to be successful but unfortunately for him, Maximus was a bigger threat that wouldn't go away. Worse than that, he was a threat building up on allies like fellow slave Juba (Djimon Hounsou), Lucilla and Senator Gracchus (Derek Jacobi) to name a few. 

By the time we get to the final act, there's a fairly tense fight scenes between both Maximus and Commodus. It's a scene where the latter grimly realised how much support he truly had before his great defeat. As for Maximus, he certainly entertained before getting his own final send off.

- Other brilliant performances in this movie were from Oliver Reed, Tommy Flanagan and David Schofield as Antonius Proximo, Cicero and Senator Falco.

- Some of the dialogue was add libbed and Crowe was famously critical of a lot of the dialogue from the movie. 

- Standout music: Hans Zimmer's soundtrack is superb with highlights being The Emperor Is Dead, Strength and Honour, Reunion, Am I Not Merciful and Now We Are Free.

- Chronology: Based on the figures in this movie, it's around 180 AD.

Gladiator has certainly age well as a movie. It's an entertaining blockbuster with some liberties taken but with also a great series of performances and action sequences throughout. After watching this again, I'm looking more forward to that sequel later this month.

Rating: 8 out of 10 

My Review of Oculus (2013)

 

Written by Mike Flanagan And Jeff Howard

Directed by Mike Flanagan 

Kaylie (to the mirror): "Hello again. You must be hungry."

Delving a bit earlier into Flanagan's horror resume and there was this one from over a decade ago. I remember seeing it a few years ago, so I thought I'd watch it again. A lot of Flanagan's beloved tropes are certainly present with this one.

For instance we've got a family in a house and a split timeline. Only it's not the house itself that's the problem but rather a mirror that seems to bring out the absolute worst in everyone involved. Notably the parents to begin with question.

The parents in this case being software engineer Alan Russell (Rory Cochrane) and his wife, Marie (Katee Sackhoff). The mirror ended up driving both of them towards madness that they became a danger to their children Kaylie (Karen Gillan/Annalise Basso) and Tim (Brenton Thwaites/Garett Ryan Ewald). 

Needless to say, both Marie and Alan don't survive the movie and their violent deaths would obviously have a knock on effect for the adult versions of both Kaylie and Tim. The former regaining possession of both their childhood home and that mirror and she had a theory to prove, whether Tim liked it or not.

The dynamics between Kaylie and Tim are the strongest part of the movie. While Tim's desperate enough to try and leave the past behind and rationalise his parents death, Kaylie was determined to prove the mirror's culpability in her family being destroyed. Truth be told, Kaylie should've steered well clear from revisiting the past.

With doppelgangers, flashbacks to the past, a dead fiancee (James Lafferty) and the mirror presenting itself as a supernatural threat, every possible bad case scenario played out. It's a grim ending to an overall grim movie with the surviving family member paying the price.

- The movie is based on Flanagan's short movie - Oculus: Chapter 3 - The Man With The Plan.

- Kate Siegel appears briefly as Marisol Chavez, another victim of the mirror. 

- Other victims of the mirror included Alice Carden in 1943 Wisconsin and a Philip Lasser in 1754 London.

- Chronology: The flashbacks in 2002 and the present day scenes in 2013.

I'll admit that Oculus might a bit confusing in parts and not as strong as some of Flanagan's later material, but there's a lot to like her. Mainly the performances from Karen Gillan and Brenton Thwaites are on great form.

Rating: 6 out of 10 

My Review of The Haunting Of Bly Manor (2020 Netflix Miniseries)

 

Written by Mike Flanagan And James Flanagan And Diane Ademu-John And Laurie Penny And Angela LaManna And Rebecca Leigh Klingel And The Clarkson Twins And Leah Fong And Julie Bicknell

Directed by Mike Flanagan And Ciaran Foy And Liam Gavin And Yolanda Ramke And Ben Howling And Axelle Carolyn And E.L. Katz

Dani: "It's you. It's me. It's us."

Following the mass success of The Haunting Of Hill House, I'm not surprised that for seconds, Mike Flanagan went for another creepy homely setting. Only this time, the setting was UK bound, albeit with some US influence too.

The influence being our protagonist Danielle 'Dani' Clayton (Victoria Pedretti) who finds herself escaping her own past trauma by moving to London and being interviewed by rich guy Henry Wingrave (Henry Thomas/Duncan Fraser). She ended up getting the au pair gig at the titular Bly Manor, having to look after the children Miles (Benjamin Evan Ainsworth/Thomas Nicholson) and Flora (Amelie Bea Smith/Christie Burke).

As kids, both Flora and Miles turn out to be a handful, constantly acting strangely and generally stressing the shit out of Dani before it's later revealed in the miniseries that their strange behaviour was largely influenced by the many ghosts that haunt Bly Manor. Yup, this place was a real hotbed for spooky goings on dating all the way to the late 17th century.

Ghosts in particular that proved to be a major problem included the antagonistic former valet/conman Peter Quint (Oliver Jackson-Cohen) and the Lady In The Lady/Viola Willoughby (Kate Siegel). The former's toxic relationship with the previous au pair, Rebecca Jessel (Tahirah Sharif) was as anti couple goals as you could get, not to mention his frequent possession of Miles was even creepier in context of his own abused backstory.

The penultimate episode pivoting it's focus on Viola Willoughby and experimenting with a black and white format made for the best episode of the bunch. That episode was so good it could've been it's own movie if I'm being perfectly honest. Also the way both Dani and Viola would eventually tie into one another certainly ended the show on a bittersweet note.

Then there's Dani herself. She's the closest to a protagonist the miniseries has and her flashback episode involving former childhood sweetheart Edmund (Robby Atal) was another highlight. Dani's romance with gardener Jamie Taylor (Amelia Eve/Carla Gugino) was a beautifully written love story, played to perfection by Victoria Pedretti and Amelia Eve.

As for other characters, there was a sort of bubbling romance between housekeeper Hannah Grose (T'Nia Miller) and chef Owen Sharma (Rahul Kohli). Hannah's story, particularly in the fifth episode had the show really lean into the non linear timeline and ultimately, it's her along with Dani that ended up breaking the Bly Manor curse.

- Episode titles are The Great Good Place, The Pupil, The Two Faces Part One, The Way It Came, The Altar Of The Dead, The Jolly Corner, The Two Faces Part Two, The Romance Of Certain Old Clothes and The Beast In The Jungle.

- The season actually had Carla Gugino physically appear in only the first and last episodes as the older Jamie but provide voiceover for every episode.

- Katie Parker also appeared briefly as Viola's younger sister, Perdita in the penultimate episode. She did everything to replace her sister, only to be killed by the latter's ghost.

- Yes, it's an adaptation of Henry James's The Turn Of The Screw, albeit with some creative changes.

- Standout music: The Newton Brothers deliver again, particularly with the Main Titles, Perfectly Splendid, I Couldn't Sleep, It's You It's Me It's Us and Love Story.

- Chronology: Bly Manor, outside of London in both 1987 and the late 1600s as well as North California in 2007 for Flora's wedding.

As a follow up series, I did enjoy The Haunting Of Bly Manor. Granted some of the American actors doing English accents did slightly jar a bit. However, the main stories managed to engage and the flashbacks for Dani, Peter, Hannah and Viola were among the best material along with the Dani/Jamie love story.

Rating: 8 out of 10 

My Review of Doctor Odyssey: "I Always Cry At Weddings"

 

Written by Ryan Murphy And Joe Baken 

Directed by Paris Barclay

Max (to Avery/Tristan): "To a good threesome."

It took the show six episodes and plenty of passive aggressive sniping but yeah, it decided that threes were better than twos. A month ago, I might have hated this plot and I still don't see it ending well but at this point, this show desperately needed a jolt. This was it.

Throughout the episode we were getting insights about Max, Avery and Tristan's views on marriage. In fact, this episode revealed a lot about Avery's own past experience on that particular front and it wasn't an experience she was keen on repeating. 

Anyways, by the time we get to the final five minutes of the episode, Avery was the one to initiate the actual threesime itself. Max showed some tiny hesitation (given his previous experience with one) while Tristan was a bit too eager to get stuck in. Of course being network, the raciness was more implied before the episode ended.

As for the rest of the episode, Country singer Kelsea Ballerini guest starred in this one as an overanxious bride named Lisa. Add an overbearing mother (Margo Martindale), a horrible case of ringworm, a promiscuous groomsmen and a groom who ended up committing suicide and this was a wedding that didn't happen.

In some ways this story felt smaller scale and personal and might be the best use of guest characters so far in the series. Lisa in particular seemed to be following a similar pattern to her own mother while Eric's story was tragic but had some ambiguity to it as well. Was he closeted? Did his sex addiction really overwhelm him? 

- Max, Avery and Tristan got to have fun playing a role in the rehearsal dinner when Lisa was too sick. 

- Captain Massey certainly seemed to be a sucker for love while Corey, Rosie and Spencer continue to get more focus.

- Standout music: Given the title, of course Going To The Chapel factored into this one. 

- Chronology: It seemed like a fair amount of time passed between episodes.

I Always Cry At Weddings gave a bit more bite to a show that's been too tame for its own good so far. I'm mixed on the threesome plot but at this rate, it was kind of needed. Likely won't end well though.

Rating: 7 out of 10 

My Review of Jawbreaker (1999)

 

Written And Directed by Darren Stein

Courtney: "I killed Liz. I killed the teen dream. Deal with it."

From the minute this film starts, it's influences are obvious from the get go. Someone clearly liked Heathers a decade prior and thought of this underrated cult classic. The someone being Darren Stein of course.

You've got a popular clique made up of ruthless uber bitch Courtney Shayne (Rose McGowen), her dim witted lackey Marcie Fox (Julie Benz) and the beautiful Julie Freeman (Rebecca Gayheart). Oh and Liz Purr (Charlotte Ayanna). Together try made the Flawless Four at Reagan High School.

As friends, they weren't exactly the greatest of people to their peers or even to themselves. A birthday prank saw Liz being silenced with a jawbreaker, only for that sweet to end up being the very thing to kill her. How do the rest of the group react?

Well, with Courtney, she's happy to stage a sexual assault and frame a random stranger (Marilyn Manson) in order to avoid answering for her accidental crime. Marcie went along with Courtney and Julie showed some semblance of a conscience by wanting to do the right thing by Liz.

Then there was the bookish Fern Mayo (Judy Greer). Courtney could've killed her but instead remade her into her image as Vylette to replace Julie within the group. Then when Vylette got a bit too much, Courtney diminished her quite brutally. However with this movie, what went around came back around too.

With the only Detective on the case, Vera Cruz (Pam Grier) being somewhat ineffectual at her job, it was up to Julie, Fern and drama guy Zach (Chad Christ) to be the ones to take Courtney. Of course the prom was the perfect place to do it and it's a glorious comeuppance for a delightfully nasty character.

- There's a great supporting role from Carole Kane as Ms. Sherwood.

- Not only was Julie Benz in this movie but Ethan Erickson who played Courtney's jock boyfriend, Dane was another Buffy The Vampire Slayer link to this movie.

- Standout music: Imperial Teen's Yoo Hoo and Shampoo's Trouble.

- Chronology: It was very much a 90s movie.

While I don't think Jawbreaker quite hits the heights of Heathers or even later (though not as dark by comparison) movies like Mean Girls, it's a certainly an enjoyable one. 

Rating: 7 out of 10 

My Review of The Haunting Of Hill House (2018 Netflix Miniseries)

 

Written by Mike Flanagan And Liz Phang And Scott Kosar And Meredith Averill And Jeff Howard And Charise Castro Smith And Rebecca Klingel

Directed by Mike Flanagan 

Hugh (to Steven): "Your mother. She was not crazy. Neither was your sister, neither is your brother and neither are you. It's that house."

For the last few days I've been quietly watching this miniseries from 2018. Yes, it took me six years to see what the fuss was about and I truly get it. This miniseries was extraordinary. Maybe one of the best things that Netflix have ever made.

Alternating between two different timelines, you've got the Crain family renovating the Hill House that they've also chosen to stay in before they flip the property. Unfortunately for them it's a cursed house with far too many spooky goings on and when the matriarch, Olivia (Carla Gugino) died in the house, it was something that continued to impact everyone involved.

For her husband, Hugh (Timothy Dutton/Henry Thomas), it irreparably damaged his relationship with his children right into their adulthood. He essentially checked out as a father with their aunt Janet (Elizabeth Becka) having raised them. Throughout the miniseries he attempted to reconnect with them and by the finale, he made a sacrifice in order to save the remainder of his family.

As for the children, let's break it down by order. The oldest one, Steven (Michiel Huisman/Paxton Singleton) tried to get over the trauma by writing a book (much to his siblings chagrin) and avoiding having children with his wife, Leigh (Samantha Sloyan). That didn't necessary work in his favour but as the show progressed, he faced the things he tried to ignore about himself and the house.

Second child Shirley (Elizabeth Reaser/Lulu Wilson) struggled with keeping control, her marriage to Kevin (Anthony Rivuver) and running a funeral home. There was also residual family resentment and a secret fling with Ryan (James Lafferty), all of which blew up as the series progressed.

Middle child Theodora (Kate Siegel/Mckenna Grace) had a gift of feeling that often sent her into distress but out of the siblings, I think she was my favourite. Her relationship with Trish (Levy Tran) was nicely developed over the series and like her siblings, she does have a very strong arc.

Then there's the twins - Luke (Oliver Jackson-Cohen/Julian Hillard) and Nell (Victoria Pedretti/Violet McGraw). Their stories were definitely laced with more tragedy than their older siblings. Both haunted by different things (Bent Neck Lady, Bowler Hat Man, etc) and both seemed to stuggle the most. Even Nell having some happiness with Arthur (Jordane Christie) was short-lived.

As for Luke's story, he struggled with addiction, hit rock bottom multiple times, came close to death quite frequently but unlike his twin, whose death happened early in the show, he managed to just about come out the other side. There's a trauma conga line this guy goes through with his mother, Olivia going through an even worse one throughout the season.

Last but not least, there were the Dudleys - Clara (Annabeth Gish) and Horace (Robert Longstreet), caretakers of the house. Mostly they provided exposition when telling each Crain family a bit about Hill House's awful history but they're also a tragic couple, dealing with loss, including their children and there's something cathartic about their ending too.

- Episode titles are Steven Sees A Ghost, Open Casket, Touch, The Twin Thing, The Bent-Neck Lady, Two Storms, Eulogy, Witness Marks, Screaming Meemies and Silence Lay Steadily.

- The Red Room served as many different rooms to every family member without them realising it until the finale explained it.

- The show is based on Shirley Jackson's novel of the same name but it's a very loose adaptation of the source material.

- The show had a follow up of sorts with The Haunting Of Bly Manor, which I plan to watch next.

- Standout music: From the soundtrack by The Newton Brothers, I'd say Main Titles, Hill House, The Red Room, Haunted Past and Beginning Of The End Movement IV.

- Chronology: Alternating between 1992 and 2018 in California throughout the series.

I genuinely loved The Haunting Of Hill House. Yes, it took me way too long to watch it but I'm glad I finally did. Utterly brilliant from start to finish, stellar performances from all of the main cast and the perfect blend of family drama, chills and horror.

Rating: 9 out of 10