My Review of Knives Out (2019)

 

Written And Directed by Rian Johnson 

Marta: "You're not much of a detective, are you?"

Benoit: "Well, to be fair, you make a pretty lousy murderer."

It's amazing that for a director, one franchise can make you a villain within it's fandom and the other can make you a hero of sorts. Star Wars fans might not have appreciated Rian Johnson but everyone else took to him.

Mainly because Johnson clearly revealed himself to be more suited to the murder mystery genre than anything involving the force. This movie in question could've been fine as a one and done murder mystery but instead it introduced audiences to a Columbo/Poirot for the 21st Century.

Excellently cast as Inspector Benoit Blanc, Daniel Craig bagged himself a role different to James Bond and equally as interesting to boot. For his first onscreen case, Blanc found himself amongst the wealthy and they're not a nice bunch to be around.

Harlan Thrombey (Christopher Plummer) was a mystery writer celebrating his 85th birthday with his children and grandchildren alike. He also was found the next morning dead by unfortunate housekeeper, Fran (Edi Patterson). This automatically put Harlan's family in the frame but also his nurse, Marta Cabrera (Ana De Amas).

With Marta, the movie really teased the possibility of her being the killer for the longest time. She had blood on her shoes,Blanc did suspect and it was revealed that she had inadvertently given Harlan a morphine dose that she shouldn't have. All of that alone would then rule her out, along with Harlan's grandson Hugo (Chris Evans) attempting to blackmail Marta. 

Harlan's children - Lynda (Jamie Lee Curtis), Walt (Michael Shannon), their spouses, Richard (Don Johnson), Donna (Riki Lindhome) and Joni (Toni Collette) along with their own children, Hugh, Meg (Katherine Langford) and Jacob (Jaeden Martell). What can I say? All strong actors all give great performances and mostly all of them are horrible people with little concern for Harlan's passing and more for his inheritance.

The killer reveal was actually done pretty well and even I was surprised by the culprit a little. As for the end with Marta, there's something delightful in that outcome, considering that she's one of the few people who seemed to care about Harlan. Basically, everyone somewhat got what they deserved here.

- Other standout performances included LaKeith Stanfield as Detective Lieutenant Elliott and K. Callan as Wanetta "Great Nana" Thrombey. The latter being Harlan's mother.

- Daniel Craig and Ana De Amas would later reunite for No Time To Die. 

- Standout music: Roxy Music's More Than This, The Rolling Stones Sweet Virginia and Follies by Stephen Sondheim – Daniel Craig's Losing My Mind.

- Chronology: The film was made in Boston and Maynard, Massachusetts.

Knives Out served as the perfect revival for the murder mystery genre in a time where Agatha Christie adaptations have fared less well on both the small and big screen. The story was great, the cast were chosen wisely and Daniel Craig's Benoit Blanc has cemented himself as one of the best modern detectives.

Rating: 8 out of 10 

My Review of The Man Who Laughs (1928)

 

Written by J. Grubb Alexander And Walter Anthony And Mary McLean And Charles E. Whittaker

Directed by Paul Leni

Gwynplaine: "A king made me a clown! A queen made me a Peer! But first, God made me a man!"

There's always that ovie from that one actor that you haven't watched but know you should. The one actor would be Conrad Veidt and the one film of course would be The Man Who Laughs.

It's a film that has quite the reputation, both in the genre of movie it belonged, the adaptation of a classic novel from Victor Hugo and of course, it's even a movie where the central character's appearance would later go on to inspire one of the most iconic fictional villains of all time.

Getting to the movie itself, I can see this movie has been lauded so much. Conrad Veidt's transformation into Gwynplaine was something to behold. A victim of a surgeon named Hardquanonne (George Siegmann) knife at the behest of the King James II (Sam De Grasse). 

The act was done to spite Gwynplaine's father, Lord Clancharlie (Conrad Veidt), who was executed early in the movie. Time passed by and Gwynplaine and Dea (Mary Philbin) were travelling and performing the plays by Ursus (Cesare Gravina) while also being in love with each other. 

Despite his frozen smile, Gwynplaine also attracted the attention of the Duchess (Olga Baclanova), who found him both repulsive and arousing. She also saw his royal heritage as something to boost her own social standing while being openly mocking of Gwynplaine.

The second half of the movie varied between Gwynplaine being both a prisoner, a free man and believed dead by various characters as well as a deeper connection between Gwynplaine and the blind Dea. Their love story did have a sweetness to it along with Gwynplaine's dynamic with Homo the Dog and the more antagonistic one with the brutal Barkilphedro (Brandon Hurst).

- The book this movie's based on came out in 1869. This adaptation followed a successful version of The Hunchback Of Notre Dame (1923).

- The popular villain whose look would be inspired by this film of course was the Joker. 

- Standout music: When Love Comes Stealing, composed by Ernö Rapée.

- Chronology: Late 17th and early 18th Century England.

The Man Who Laughs nearly a century later has held up as an extraordinary film. Conrad Veidt gives such a compelling performance throughout this entire movie.

Rating: 9 out of 10 

My Review of The Conjuring: Last Rites (2025)

 

Written by Ian Goldberg And Richard Naing And David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick And James Wan

Directed by Michael Chaves

Lorraine: "Ed, there's an evil here. Something I've felt before."

Last week, I did a rewatch and review of the previous three movies in this successful horror franchise. It was time for the final chapter and oh boy, did this one really do it's level best to go out on a bang for the Warrens. 

Once again, we're thrown into a case. The one that would be the last for Ed (Patrick Wilson) and Lorraine (Vera Farmiga). Also, funny story before this particular case in question, we'd see the paranormal pair doing the lecture circuit and avoiding the real reason why they were no longer taking on cases.

Of course it had to do with Ed's health, something which now the much older Judy (Mia Tomlinson) also addressed. In the previous movies, Judy was very much a background character. In this one, she's effectively co-leading with her parents as her own supernatural powers (same as Lorraine's) came to the forefront.

On top of that, Judy had a lovely fiancé named Tony (Ben Hardy), who was generally a bumbling sweetheart with a nice backstory about being a former cop. His scenes with Judy and her parents were actually some of the strongest in the movie and I'm happy to report, the movie ended with Judy and Tony actually getting married.

As for the case itself, it was the Smurl family, which saw parents Janet (Rebecca Cowan) and Jack (Elliot Cowan). Their house was possessed and the eight people that lived in the house all had their own demonic encounters. Naturally the press took an interest and the Warrens themselves came out of retirement to check it out.

This case definitely felt like it was the most personal for the Warrens. Lorraine learned more about the demons and murder, Ed and Tony tried to remove a cursed mirror and Judy herself was terrorised by a rather familiar doll. While the Smurl case had more to it than what the movie covered, a large chunk of the haunting was depicted here before offering a sense of closure to the series.

- In flashbacks to 1964, Ed and Lorraine were played by Orion Smith and Madison Lawlor respectively.

- Characters such as Carolyn Perron (Lili Taylor), Cindy Perron (Mackenzie Foy), Peggy Hodgson (Frances O'Connor), Janet Hodgson (Madison Wolfe) and David Glatzel (Julian Hilliard) also appeared during the end of the movie.

- Standout music: Benjamin Wallfisch provided the score for this movie.

- Chronology: Mainly set in 1986 Pennsylvania as well as the opening 1964 flashback.

The Conjuring: Last Rites not only felt like an ending to this part of the franchise but it could've been the end of the whole franchise. It's certainly a good place to end Ed and Lorraine Warren as protagonists but I'm sure this also just laid the groundwork for a new Annabelle movie in due course.

Rating: 7 out of 10 

My Review of The Goonies (1985)

 

Written by Chris Columbus And Steven Spielberg

Directed by Richard Donner

Mikey: "Goonies never say die!"

Before the year is out, I want to watch and review more movies from 1985 that I've either not watched before or haven't watched in a long time. This falls into the latter category.

Okay, so we've got four lads named Mikey (Sean Astin), Chuck (Jeff Cohen), Mouth (Corey Feldman) and Data (Ke Huy Quan). One has asthma, the other knows Spanish badly, the other's a habitual fabulist and the other one knows their way around gadgets. As a friendship group though, they oddly compliment one another.

Throw in some older kids into the mix as Mikey's older brother, Brand (Josh Brolin), his girlfriend Andy (Kerri Green) tomboy Stef (Martha Plimpton) and you've got a bunch of characters thrown together on a rather madcap adventure. An adventure that would force all of them step up as characters.

The adventure involved a villainous family led by Mama Fratelli (Anne Ramsay). She had two able bodied but still incompetent sons with Jake (Robert Davi) and Francis (Joe Pantoliano). There was also the deformed Sloth (John Matuszak). Sloth's poorly treated by his family but would end up forming a bond with Chuck.

The big story involved all of these characters being a mission to find One Eyed Willy's treasure and it's definitely a madcap adventure in doing so. I mean there's even most of the characters having to walk the plank of an underground pirate ship before the good guys won.

As antagonists, the Fratellis are hardly scary but they're a nice mixture of would be intimidating (they didn't have an issue with nearly blending Chuck's hand), mean spirited (Mama's horrible to kids) and laughably incompetent. Their just desserts at the end of the film were definitely deserved.

- Earlier this year, a sequel was actually announced for this movie. Richard Donner had a cameo in this movie.

- There's nice references to both Superman: The Movie (1978) and Gremlins (1984). 

- Standout music: Cyndi Lauper's The Goonies 'R' Good Enough.

- Chronology: 1980s, Astoria in Oregon.

Although not my favourite movie from 1985, I do enjoy The Goonies a lot and it's hard to deny it's overall cultural impact as a film. It's definitely a lazy afternoon sort of watch. 

Rating: 8 out of 10 

My Review of Peacemaker: "Another Rick Up My Sleeve"

 

Written by James Gunn 

Directed by Greg Mottola 

Peacemaker: "Best dimension ever!"

Ah yes, three episodes into Season 2 and Christopher Smith still thinks that the grass is greener on the side. I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop with this other world. This wasn't the episode for that. It's coming though.

However in this world, there's another notable difference. Rick Flag Jr (Joel Kinnaman) happened to be very much alive and also in a relationship with Emilia Harcourt. He's also a lot on the bumbling side of things and was very intimidated by Christopher stopping ARGUS to pay a visit to Harcourt.

Speaking of Harcourt, this version's certainly less abrasive than our one but she's also wary of Christopher. Clearly the other version hurt her, leading to their break up and Emilia being with the less threatening Flag Jr, whom she doesn't seem that into. 

I'm ambivalent about the whole Peacemaker/Harcourt pairing but I liked this episode exploring all sides of their mutual attraction to each other. Watching Chris and Emilia 2 working through issues while the Sons of Liberty tried to blow up was actually pretty entertaining.

I can see why Chris is getting more drawn to this world. His chances with Harcourt are less complicated than his own version, he's being hailed a hero and admired by the public and he's got a fantastic relationship with Keith. Keith did show the odd moment of suspicion but genuinely seemed touched by Chris admitting to missing him.

As for our world antics, Economos nearly got away from Sasha Bordeaux and Fleury but instead wound up in a team with Judomaster (Nhut Le) and Eagly's new nemesis, Red St. Wild (Michael Rooker). I kind of have new respect for Economos treating Red with pure contempt. I'm also here for him betraying ARGUS to help Peacemaker and Eagly.

- Opening flashback revealed that in our world Rick Flag Jr was also dating Emilia Harcourt as well as June Moone. That would make both movies canon to this series.

- This is Michael Rooker's third DCU role, following roles in both Creature Commandos and Superman (2025).

- Leota also grilled Emilia about her feelings for Peacemaker in our world while Economos had to quiz Adrian on spiders. He's also a fan of crows.

- Both Rick Flag Sr and Eagly were absent from this episode.

- Standout music: Ozzy Osbourne's Dreamer and Shining's Animal.

- Chronology: Flashback was two hours before the events of The Suicide Squad.

Another Rick Up My Sleeve somewhat gave away the big spoiler of the episode and I kind of wish we had seen a bit more of Rick Flag Jr but it's an enjoyable episode and it had some nice moments. Peacemaker's dealing with the Sons of Liberty in particular was good.

Rating: 7 out of 10 

My Review of Wonder Woman (2011, NBC TV Pilot)

 

Written by David E. Kelley

Directed by Jeffrey Reiner

Diana (to Henry): "I never said to merchandise my tits."

Etta: "Wonder Woman isn't vulgar."

Yesterday I watched and reviewed the TV movie pilot for the Cathy Lee Crosby show that never happened. Now it was time to do the same to the NBC pilot starring Adrianne Palicki that also suffered the same fate. After watching, I can see why NBC chose not to continue.

To say this pilot episode was rough would be an understatement because it's fucking rough and often ridiculous. Sadly with the latter part, not in an entertaining way either. I found this to be quite a chore to watch.

First of all, Adrianne Palicki probably could've been an interesting version of the iconic character but there's so much here they doesn't work in her favour. Even for network TV, she's given not one but two very garish versions of her signature costume that looks like they had been pulled from a thrift store.

Then there's the overall characterisation. She's closer to the more mean spirited and harsh versions of Batman and was a bit too casual about torturing people for information and even killing security guards. This was all so she could get to the villain of the piece, Veronica Cale (Elizabeth Hurley), owner of Cale Anderson Pharmaceuticals. In some ways, Diana's almost no better than Veronica.

Diana's day job as Diana Themyscira, the CEO of Themyscira Industries had her mostly arguing about doll branding with her second in command Henry Detmer (Cary Elwes) and right hand woman, Etta Candy (Tracie Thoms). That was when she was publicly putting Veronica on blast and grudgingly working with police detective Ed Indelicato (Pedro Pascal).

Trundling through this episode, there's some horribly coordinated fight sequences, a young guy who's death propelled Diana into aggressive action and flashbacks detailing the break up of her relationship with Steve Trevor (Justin Bruening). Then Steve reappeared as part of the Justice Department and Diana realised he was engaged. She wasn't pleased about that news.

- Pedro Pascal would later go on to portray Maxwell Lord in Wonder Woman 1984 and yes that film's better than this pilot episode.

- We saw the Invisible Jet a few times in the episode as well as the Lasso. However we didn't see or hear anything about Themyscira. Cheetah was also name checked. There was also a Diana Prince alias too.

- Did Facebook pay them to promote their site so extensively? Dr Phil also had a cameo appearance in the episode.

- Chronology: Diana's currently located in Los Angeles with Steve having relocated there six months ago from New York.

That was a very ropey Wonder Woman pilot. In the space of 41 minutes I can see why this wasn't picked up as a series. There's just so much within it that didn't work and it likely would've cancelled after a few episodes had NBC even bothered to take it to a series.

Rating: 5 out of 10 

My Review of Wonder Woman (1974, TV Movie)

 

Written by Vincent McEveety

Directed by John D. F. Black

Steve: "Oh Dee, you didn't tell me. When you finally caught up with him, how was your bout with the dentist?"

Diana: "Painful. A little."

In a different universe, Lynda Carter might not have been the definitive version of Diana Prince/Wonder Woman. Had this TV movie actually led to successful, it could've been Cathy Lee Crosby but things have a way of not working out.

Like the pilot movie that would come out a year after the release of this one, this ABC offering from 1974 kept things simple. If you're hoping for some iconic rogue gallery members, you're out of luck here. 

Instead you get a brief look at Diana's life in Paradise Island as her mother, Hippolyta (Charlene Holt) sent her to Man's World to make it a better place. This meant working as a secretary for Steve Trevor (Kaz Garas) and assuming the mantle of Wonder Woman.

The main plot for this pilot TV movie involved ten books being stolen from Rio De Janeiro, Paris, Berlin, Istanbul and London. They were stolen by the devious George Calvin (Andrew Prine) at the behest of the oddly charming Abner Smith (Ricardo Montalbán). That and the identities of thirty nine agents.

Abner wanted $15 million to be delivered to Nevada by donkey and George wanted to kill Diana. I mean, George really wanted to kill her and tried multiple times and failed each time. Even the assistance of rogue Amazon Ahnjayla (Anitra Ford) didn't exactly yield the results he wanted. 

As baddies, George was the most despicable of the bunch and his eventual downfall was rather satisfying. Abner on the other hand was almost too courteous in defeat. He was way too happy about being bested by Wonder Woman and even declared his love for her upon being arrested. It was very odd indeed.

- Diana was called Dee by both Steve Trevor and Bob (Jordan Rhodes). Diana's relationship with Steve was strictly professional.

- Kaz Garas who played Steve Trevor would appear in the Lynda Carter show as Lucas.

- Unlike the TV show, it seemed like everyone was aware that Diana Prince and Wonder Woman were the same person.

- Chronology: Present day and in multiple locations for the whole movie.

As a TV pilot episode, Wonder Woman could have maybe worked. I know Cathy Lee Crosby looked nothing like the character (and neither did her costume) but I thought she did fine in the part. A decent if not spectacular live action debut for the iconic character.

Rating: 6 out of 10 

Buffy Sequel Series - Pilot Wrapped, Subtitle and Further Casting Revealed

I didn't want to do too many blog about filming for the pilot of the upcoming Hulu sequel series to Buffy The Vampire Slayer but here's the last relevant round up of information to go over.

- Once again our main cast for now are Buffy Summers (Sarah Michelle Gellar), Nova (Ryan Kiera Armstrong), Mr Burke (Jack Cutmore-Scott), Abe (Daniel Di Tomasso), Gracie (Sarah Bock), Larkin (Ava Jean) and Hugo (Faly Rakotohavana).

- The official title for the show will be Buffy The Vampire Slayer: New Sunnydale.

- Filming for the pilot has officially wrapped. Filming for the series will happen later on.

- Chloe Zhao (Eternals, Hamnet) who directed the pilot confirmed that the show will take place 25 years after the series original ending.

- Chase Sui Wonders will guest in the pilot episode as a vampire named Shirley.

- Other characters confirmed for the pilot are Mrs LaDuca (Merrin Dungey), Jessica (Audrey Grace Marshall), Cole (Jensen Gering), Carson (Kingston Vernes), Keiko (Audrey Hsieh) and Shaz (Winston Vengapally).

- Again will air on Hulu (Disney+ for international audiences) but a release date has yet to confirmed.

Right now, some snippets of the script have leaked and some cringe dialogue to one side, it seems like there's potential with this series. We're still none the wiser if any other characters from the original series will pop up but neither are they being ruled out for now.

Are you looking forward to Buffy The Vampire Slayer: New Sunnydale? I'll be reviewing it when it does eventually release.

My Review of The Thursday Murder Club (2025)

 

Written by Katy Brand And Suzanne Heathcote

Directed by Chris Columbus

Joyce: "Who's us?"

Elizabeth: "I'm sorry, how rude of me. We're the Thursday Murder Club."

During the weekend, I wanted something a little fun but not a straight up comedy. In a lot of ways, this latest release from Netflix was the perfect thing to watch.

You've got a posh retirement community named Cooper's Chase and in it, you've got four leads who made up the titular club. They're an eclectic bunch made up of a retired spy, nurse, psychiatrist and a trade union leader.

These characters are Elizabeth Best (Helen Mirren), Joyce Meadowcroft (Celia Imrie), Ibrahim Arif (Ben Kingsley) and Ron Ritchie (Pierce Brosnan). They're a fun bunch who like to solve mysteries with Joyce being latest member to join the group.

They also get the biggest mystery to solve when local businesseman Ian Bentham (David Tennant) threatened to tear down their retirement home for his own business needs. He's opposed by the home's owner, Tony Curran (Geoff Bell) and it didn't take long for Curran to end up dead.

Immediately that put Ian into the frame but it also had the Thursday Murder Club team up with policewoman Donna De Freitas (Naomi Ackie) and DCI Chris Hudson (Daniel Mays) to solve the case and save their home from being sold off. There's plenty of twists before the actual culprit, Bogdan (Henry Lloyd-Hughes) was revealed. 

During the movie while the main case moved along, there was the resolution of a woman in white with a fellow retiree knowing more than they let on. I also liked the inclusion of Ron's boxer son Jason (Tom Ellis), Joyce's hedgefund daughter Joanna (Ingrid Oliver) and Elizabeth's husband, Stephen (Jonathan Pryce), all of whom are great in their respective supporting roles.

- The movie's based on a book series by Richard Osman (who's married to Ingrid Oliver). 

- Jason's been doing celebrity shows since his retirement from boxing. Richard E. Grant also popped up as mobster Bobby Tanner.

- Ol Parker was the original director but was replaced by Chris Columbus after filming was able to resume, post writers/actors strike.

- Chronology: Present day in a retirement village in Kent.

The Thursday Murder Club feels like the type of cosy detective dramas that both BBC and ITV do in their sleep, albeit with a slightly bigger cast. It's a fun way to spend two hours and it's even genuinely funny and touching in parts.

Rating: 7 out of 10 

DCU Blog - August 2025 Edition: Superman Follow Up Confirmed, Project Updates And Clayface Filming

It's been a month since Superman hit theatres and less than a fortnight since the start of Peacemaker. It's been another busy month for DC fans.

As of now, Superman (2025) has made over 611 million at the box office and went to digital on August 15th to purchase.

Both David Zaslav and James Gunn have confirmed that the latter will write and direct the follow up and it could be going into production sooner than expected.

Test screenings for Supergirl (June 26th 2026) have been positive. A trailer likely won't appear for another few months. 

Jeffrey Wright and Colin Farrell have both admitted to seeing the script for The Batman - Part II (October 1st 2027) recently. Filming will start next year. There's a rumour Zoe Kravitz might not be in this movie.

Max Minghella and Eddie Marsan have joined the cast of Clayface (September 11th 2026). Filming starts tomorrow in the UK.

James Gunn has admitted that things are going well for The Brave And The Bold, Wonder Woman, Paradise Lost and Booster Gold. Waller is still happening, despite moving slower.

The Krypto shorts (the first was released this month) are not canon to the DCU.

Kyle Rayner and Nikki Jones will factor in the upcoming My Adventures With Green Lantern animated series. Jessica Cruz will lead the show.

The second season premiere of Peacemaker (HBO Max) saw a 22% rise in viewers. There's also been hints of big cameos in the final three episodes, which have not been shown to the media.

Cary Christopher, Paula Patton and Laura Linney have been cast in undisclosed roles for the upcoming HBO series, Lanterns.

Other characters teaming up in the upcoming Batman/Deadpool book include John Constantine/Doctor Strange and Harley Quinn/The Hulk to name a few.

James Gunn has confirmed that another TV show that no one knew about will be one of the next things to film.

Margot Robbie has been asked recently about her future as Harley Quinn, last seen in The Suicide Squad. Right now, we're still none the wiser if she'll reprise the role in the DCU.

George Newborn has recently confirmed that Injustice 3 is happening.

A trailer for Lego Batman: Legacy Of The Dark Knight game was released this month.

Lauren LeFranc has signed a deal with HBO and there's been some talks about a potential second season of The Penguin.

And that's a rundown of the important DC news for this month. I also wrote a blog about a certain topic if you want to read that. 

My Review of The Exorcist (FOX TV Series, 2016-2017)

 

Written by Jeremy Slater And Heather Bellson And Dre Ryan And Adam Stein And David Grimm And Laura Marks And Charise Castro Smith And Marcus Gardley And Franklin Jin Rho And Manny Coto And Rebecca Kirsch And Alyssa Clark And M. Willis And Sean Crouch

Directed by Rupert Wyatt And Michael Nankin And Craig Zisk And Jason Ensler And Jennifer Phang And Tinge Krishnan And Louis Milito And Bill Johnson And Dean Sarafian And Ti West And So Yong Kim And Alex Garcia Lopez And Steven A. Adelson And Meera Menon And Elizabeth Allen Rosenbaum 

Father Tomas: "I was told you were an exorcist."

Father Marcus: "Who exactly told you that?"

Father Tomas: "Does it matter?"

Father Marcus: "Yeah, I think it does."

About two years ago, I watched and reviewed every single sequel/prequel to The Exorcist but there was something that i had missed out on. That thing of course being the television series itself.

This show ran for two seasons on FOX, clocking in twenty episodes overall. It was also a reasonably well received show with two very captivating lead performance from Alfonso Herrera and Ben Daniels. 

Herrera played the more inexperienced Father Tomas Ortega while Daniels played the hardened exorcist in question, Father Marcus Keane. It would be dreams that would ultimately bring these two men together and demonic possessions that would rest their relationship with each other and respective faith.

The first season of this show played out like a legacy sequel to the classic 1973 movie. Yup, this meant the return of Regan MacNeil (Geena Davis), going under the name of Angela Rance. Of course that wasn't revealed until halfway through the season when we had a few episodes with her mother, Chris (Sharon Gless) returned and old family tension reared it's head.

Yes, Pazuzu (Robert Emmet Lunney) effectively was the main threat of the season, terrorising Regan's daughter, Casey (Hannah Kasulka) as well her husband, Henry (Alan Ruck) and other daughter, Kat (Brianne Howey). I'd say as a legacy sequel, this was overall better than expected.

Now while I don't think the second season turned out as good, it was still better than it should've been. This time the focus was on foster dad Andrew Kim (John Cho) falling victim to a possession, which played on his guilt of deceased wife, Nicole (Alicia Witt) while putting his adopted kids like Verity (Brianna Hildebrand) and fellow social worker Rose Cooper (Li Jun Li).

Andy's story isn't as compelling as the Rances from the first season but I did appreciate it trying to be a bit different. In between both possession stories, there was also characters like Father Bennett (Kurt Egyiawan) and Mouse (Zuleikha Robinson) trying to stop the church from actually integrating with demons. It took a bit too long for that plot to circle back to our main cast in the second season.

Now the strength of this show was definitely the team up of Tomas and Marcus. Alfonso Herrera and Ben Daniels are fantastic casting and both are given some compelling material to work with. As characters, they may have certain conflicts but they largely balanced each other out and their separation at the end of the series was expected but slightly sad to watch.

- Season 1 episode titles: And Let Me Cry Unto Thee, Lupus In Fabula, Let 'Em In, The Moveable Feast, Through My Most Grievous Fault, Star Of The Morning, Father Of Lies, The Griefbearers, 162 and Three Rooms.

- Season 2 episode titles: Janus, Safe As Houses, Unclean, One For Sorrow, There But For The Grace Off God, Go I, Darling Nikki, Help Me, A Heaven Of Hell, Ritual & Repetition and Unworthy.

- In the first season, Tomas had an affair with a married woman named Jessica (Mouzam Makkar) while in the second season, Marcus was seeing a man named Peter (Christopher Cousins).

- Fans of Yellowjackets would've spotted Sophie Thatcher as a younger version of Regan in the first season.

- Creator Jeremy Slater would go to run Moon Knight for the MCU and is one of the architects for the DCU.

- Chronology: The first season is set in Chicago while the second season takes in a few different places, including Nachburn in Seattle. 

For a show that would've a little constricted by network television rules, it's impressive just how good this version of The Exorcist turned out to be. Tbe writing for the most part was strong, the scares and possession scenes really effective and the dynamic between Alfonso Herrera and Ben Daniels. Definitely worth watching.

Rating: 8 out of 10 

My Review of The Black Phone (2021)

 

Written by Scott Derrickson And C. Robert Cargill

Directed by Scott Derrickson

Finney (to The Grabber): "It's for you!"

With a sequel due in theatres in October, I thought it was time to catch up with this one. I remember there seemed to be some positive buzz, so I had certain expectations for this movie.

Setting in the same year where movies like Grease, Halloween and Superman: The Movie was released, you had a town in terror. Why? Oh, because of a child snatcher named The Grabber (Ethan Hawke) of course.

In this movie, the focus was on sibling duo Finney (Mason Thames) and Gwen (Madeleine McGraw) and their alcoholic father, Terrence (Jeremy Davies). Terrence vented his anger out on his children while both also had to deal with bullies in school and classmates being victims of The Grabber.

Before we got to the halfway point of the movie, it was established that Gwen's dreams had a tendency of predicting future events (something she got from her deceased mother). This was something that Terrence literally tried to beat out of her until even he was forced to accept that she was telling the truth.

As for Finney, he became the latest victim of The Grabber. During his captivity, Finney had to play The Grabber's twisted "Naughty Boy" while also receiving phone calls from a black phone. The calls being from the ghosts of previous victims, including Finney's friend, Robin (Miguel Cazarez Mora). The latter encouraging Finney to fight back against The Grabber.

Of course between Gwen working with the police and her dreams providing clues and Finney giving The Grabber his just desserts, Finney ended up being the sole survivor of the serial killer's reign of terror. If anything, this movie seemed to give a very permanent comeuppance for The Grabber but we're getting a sequel.

- James Ransome (IT: Chapter 2) had the role of Max, who was the brother and final victim of The Grabber.

- A sequel of sorts titled Dreamkill does factor in anthology movie, V/H/S/85.

- Standout music: Pink Floyd's On The Run and Blind Blake's Early Morning Blues.

- Chronology: This film took place during 1978 in North Denver, Colorado.

The Black Phone made for a good cat and mouse serial killer/horror movie. There's strong performances between Ethan Hawke and Mason Thames but it also felt like something that should've been a one and done deal.

Rating: 7 out of 10 

My Review of Peacemaker: "A Man Is As Only Good As His Bird"

 

Written by James Gunn 

Directed by Greg Mottola

Peacemaker (to Vigilante): "Looking in your own eyes just fucks you up."

And we're into the second episode of this second season. Last time we left things, Peacemaker just killed his other self but that's not the only thing that's bothering him this episode.

However seeing as it was the most important of the opening episode, it did make sense to (badly) resolve it first. That meant getting Adrian to help him go all Dexter Morgan on his other self with the body disposal. I guess being responsible for killing your other self can do a number on you.

On the plus side, there was a chance to do some 11th Street Kids celebrating on the roof of Harcourt's apartment block and that mostly went well. I think Chris trying to get Emilia to open up about her self destructive behaviour was where things went wrong. Trying to contact her other self might also be an unwise idea.

Circling to Economos, he had the task of a flashback which introduced Rick Flag Sr as his boss and in the present day Sadha thought it best for him to be accompanied by handler, Fleury (Tim Meadows). I think the words "loathsome character but great performance" spring to mind.

Throughout the episode,I found myself either annoyed or disgusted by every single thing that came out of Fleury's mouth but Tim Meadows also gave such a great performance. I did laugh when Fleury and his team's attempts to break into Chris's house had Eagly do a lot of damage to that team. 

Other than that, this wasn't an episode to hugely move forward much. There's bitterness between Leota and her estranged wife, Emilia snapped at a sympathetic woman and Adrian yet again showed jealousy over Chris having a sex life. I did like the scene with Leota and John though.

- Fleury has a bird blindness, bragged about having sex with women in Oregon and gave his team politically incorrect code names.

- Some archive footage was used from The Suicide Squad and Peacemaker knows that Flag Sr wants revenge on him.

- The post credit was Fleury bragging more about his sexploits. Economos got "Ginger Cool" as a nickname. Waller got "A Dubs" by Economos.

- Is this show being sponsored by Bud Light? Other beers and alcoholic drinks do exist. 

- Standout music: Foxy Shazam's Evil Thoughts and Hardcore Superstar's We Don't Need A Cure.

- Chronology: From where the previous episode left off. Flag Sr has also been ARGUS's leader for the last eight months.

I didn't like A Man Is As Only Good As His Bird as much as the opening episode but it was enjoyable enough. Some nice character moments and further proof that Eagly is the most lethal character on the show.

Rating: 7 out of 10 

My Review of The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It (2021)

 

Written by James Wan And David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick

Directed by Michael Chaves

Ed Warren: "The court accepts the existence of God every time a witness swears to tell the truth. I think it's about time they accept the existence of the Devil."

Usually things end in threes and this really could've been the end of both this part of the franchise or the entire franchise in general. It had a feeling of finality to it.

Once again, we're with paranormal couple, Ed (Patrick Wilson) and Lorraine Warren (Vera Farmiga) but this time, we're not dealing with haunted houses as such. This one was definitely more about the possessions and a bout of occultism in the mix as well.

The movie started with a family's young son, David (Julian Hilliard) being possessed by a demon that Ed and Lorraine really struggled to get rid. In fact to up the ante, Ed ended up hospitalised and in a wheelchair for a bit of the movie. Of course that wasn't the only consequence of saving David.

David might have gotten the demon taken out of him but his sister, Debbie (Sarah Catherine Hook) didn't fare as well. The demon instead up residence in her boyfriend, Arne Cheyenne Johnson (Ruari O'Connor) and as a result, he ended up stabbing his landlord twenty two times and was sent the prison for his crime.

This film tackled the issue of demonic possession being claimed as a defence while also putting Ed and Lorraine through their paces. Along with their assistant, Drew (Shannon Kook) they worked on trying to save Arne from the death penalty while drawing a link to another case involving an occultist (Eugenie Bondurant). 

Unlike the previous movies that were in spin off setting up mode, there's a good focus on the actual threat at hand. Isla/Occultist made for a good villain, the demon certain had both Ed and Arne act, Lorraine had more to do and there was a strong supporting role from John Noble as Kastner. I think this might have had the strongest third act so far.

- Once again we see items from previous movies and spin offs with voice over work filling in the gaps of the real life case this movie was based.

- James Wan co-wrote but didn't direct this one. His wife Ingrid Bisu had a role in this film as well.

- Standout music: Eddie Money's Baby Hold On and Blondie's Call Me.

- Chronology: 1981 in Brookfield, Connecticut as well as Dancers, Massachusetts.

I think I might have liked The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It the best of these movies so far. The story helped by being a little different from the first two. It's also the movie where I think the reshoots helped strengthen the actual plot and third act itself.

Rating: 7 out of 10 

My Review of The Conjuring 2 (2016)

 

Written by Chad Hayes And Carey W. Hayes And James Wan And David Leslie Johnson

Directed by James Wan

Lorraine Warren: "After everything we've seen, there isn't much that rattles either of us anymore. But this one... this one still haunts me."

Following the events of the first movie and spin off movie, Annabelle, it was time to venture into the first sequel of this franchise. This meantt another case with husband and wife demonologist team, Ed (Patrick Wilson) and Lorraine Warren (Vera Farmiga).

Back in the 1970s, it wasn't just the US having their share of paranormal cases but even the UK had an infamous one with the Enfield Haunting. It was time for the Warrens to take a trip overseas for this particular case.

The case focused on a single mother, Peggy Hodgson (Frances O'Connor) and her family, Janet (Madison Wolfe), Margaret (Lauren Esposito), Billy (Benjamin Haigh) and Johnny (Patrick McAuley). Let's just say kids really shouldn't be messing with ouija boards.

It was Janet and Margaret playing with one that suddenly saw their home being terrorised by the ghost of Bill Wilkins (Bob Adkins), who communicated through Janet and certainly made the effort to unnerve Ed during their initial encounter in the house.

However, it wasn't just one ghost. No, there was also the Crooked Man (Javier Batet) terrorising the house and even Ed and Lorraine needed the helps of others such as Maurice Grosse (Simon McBurney) and Anita Gregory (Franka Potente) in saving the Hodgson family.

Then there was another spin off to help set up. Lorraine was having visions of a demonic nun named Valak (Bonnie Aarons) and there's a battle between the pair in order to save Ed. Personally, I found this set up a little clumsy and distracting from the main plot itself.

- The last scene contained the Annabelle doll, a haunted "Crooked Man" zoetrope and one of the Perrons music boxes.

- There's some nice supporting performances from Maria Doyle Kennedy and Simon Delaney as a couple who were friends with Peggy and her family.

- Standout music: Elvis's I Can't Help Falling In Love With You and The Clash's London Calling.

- Chronology: The movie started with the Lutz family in Amityville in 1976 before moving to the Enfield Haunting in 1977. Christmas played a part here too.

The Conjuring 2 for the most part did make for a good sequel. I liked the London setting, the jump scares were still good but it did feel like they could've weaved the Valak story a lot better into the movie or just hinted at it in a post credit scene instead.

Rating: 7 out of 10 

My Review of The Conjuring (2013)

 

Written by Chad Hayes And Carey W. Hayes

Directed by James Wan

Ed Warren: "The devil exists. God exists. And for us, as people, our very destiny hinges upon which one we elect to follow."

With the last month of these movies due for theatres next month, I went back to rewatch the first three. This franchise has definitely been a good mine for WB but often a mixed bag in terms of quality.

Focusing on real life couple Ed (Patrick Wilson) and Lorraine Warren (Vera Farmiga), these two are quite the experts in the paranormal field. Though their credibility has often been called into question.

With this movie, we open with the demonologist couple investigating the infamous Annabelle doll that has been terrorising friends Camilla (Amy Tipton) and Debbie (Morganna May). Of course that would be more in line with setting up the next movie in this franchise rather than the crux of this one.

Instead the action pivoted towards the Perron family. You had Roger (Ron Livingston) and Carolyn (Lili Taylor) moving into a new home with their five daughters. It's not long before strange stuff happens at a specific time, Carolyn wound up with bruises and the poor dog Sadie ended up being dead as a result.

Of course that meant the Perron family getting Ed and Lorraine to try and sort out their supernatural problem along with their assistant Drew Thomas (Shannon Kook) and police officer Brad Hamilton (John Brotherton). Honestly, the Warrens needed all the help they could get.

The house had a history of Satanism and Witchcraft, notably Bathsheba Sherman (Joseph Bishara). The remainder of the film played as a tense battle for two families souls and it's one that's played well enough with the Warrens being able to save the Perrons from their Satanic house.

- The end of the movie set up the events for Annabelle (2014), which in my opinion is still the best film in this whole franchise.

- The real Lorraine Warren had a cameo appearance in the movie.

- Standout music: The Zombies Time Of The Season and Dead Man Bones In The Room Where You Sleep.

- Chronology: The film started in 1968 for the Annabelle case before the main events in Harrisville, Rhode Island during 1971.

The Conjuring was a strong start to this franchise, adapting the real life Perron case and setting up the events for another movie. James Wan does good with the jump scares and there's no denying that Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga are excellent in these roles.

Rating: 7 out of 10 

My Review of Lost Boys: The Tribe (2008)

 

Written by Hans Rodionoff

Directed by P.J. Pesce

Edgar Frog: "Let's get one thing straight, I hate damn vampires!"

The 2000s really were the wildest time for the horror genre. If it was an unnecessary reboot, it was also the unnecessary sequel. This was 94 minutes of my time in which I should have something far more constructive with my time.

Take two siblings - Chris Emerson (Tad Hilgenbrink) and his sister, Nicole (Autumn Reeser). Throw them into a certain town, renting a house from their aunt Jillian (Gabrielle Rose) and you'll see where this one will go.

The sister Nicole being the rebellious one of the bunch made some new friends such as surfer dude, Shane Powers (Angus Sutherland). It doesn't take long for Nicole to be tricked into drinking blood or for Shane and his friends to be the new vampires of this town.

It also didn't take long for Chris to "join" Shane and his gang in a bid to rescue his sister and stop her drinking from local boy Evan (Greyston Holt). Of course there's another aspect of this movie I've not touched on.

Having a link to the 1987 movie, there was also the return of Edgar Frog (Corey Feldman). He's become a vampire hunter, had an unconvincing grizzled accent and teamed up with Chris and Nicole to take out Shane and his friends. His performance was horrible and that's putting it mildly.

- A post credit scene revealed that Sam Emerson (Corey Haim) became a vampire between movies.

- Alan Frog (Jamison Newlander) had filmed scenes that were ultimately cut from the movie.

- Alternative scenes included subplots with Edgar, Sam and Alan that likely were meant to set up Lost Boys: The Thirst.

- Chronology: 2000s, Luna Bay in California.

Awful, just awful. I can vibe with a terrible sequel but when it's as draining and as dreadful as Lost Boys: The Tribe, I'd rather not. If you haven't seen it, don't bother. 

Rating: 3 out of 10 

My Review of The Lost Boys (1987)

 

Written by Janice Fischer And James Jeremias And Jeffrey Boam

Directed by Joel Schumacher 

Grandpa: "One thing about living in Santa Carla I never could stomach; all the damn vampires."

With Autumn fast approaching, I'm definitely in the mood for some vampire flicks and one of the best would be this gem from the late 1980s, directed by Joel Schumacher. 

Focusing on a single mother - Lucy Emerson (Dianne Wiest) and her sons, Michael (Jason Patric) and Sam (Corey Haim). They move to Santa Carla in order to live with Lucy's father (Barnard Hughes) and it's not long before they learn that their new town has some secrets of its own.

Notably the vampire population but it's the brothers who learn of this first. With Michael, he met a girl named Star (Jami Gertz). Star happened to be a vampire and so did her friends, David (Kiefer Sutherland), Paul (Brooke McCarter), Dwayne (Billy Wirth) and Marko (Alexander Winter). It didn't take Michael long to become one as well.

Then there's Sam. He's a massive comic book nerd but not much of a horror fan. He met up with the Frog brothers - Edgar (Corey Feldman) and Alan (Jamison Newlander). They brought Sam up to speed about vampires and were not best pleased upon learning that Michael was one of them. Still, they were handy to have around for this movie.

As for Lucy, she was mostly exasperated by her sons being different now they were in a new town. She was also trying to start a relationship with local man, Max (Edward Herrmann). Max seemed like a nice guy but looks can be deceiving.

Max being the head of the vampires was a nice twist but obvious. Wanting Lucy to be the mother of his made family was also expected. Grandpa being the one to set things back to normal before casually dropping that he knew about vampires all along. That I didn't expect. Good reveal though.

- Being invited into a home can make vampires immune to garlic and holy water. Michael, Star and Laddie reverted to normal at the end.

- Sam was something of a DC fan, specifically Superman. Eight years after this movie Joel Schumacher would direct Batman Forever and then Batman & Robin.

- Standout music: Good Times by INXS and Jimmy Barnes, Lost In The Shadows (The Lost Boys) by Lou Gramm and People Are Strange by Echo And The Bunnyman.

- Chronology: 1980s Santa Carla, California.

The Lost Boys lives up to its reputation. It's a fun vampire movie with great characters, some nice scare moments and scenes that are genuinely funny. A very enjoyable movie.

Rating: 8 out of 10 

My Review of Practical Magic (1998)

 

Written by Robin Swicord And Akiva Goldsman And Adam Brooks

Directed by Griffin Dunne

Sally Owens: "I dream of a love that even time will lie down and be still for."

With an unexpected sequel currently filming, it was time to go back and watch this movie. I watched it once in my teens but never felt compelled to watch again. Then they announced a sequel, so I'm watching this again.

The movie opened in the past with Maria Owens (Caprice Benedetti) surviving the locals trying to kill her for being a witch. Dealing with heartbreak, Maria also cast a spell never to fall in love again. That spell had it's own consequences such as dooming any man that would fall in love with an Owens woman.

Cut to more recent times and you've got sister duo, Sally (Sandra Bullock/Camilla Belle) and Gillian Owens (Nicole Kidman/Lora Anne Criswell). Their parents are killed and they go live with their eccentric aunts Frances (Stockard Channing) and Bridget Owens (Dianne Wiest). How Sally and Gillian would differ with magic certainly made things interesting.

Sally's use of magic had get a husband named (Mark Feuerstein) and two daughters, Kylie (Evan Rachel Wood) and Antonia (Alexandra Artrip). However the family curse struck, Michael died and Sally swore off magic for good. That didn't stop the locals from gossiping about the Owens family.

As for Gillian, she lived a lot more recklessly with her magic. Her choice in romantic partners was diabolical. Gillian's current boyfriend, James Angelov (Goran Visnjic) was not only physically abusive towards Gillian but he was also a serial killer. Jimmy ended up being killed twice by Gillian and Sally and then found a way to control over Gillian's body.

In between sisterly conflict, body possession and a detective named Gary Hallet (Aidan Quinn), we did have a community bonding together in order to flush out a very dangerous man. This movie wore it's feminist themes on its sleeves but it worked during that third act team up. 

- Griffin Dunne revealed that the studio stopped the film from being much darker than intended. The drunk scene was real thanks to Nicole Kidman.

- This movie wasn't a financial hit but it has drawn a cult audience and the sequel will come out next year.

- Standout music: Faith Hill's This Kiss, Harry Nilsson's Coconut and Stevie Nicks Crystal.

- Chronology: 1600s and the 1990s in a small Massachusetts town.

While Practical Magic doesn't quite hit the heights of other witch themed movies for me, it's a fairly enjoyable one nonetheless. I think Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman elevate it a bit.

Rating: 7 out of 10 

My Review of Peacemaker: "The Ties That Grind"

 

Written And Directed by James Gunn 

Peacemaker (Other): "Who the fuck are you?"

Peacemaker: "I can explain."

Can you believe it's been a month since Superman (2025) debuted in theatres and now we're on to our third DCU entry in less than a year? Where the hell does the time actually go, huh?

My initial plan for the second season of Peacemaker was to watch the whole season and then do one blog on it like I did with the first season. As you can tell I changed my mind about that one. As for this opening episode, it certainly had a lot to go on.

From the rather brisk way it chose to tackle the DCEU/DCU canon debate, it just swapped out the Justice League for the Justice Gang. Peacemaker aka Christopher Smith (John Cena) wanted to join up but Maxwell Lord (Sean Gunn), Hawkgirl (Isabela Merced) and Guy Gardner (Nathan Fillion) were more interested in making fun of Peacemaker than signing him up as a member of their group.

You'd think saving the world from the Butterflies and exposing Task Force X would've made things better but the exact opposite happened. Leota Adebayo (Danielle Brooks) has become unemployed and dumped by her wife. On the other hand, she did seem happy to be around both Peacemaker and John Economos (Steve Agee) in the few scenes they share together.

Someone arguably having a shitter time though would be Emilia Harcourt (Jennifer Holland). She's been blacklisted from every government job going and she's got a worse dose of toxic masculinity. On the other hand, she got into a rather bloody barfight and there's a lingering "will they/won't they" arc with Peacemaker that I'm indifferent to for now.

Getting back to Peacemaker, he's been messing around his father's portals and attracting the attention of Rick Flag Sr (Frank Grillo) and Sasha Bordeaux (Sol Rodriguez). More concerning was stepping into a world where Chris inadvertently killed the heroic version of himself after spending time with heroic versions of Auggie (Robert Patrick) and Keith (David Denman) also known as the Top Trio. Safe to say that Christopher fucked up real good this time around.

- The scene with the Justice League last season got replaced in the recap with the Justice Gang, plus Superman and Supergirl. David Corenswet, Milly Alcock and Edi Gathegi didn't physically appear though.

- Maxwell Lord was really rude about White Rabbit (Brey Noelle) and Guy Gardner was a tad biphobic about Peacemaker. Rick Flag Sr has replaced Amanda Waller at ARGUS.

- Peacemaker in the other world did date Harcourt but she's with a "jar head" right about now. Peacemaker in our world hosted an orgy where one male licked his face.

- Vigilante (Freddie Stroma) and Eagly had the least amount to do and the credit scene was an extended diss about a former DCEU actor's band.

- Standout music: Foxy Shazam's Oh Lord made up the new title sequence song. It's gonna take a while to get used to it. 

- Chronology: Six months since the events of the previous season. Events from both Creature Commandos and Superman (2025) are referenced too.

The Ties That Grind certainly got things off to a heck of a start. It's a chaotic opener with a few reflective moments and James Gunn at his most signature if that makes any sense. If you liked the first season, then you'll like this.

Rating: 8 out of 10 

The Future Of The Whoniverse: Actual Details To Discuss

Yes, it's been months since I've posted anything in relation to Doctor Who and given how there's been very little to talk about, can you blame me? Today however changed that. Let's dive in.

So, what exactly is going on with Doctor Who itself? Well, according to BBC Chief Content Officer Kate Phillips "the TARDIS is going absolutely nowhere" and I quote. Whether the show will remain in partnership with Disney+ however does continue to be the unanswered question but Phillips has reassured that the show will continue on BBC regardless of the outcome with the streamer. This was mentioned at the Edinburgh Television Festival today.

It's not an entirely satisfying answer of sorts. Right now, we had an extremely divisive finale back in May that saw Ncuti Gatwa regenerate into Billie Piper and we're still none the wiser as to whether the latter will be playing the 16th Doctor and in what capacity. Looks like we're going to wait longer for that answer.

However in news that likely won't shock anyone, the indecision regarding the main show's Disney+ future has likely impacted upcoming spin off, The War Between The Land And The Sea. First of all, this had a trailer premiere back in May that got eclipsed by the reaction to the recent finale of the main show itself.

It's been now confirmed that this spin off won't air this year as originally thought. Instead, it'll go to 2026, so for those who were looking forward to UNIT versus the Sea Devils or a potential interspecies romance between main characters Barclay (Russell Tovey) and Salt (Gugu Mbatha-Raw), you'll be waiting a bit longer for that. Sadly, I did suspect this show was going to be delayed.

As for current showrunner, Russell T. Davies, he has been doing recent interviews but not really providing anything concrete in regards to the future of Doctor Who. A few weeks ago, he did talk about having the scripts completed for his upcoming Channel 4 show, TipToe. 

Speaking of Channel 4, it was confirmed this week that Steven Moffat would be writing a drama for them called Number10, based on a certain famous British house that's due to start filming soon. Casting announcements will be imminent.

What of Chris Chibnall though? He's got upcoming Agatha Christie adaptation, The Seven Dials Mystery for Netflix and an ITV adaptation of his book, Death At The White Hart.

Doctor Who fans, we're in for a long wait for some proper answers regarding the show's future.