My Review of Doctor Who: "Destination: Skaro"

 

Written by Russell T. Davies 

Directed by Jamie O'Donoughue

The Doctor (to Mr Castavillian): "Look, I was never ever here. Never! The timeliness and canon are rupturing. I'm just gonna go and you're not gonna say a word, okay?"

With a week to go until the Fourteenth Doctor (David Tennant) made his glorious return in The Star Beast, it was the chance for Children In Need to give us a taste of what was to come. This could've been a fun but frivolous little scene for charity. Instead it offered something of a game changer for a big bad.

It's been eight years since we've last seen Dalek creator Davros (Julian Bleach) and here he's looking very different. Instead of being horribly mutated and confined to a robotic wheelchair,  Davros was very much able bodied and moving about. I have to admit, it was a little jarring to see at first.

Anyways, this was a prequel to Genesis Of The Daleks, with Davros admiring his unnamed creation and an assistant named Mr Castavillian (Mawaan Rizwan) who ran through some different suggestions to call the destructive creature while Davros left the room. I mean, anagrams are fun, right?

Then the Doctor crash landed in the TARDIS and soon his mouth went away with him. Within seconds  it was the Doctor who gave Mr Castavillian the words "Dalek" and "Exterminate" to play around with. Then he realised the error of his ways and quietly disappeared before Davros entered the room again.

The end result was this - Davros will now be an able bodied man, the Fourteenth Doctor should come with a gag order and a plunger really does look better than a deadly iron claw. Even Davros approved of a design that he hadn't thought of for his iconic killing g machines. 

- There's a comic book called Liberation Of The Daleks that led into the events of this minisode. 

- Nice shout out to Davros's second in command, Nyder. The voice was spot on.

- The Doctor Who Unleashed that accompanied this minisode did give reason as to why Davros will now appear able bodied in future appearances.

- David Tennant filmed this during his birthday. 

- Edlak and Klade were among the suggestions Mr Castavillian had before he learned the name Dalek.

- Chronology: An hour since the events of The Power Of The Doctor.

Destination: Skaro certainly turned out to be a bigger deal than expected. I had hoped Davros would appear but this wasn't quite what I had in mind. Still though, I missed David Tennant and this was a nice prelude to the anniversary specials.

Rating: 8 out of 10

My Review of Better Watch Out (2016)

 

Written by Zack Kahn And Chris Peckover

Directed by Chris Peckover 

Ashley (to Luke): "What delusional infant thinks that staging a break-in is going to get you to second base?"

Is it too early to review a Christmas movie? Maybe but this one's in the horror genre so that's my excuse and I was looking for a random movie to watch and stumbled on to this one.

I'm guessing the general behind this one was something in the lines of "what if Kevin McCallister really was just a psychopath?" Because that's pretty much what we got here. Except instead of would be home invaders, it was a babysitter and the child she had the misfortune to look after that night.

Starting with an obnoxious rich couple played by Virginia Madsen and Patrick Warburton, babysitter Ashley (Olivia DeJonge) thought she would have an easy night in looking after precocious kid Luke (Levi Miller) before going to college. Oh, how she was mistaken on that one.

Instead not only did she have to fend off a clumsy advance from the smitten Luke but it wasn't long until the latter's dim witted friend Garrett (Ed Oxenbould) arrive and then it appeared the three of them had to fend off a burglar in the house. Except it was actually Luke contriving a scenario to get Ashley to fall in love with him and it gets creepier from there.

By the time we get into the second half of the movie, Luke's revealed himself to be a rather psychotic pre-teen who had no problem keeping Ashley tied up and drugging her. The arrival of Ashley's boyfriend, Ricky (Aleks Mikic) only made Luke even more dangerous than before with a gag from Home Alone shown to be more fatal than comical.

As things further escalated, Luke not only killed Ashley's former boyfriend, Jeremy (Dacre Montgomery) with the intent to frame him but even Garrett and Ashley themselves aren't safe from Luke's increasing bloodlust. The movie does end with a rather decent twist that clearly was meant to set up a sequel.

- There's a mid credit scene where Luke feigned concern for Ashley and wanted to see her in the hospital.

- The original title for the movie was Safe Neighborhood.

- Standout music: Nice use of The Ramones Merry Christmas (I Don't Want To Fight Tonight). 

- Chronology: Christmas time of course. This movie despite being set in America was actually filmed in Australia with the majority of the cast being Australian themselves.

Better Watch Out was an unexpected delight. It's basically just an evil Home Alone but it's an effective one. Great cast, nice amount of horror and a nice ending. Definitely worth a watch for Christmas horror fans.

Rating: 8 out of 10

My Review of Smile (2022)

Written And Directed by Parker Finn

Rose: "This isn't real! You're not real!"

The Creature: "Your mind makes it real."

This was one of the most talked about horror movies of last year and one I had been meaning to catch up on. I kept seeing that one image of that woman smiling, which did have the desired creepy effect. Now it was time to see if this movie lived up to that image.

The woman in question being a patient called Laura Weaver (Caitlin Stasey) who has been visiting her therapist, Rose Cotter (Sosie Bacon). Laura kept trying to tell Rose of the people she was seeing and the creepy smiles on their faces. Then Laura made that creepy smile herself and killed herself in front of Rose.

It's from that point that everything that could go badly for Rose, does go badly then. Laura's curse quickly became Rose's and she spent the duration of the movie in constant terror. A terror that no one else seemed to take seriously.

The people in Rose's life being her fiancée Trevor (Jessie T. Usher), her sister Holly (Gillian Zinser), boss Dr Morgan Desi (Kal Penn) and her own therapist, Madeline Northcott (Robin Weigert). None of them believed Rose when she tried to tell them about her curse and Rose found herself more isolated as the terror continued.

The only person who did believe was her police detective ex boyfriend Joel (Kyle Gallner) who helped Rose uncover the patterns of previous victims of the same curse. All of whom with gloomy outcomes, which even Rose couldn't avoid.

The final act has a suitably creepy confrontation between Rose and the trauma feeding demon. It's not a good ending for Rose but the obvious sequel bait with Joel has its own potential considering how much he knows about the demon going forward.

- There's a prequel short film called Laura Hasn't Slept, with Caitlin Stasey as Laura first experiencing the curse.

- Originally aimed as a streaming release but got a theatrical one and now a sequel will be released October 18th 2024.

- The victims were all people who witnessed death, including Rose herself.

- Chronology: It came out in October 2022, so I assume around then.

Smile has certainly made a name for itself and it's a very strong debut for Parker Finn with a strong lead performance from Sosie Bacon. It does meander a bit at times and some of the jump scares have been done better elsewhere but I liked a lot of what this movie did. 

Rating: 7 out of 10

My Review of The Marvels (2023)

 

Written by Nia DaCosta And Megan McDonnell And Elissa Karasik

Directed by Nia DaCosta

Kamala: "Oh my God. We're a team?"

Monica: "Oh, no, no, no. We're not a team."

Carol: "We're not a team."

2023 has seen the MCU take something of a critical battering. No longer have hey a safety net and like the DCEU, they're in a position now where critics are falling over themselves to tear down the very thing they've spent too long propping up.

I bring this up because The Marvels itself really does seem to be on the receiving end more than any Phase 5 project so far. Is this film really that bad? Actually, no, it's not but there are legitimate criticisms that shouldn't be ignored about the movie or the MCU in general moving forward.

If you've already seen WandaVision and Ms. Marvel a lot of this will be easier to follow. If not, it generally brings you up to speed as Carol Danvers aka Captain Marvel (Brie Larson) finds herself teaming up with Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris) and Kamala Khan aka Ms. Marvel (Iman Vellani). These three ladies themselves are this movie's biggest strength.

Thanks to a quantum entanglement due to their respective light related powers (that also caused switching places), Carol, Monica and Kamala have a hell of a time getting used to one another at first while banding together as shit goes down. There's some great scenes with Carol and Monica going over past traumas while Kamala's general fangirl moments are nicely timed.

As a team, the three ladies are a delight with natural chemistry between them. Unfortunately for a great team, they're saddled with one of the worst villains the MCU has committed to the big screen to date. Enter, Dar-Benn (Zawe Ashton) and add her to the list of poorly thought out baddies in this franchise.

To be fair, Zawe Ashton does try her best but Dar-Benn is such a thankless role and on paper, she should've been an instant hit. She had a decent motivation in her resentment towards Carol (calling her the Annihilator certainly struck a nerve) and even had the second bangle while wanting Kamala's but she's poorly handled from start to finish that not even her defeat is satisfying to watch.

As for the rest of the movie, Samuel L. Jackson was on better form here than compared to his Disney+ show while Kamala's family are entertaining being thrown into the mix. There's some great scenes involving the Flerken while Monica's outcome definitely set up an interesting plot but will it be enough to save the movie's box office? Likely not tbh.

- Carol had a marriage of convenience with a handsome prince named Yan (Park Seo-joon). His planet gave us a musical sequence and Carol a Disney Princess look.

- King Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson) popped up to help Carol with Skrull refugees after Dar-Benn destroyed their sanctuary.

- Last scene had Kamala recruit Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld) for a new team while also mentioning Cassie Lang (Kathryn Newton).

- Post credit scene saw Monica in a parallel universe where she met a superhero version of Maria (Lashanna Lynch) and Beast (Kelsey Grammer).

- Standout music: I'm obviously picking Beastie Boys Intergalactic because the way it was used was great.

- Chronology: Present day New Jersey as well as the S.A.B.E.R. ship, as well as Hala, Tarnax and Aladna. 

The Marvels isn't quite the disaster area some critics want it to be, in terms of quality but nor was it the slam dunk that it should've been either. At worst, it's an average that coasts on the chemistry of its main team but falters with a very weak villain and script respectively. 

Rating: 7 out of 10 

My Review of Doom Patrol's 4x12: "Done Patrol"

 

Written by Shoshana Sachi And Ezra Claytan Daniels 

Directed by Christopher Manley 

Rita (to the gang): "It's time to disband. The Doom Patrol is no longer but first, we have one last assignment."

Well, there it is. Four seasons and forty six episodes later and the era of the DC Universe shows (remember that?) in live action has come to an end. It's been interesting to say the least.

I remember not really having much anticipation for this show prior to its airing. It only turned out to be the best of the shows we got. With characters who well and truly endeared themselves in their own strange ways.

Last we left, Rita was dying and Immortus was winning. The Were-butts also were on the rampage and the rest of the Doom Patrol were fucked. In the first ten minutes, Immortus and the Were-butts were dealt with in a surprising method of defeat. A win is a win, right?

The Doom Patrol got their victory by inadvertently pairing their two biggest problems together in a beneficial way. A thriving and successful Immortus turned out to be less homicidal too. She even gave the gang toenails to restore their longevity.

Sadly, it was too late for Rita, who became a ghost, watched her body get burned up like smelling rubber and reunited with Malcolm in the afterlife. Rita and Laura shippers almost had their ship but alas, it wasn't meant to be. 

As for the rest of the gang, two queer ships did get their happy endings with Larry/Rama and Jane/Casey and I was happy to see that play out. Cliff lived his final days with Clara and Rory and Victor got the future we saw in the previous episode. Oh and Laura went firestarter on the Ant Farm, so she wasn't too sad. 

- The gang watched one of Rita's old movies after her funeral. The various items on her pyre were nice nods to her.

- Cliff saw glimpses of Rory's future before dying and Jane took on the moniker of Kaleidoscope or Kay for short.

- Did Matt Bomer and Brendan Fraser film new scenes for the episode? I don't think they did.

- Chronology: From where the previous episode left off.

Done Patrol offered a strong ending to a fantastic series. It's been a crazy four seasons but even without the massive overhaul that DC has been undergoing, this was probably the right time to sign off. It's been fun though.

Rating: 8 out of 10

My Review of The Lords Of Salem (2012)

 

Written And Directed by Rob Zombie

Margaret: "We've been waiting, Heidi. We've always been waiting."

After his foray into the Halloween franchise, I guess you couldn't begrudge Rob Zombie for wanting to do a movie where he would complete creative control over. Also a fascination with the topic at hand certainly helps.

The topic being of course witchcraft and the Salem Witch Trials. I can see why it's a topic that interested Zombie as a writer and director and the results here might be the best thing he's actually helmed in his career.

As a director, I do find Zombie to be divisive and often find his aesthetic can be a bit too crass for its own good. Aside from maybe one or two moments, this might be one of his more tasteful films to date where once again, a certain someone's the leading lady.

Yup, going from playing psychotic serial killers to the mother of the most iconic fictional serial killer, Sheri Moon Zombie has a more different role in this one. In this movie, she's a radio DJ named Heidi LaRoc, co-hosting a show with Whitey (Jeff Daniel Phillips) and Munster (Ken Foree). It's implied that Heidi and Whitey have an out of work relationship too but that's far from the main point of this movie.

The main point being a record left at the station, specifically for Heidi by a band named The Lords. The record's awful but the results on the other hand trigger Heidi throughout the movie with visions of Satanic rituals, sexual assault and a creepy leader named Margaret Morgan (Meg Foster). Needless it's more than enough to drive Heidi crazy and relapse.

On top of the creepy ass visions, there's a local author named Francis Matthias (Bruce Davison) who realised that Heidi was really Adelaide Hawthorne - a descendant of the pious reverend who executed Morgan's coven. Not only that but Heidi might be destined to carry in the next big evil. Yeah, I mean the antichrist.

While Heidi's a decent enough protagonist, the most entertaining characters are actually her landlady Lacy (Judy Geeson) and the latter's nutty sisters, Megan (Patricia Quinn) and Sonny (Dee Wallace). Yes, they're a fun coven of baddies and their corruption of Heidi/Adelaide does end this movie on an interesting enough note.

- There was a subplot called Frankenstein And The Witchhunter, which was scrapped from the final cut.

- The novelisation of the movie which Zombie co-wrote with Brian Evenson has significantly different stuff from the script itself.

- Standout music: Velvet Underground's Venus In Furs was nicely used here.

- Chronology: Present day Salem for the majority of the movie with flashbacks from the Witch Trials. 

I got to admit, I really enjoyed The Lords Of Salem a lot more than I had anticipated I would. A largely engaging script, solid performances, better taste and a rather cryptic left me satisfied with this one.

Rating: 7 out of 10

My Review of Five Nights At Freddy's (2023)

 

Written by Scott Cawthon And Seth Cuddeback And Emma Tammi

Directed by Emma Tammi

Steve: "And you only have to worry about one thing. Keeping people out. And, and you know, and keep the place tidy."

Mike: "That's two things."

Full disclosure: I have never play this game and likely won't either but I've been curious about this movie for a while now. The trailers certainly sold it for me but did it turn out to be as good as it looked?

For the most I would say yes to this. It helped that it had a likeable main protagonist with Mike Schmidt (Josh Hutcherson). Mike's an ordinary guy trying to look out for his younger sister, Abby (Piper Rubio). Sadly for Mike, he has a few obstacles against him.

Notably his ruthless Aunt Jane (Mary Stuart Masterson) who won't stop in order to separate Mike and Abby. This included getting Abby's babysitter, Max (Kat Conner Sterling) and getting the latter's family to sabotage Mike's latest job. However that's something that turned out to be fatal for Max and her family.

Speaking of Mike's new gig, it's one that career counselor Steve Raglin (Matthew Lillard) encouraged him to take - a security guard gig at an abandoned family restaurant. An ordinary however it's not as Mike soon realised the animatronic creatures. - Golden Freddy, Bonnie, Chica, Foxy and Freddy Fazbear are possessed by dead kids.

Yes, there's a big plot about dead children, including the murder of Mike and Abby's brother, Garrett (Lucas Grant) and Mike spends a good portion in dreams wanting to bring his brother back and nearly losing Abby as a consequence. Then there's also policewoman Vanessa (Elizabeth Lail).

Again as someone unfamiliar with the lore of this franchise, the reveal of her being the daughter of the real villain was a decent twist. The real villain being serial killer William Afton, aka Steve Raglin aka the Fazbear Entertainment founder. Lillard makes the most of his killer reveal and he's a solid baddie whose reign of terror on children saw him get his just desserts.

- The Jim Henson company did a wonderful job with the animatronics.

- Nice use of Atari computer graphics to fill in the backstory for Freddy's in the movie.

- Blumhouse did a dual release on Peacock and in theatres like they've done with other movies.

- Chronology: 80s flashbacks with present day setting.

Five Nights At Freddy's I get the feeling might have appealed more to newbies like myself than the game fans. It's an enjoyable outing with good performances and some family friendly gore to boot. Given its success, a sequel will definitely be happening.

Rating: 7 out of 10

My Review of Doom Patrol's 4x11: "Portal Patrol"

 

Written by Chris Dingess

Directed by Christopher Manley

Willoughby (to Cliff): "I've seen and done some nastiness in my time but taking longevity from a dying man, that's truly fuckery."

We're into our penultimate episode of the series and with one more episode, there's so much at stake. Notably our favourite band of misfits defeating both Immortus and the Were-butts. Can they do it?

Going by the end of this episode, the answer might be yes. For the most part, the majority of the team were chucked into a portal before ending up inside Victor, who along with GRID and Keeg might have solved their longevity problem.

The solution being supplanting the gang (except Victor) into different portals to get longevity. Each a different time and each of them featuring Niles Caulder. Yes, the show got Timothy Dalton back for one more episode. They also made sure not to waste him.

In 1948 Paraguay, it was up to Cliff. However he ended up causing Niles's paralysis and got guilted by Willoughby into not taking the longevity. Niles and Cliff got some great scenes in this episode as the latter got to hash out a lot of issues with his former mentor. 

Also at the Ant Farm in 1949, Laura had fun knocking out Niles and impersonating Niles to her former self. Laura also failed in her mission but she rather violently hashed out some issues with her past self.

Then there were Larry and Jane back in the manor in 1996. The former got distracted by his past self and the Negative Spirit but left with a future spoiler about himself and Keeg. Jane had the best scenes with Niles and made the biggest emotional breakthrough she's ever had. She might have failed with getting the longevity but hey, she's Kaleidoscope now, so that's a victory.

As for Victor, he got in contact with a future Derek and the latter's student Joy helped him find a back door solution to the portal problem. With that, we've got a team determined to save the world.

- Rita was mentioned a lot but didn't appear at all in the episode. 

- Willoughby had a concoction to help Niles forget about future events. 

- Laura revealed about her own parents turning on her when she first discovered her powers. 

- Chronology: 1948 Paraguay, 1949 Ant Farm and 1996 Manor as well as an unspecified future.

Portal Patrol was a nice little trip with a nice outcome. I don't know if the gang will actually get their longevity back but at least they have each other's back. I'm going to miss this show next week when it ends.

Rating: 8 out of 10

Doctor Who - Welcome To The Whoniverse (Warning: Spoilers Ahead)

It's November and that officially means that it's the month of Doctor Who. 

Strap in, because there's a lot to cover here. It's gonna be a fun time.

BBC iPlayer have kitted out an entire Whoniverse section for fans (UK mainly, boo rights issues) to enjoy multiple eras concerning the show.

This includes ....

Doctor Who (1963-1996)*

Doctor Who (2005-2022)

Tales Of The TARDIS

Doctor Who Confidential 

Torchwood

The Sarah Jane Adventures

Class

K9 & Company: A Girl's Best Friend 

Doctor Who: The Infinity Quest

Doctor Who: Dreamland

Delia Derbyshire: The Myths And The Legendary Tapes

The Science Of Doctor Who

Doctor Who At The Proms

Whose Doctor Who

An Adventure In Space And Time (coming soon)

A fantastic selection with over 800 hours worth of content. Sadly due to a certain petty manchild, An Unearthly Child is omitted from this otherwise impressive amount of content. Also keep an eye on a 75 minute colourised version of The Daleks, due to air on BBC4 on November 23rd.

Released this morning, we got the six part series called Tales Of The TARDIS. An interesting format in which former Doctors and companions reminisce over past adventures within the confines of a memory TARDIS. 

Steven Taylor (Peter Purves)/Vicki Pallister (Maureen O'Brien) - The Time Meddler.

Jamie McCrimmon (Frazer Hines)/Zoe Heriot (Wendy Padbury) - The Mind Robber

Jo Jones (Katy Manning)/Clyde Langer (Daniel Anthony) - The Three Doctors

Fifth Doctor (Peter Davison)/Tegan Jovanka (Janet Fielding) - Earthshock

Sixth Doctor (Colin Baker)/Peri Brown (Nicola Bryant) - Vengeance On Varos

Seventh Doctor (Sylvester McCoy)/Ace McShane (Sophie Alfred) - The Curse Of Fenric

Having seen most of these scenes through certain means, I will admit they're all brilliant. Expertly written by Russell T. Davies, Pete McTighe and Phil Ford and directed by Scott Handcock, it's a wonderful concept and one I hope is revisited with other former Doctors, companions and spin off characters. 

Meanwhile SFX Magazine have all the goods in relation to the 60th anniversary specials and beyond that. A 28 page special with Russell T. Davies spilling the beans over some very interesting stuff.

In relation to the anniversary specials, we can expect a flashback to the original Toymaker (Michael Gough) himself, Wild Blue Yonder being "weird" and "the most astonishing barricade you'll ever see". The three specials are not a three parter and while there are plans for spin-off's, a UNIT one isn't one of them. As for beyond, ooh, there's a lot to get excited for.

In a move that will be stoking debate for years to come, expect a number resetting with Ncuti Gatwa's first two series being referred to as Season 1 and 2. Russell T. Davies also confirmed his plans for four series of Doctor Who with stories he's been wanting to tell for 40-20 years and even yesterday so to speak. The first episode will also feature nine babies as part of its plot. 

However with filming for Series 15/Season 2 now started, some guest cast have already been spotted on set. Filming for Christmas 2024 has revealed both Nicola Coughlan (Derry Girls, Bridgerton) and Joel Fry (Game Of Thrones, Cruella) both on set. Nicola Coughlan already appeared with Ncuti Gatwa in Barbie this year and was rumoured for the show for a while now. Millie Gibson's Ruby Sunday has yet to be confirmed for the second series for the 15th Doctor. 

Also be sure to catch David Tennant on BBC4 tonight in Talking Doctor Who with the 60th Anniversary Concert, hosted by Jo Wiley while the show will have a crossover with Bargain Hunt on November 23rd. Not to mention that Series 4 marathon this weekend on BBCAmerica and there's this year's Children In Need on November 17th, which will feature a new sketch for David Tennant's 14th Doctor. 

It really is the bestest time to be a Doctor Who fan.

The 60th anniversary specials will air on BBC1 and stream on Disney+ from November 25th to December 9th as well as getting physical releases from December 11th.

Horror Hunks - Final Guys, Bad Guys And So On

It's Halloween 🎃 and the end of the month. I've indulged in plenty of horror movies this month. For my final blog, I thought I'd do something a little different. Here's a rundown of some of my favourite guys in the genre. Enjoy.

Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins) - Psycho (1960-1990)

He might be an unstable mama's boy but who can resist the unhinged motel owner? Or at the very least the gorgeous Anthony Perkins.

Dewey Riley (David Arquette) - Scream series (1996-2022)

Every franchise needs it's sensible and collected player and for five movies in the franchise, we had everyday hero Dewey Riley. Still not happy about his death.

Tommy Jarvis (Corey Feldman/John Shepherd/Thom Mathews) - Friday The 13th series (1984-1986)

Tommy Jarvis was the closest to a proper foil that Jason Voorhees had in this franchise and any future revival should absolutely cast a fourth actor in the role. Best character in that franchise outside of Jason and his mommy.

Jesse Walsh (Mark Patton) - A Nightmare On Elm Street Part 2: Freddy's Revenge (1985)

The guy can scream louder than anyone should, even in in distress but Jesse Walsh is one of the iconic Final Boys. In a movie that's pretty explicitly gay coded throughout.

Jonathan Harker (Keanu Reeves) - Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992) 

Dodgy attempts of an English accent to one side, there's something very delectable about Keanu Reeves in arguably the most thankless role in the bestest live action adaptation of this classic tale. He's a dreamboat here.

Corey Cunningham (Rohan Campbell) - Halloween Ends (2022)

I don't care what other fans of the franchise say. Not only did I genuinely last year's conclusion to the Blumhouse trilogy but Corey Cunningham was one of the best new characters introduced to the franchise.

Andrew (Ben Aldridge) - Knock At The Cabin (2023)

The faithless human rights lawyer turned sort of action man and unwitting husband killer. The guy went through a fricking lot in one movie. Hot guy though.

Eddie (Dylan Fergus) - Hellbent (2004)

I know this might be a niche, given that's it's a movie only a small audience has heard but I had to include a character from it. The good boy desk cop who copped off with a hunky bad boy while surviving a hunky killer felt like the right choice.

Jerry Dandrige (Chris Sarandon) - Fright Night (1985)

It wouldn't be a Horror Hunks list without at least one vampire in the mix. My choice would be the bad boy next door neighbor who had too much fun in tormenting Charley Brewster and seducing his girlfriend. 

Caleb Danvers (Steven Strait) - The Covenant (2006)

Oftentimes I refer to this movie as the boy version of The Craft as it's largely the same plot/similar enough. Now I love Sebastian Stan's sexy bad boy in it but Steven Strait's equally sexy good boy is also a delight too. 

Billy Peltzer (Zach Galligan) - Gremlins series (1984-1990, 2023)

Yes, this might be more light-hearted family friendly horror compared to some of the others on here, but it still counts. I always liked Billy Peltzer as a character and found him rather sexy moreso in the underrated sequel to this franchise.

Philip Morgan (Farley Granger) - Rope (1948)

There's many a fascinating performance and character in this Alfred Hitchcock classic. None more than Farley Granger's eternally twitchy posh boy killer, Philip Morgan. Oh and he can tinkle the old ivories pretty well too.

John Constantine (Matt Ryan) - Constantine/Legends Of Tomorrow/DCAU (2014-2022)

Saving the best for last. There was no way I was going to do this type of blog and not include the best horror male. Of course I had to specifically reference Matt Ryan's sublime version of John Constantine. The man set the gold standard and is the ultimate horror hunk for me.

Hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I did writing it. Agree/disagree, let me know, lol. Oh and Happy Halloween 🎃

My Review of Leprechaun 2 (1994)

 

Written by Turi Meyer And Al Septien

Directed by Rodman Flender

Lubdan (to William): "She sneezes once, she sneezes twice, she'll be my bride when she sneezes thrice."

Following the success of the first movie, there wasn't any time wasted in a second one coming out a year later and I have to admit, I've seen worse sequel.

Last time we saw Lubdan the evil Leprechaun (Warwick Davies), he had seemingly been trapped in a well. A flashback to Celtic Ireland saw him wanting to marry a young girl (Shevonne Durkin), who happened to be the daughter of his slave, William O'Day (James Lancaster).

Luckily for William, Lubdan's attempts to wed his daughter went awry but not so lucky for William was still being bound to his evil Master as well as Lubdan vowing to marry one of William's descendants. Cut to the present day and Lubdan's free and eager to make good on that promise.

The descendant in question being a woman named Bridget (Shevonne Durkin again) but it's not really Bridget's story here. Instead the protagonist of the piece was Bridget's boyfriend and likeable enough scam artist Cody (Charlie Heath). He's mostly the hero of the piece as he finds a gold coin in his possession gives him invulnerability against Lubdan.

Throughout the movie Lubdan was determined to marry Bridget and get his gold coin back. He also took some enjoyment in the Los Angeles setting by terrorising many a character he encountered. However it was Cody's uncle Morty (Sandy Baron) who suffered the worst fate as the latter's greed became his undoing in the worst way possible.

As a villain, Lubdan certainly upped his nastiness, particularly his scenes with Bridget, which were certainly uncomfortable in parts to watch. However he underestimated Cody as a threat and ended up coming afoul of him in the end.

- This was the last movie to get a theatrical release until the seventh entry.

- Keeping with some Irish clichés we even had a drinking contest between Lubdan and Morty at one point in the movie.

- For some reason the movie had the alternative title of One Wedding And Lots Of Funerals.

- Chronology: Not only did we get flashback to Ireland but this movie had a St Patrick's Day setting for most of it.

Leprechaun 2 certainly upped the nastiness factor and while not quite as entertaining as the first movie, it did have it's moments. I also liked the bigger Irish connection this time around.

Rating: 6 out of 10

DCU Blog - October 2023 Edition: Mostly Rumours This Month

Yeah, it's a somewhat slow-ish month but with the actors strike possibly being resolved this week, I have a feeling the last two months will definitely deliver with advancements for the DCU.

For now though, a round up of some stuff and a lot of rumours. Some coming from the dceuleaks Reddit page.

One rumour that has popped up this month is that none of the Justice League actors will be reprising their respective roles for the DCU. Not really a shocker tbh.

A thirty something actor is being sought for Lex Luthor for Superman: Legacy. The film will also be shot in many locations according to James Gunn.

Blue Beetle has made 133 million at the box office, marking it as the lowest DCEU movie. 

Aquaman And The Lost Kingdom has moved to December 22nd again.

Akiva Goldsman has recently stating the Keanu Reeves Constantine sequel is still happening but will be an Elseworlds project.

A potential film focusing on The Scarecrow is rumoured to be happening. It will be set in The Batman universe.

A series centred on The Question is also rumoured to be in development.

James Gunn has confirmed that Bat-Mite will not appear in the second season of Peacemaker.

To mark the anniversary of the first movie and a year from Joker: Folie A Deux, Todd Phillips released this lovely image from the movie.

Chris Mundy is rumoured to be the show runner of the upcoming Lanterns series. Hal Jordan will be older than John Stewart in the show.

A project adapting Tom King's Strange Adventures is supposedly in early development. Edi Gathegi will reprise his role as Mister Terrific in this project.

Waller is currently slated for a 2024 release on Max, but I'd be surprised if it does make that date. Maybe. 

Barry Sloane has been cast as Destruction for the second season of The Sandman for Netflix.

Batman: The Animated Series will stream on Netflix from November 21st for the UK and Ireland.

The fourth season of Superman And Lois will also have less writers due to budget cuts for the CW.

The final episode of Doom Patrol will stream on Max from November 9th.

That's it for this month, DC fans. Same time next month, yeah?

My Review of Leprechaun (1993)

 

Written And Directed by Mark Jones

Lubdan: "I'll not rest til I have me gold. Curse this well that me soul shall dwell, till I find me magic that breaks me spell."

It's been thirty years since the release of this movie and it was time to tackle this one. I've avoided it for a long time and now,  thought it was time to finally watch it. I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised here.

Yes, I know it's a franchise with some truly horrible sequels to follow but for an opening entry, this was a lot better than it had any right to be. I'm being serious here. I really did like this one. 

Anyways, we venture into 1983 where Dan O'Grady (Shay Duffin) returned from Ireland back to North Dakota after his mother's funeral. His wife was concerned with his merriment and it's not long before it's revealed that he stole gold from a leprechaun named Lubdan (Warwick Davies). Yeah, not a bright idea on Dan's part.

The leprechaun wasted no time in killing Dan's unfortunate wife and even when trapped in a chest with four leaf clover keeping him prisoner, it's Dan who suffered a stroke and ended up in a retirement home. That's just the first ten minutes of the movie.

The majority of the movie jumped ten years and a father/daughter duo named JD (John Sanderford) and Tory Redding (Jennifer Aniston) moved into the O'Grady. Along with the hunky Nathan (Ken Olandt), his younger brother, Alex (Robert Hy Gorman) and slow witted Ozzie (Mark Horton), it's not long before Lubdan gets released from that chest.

Once the antagonistic Leprechaun is on the loose, the fun factor for this movie goes up several notches. Between being compelled to clean shoes, searching for his gold and having too fun killing various people in inventive ways, it's up to Tory and the lads to get rid of the Leprechaun for good.

It's definitely something of a group effort with Tory not only having to find four leap clover but also having her faith restored and Ozzie proving to be a lot smarter than expected. Of course while Lubdan does get his just desserts, a sequel was already in mind with that last shot.

- Yes, this franchise has spawned seven sequels (with a prequel in there too) and is getting the reboot treatment because, why not?

- Lubdan does not care for Lucky Charms. I genuinely laughed at that scene.

- A movie about an Irish mythical creature where the lead actor happens to be British. Had to point that out. Warwick Davies is great though.

- Chronology: 1983 and 1993, the latter being the same year as the movie's release.

For a film so maligned, I expected so much worse and found myself rather amused with what I watched. I genuinely think Leprechaun is an entertaining film that veers between sheer daftness and nice bits of horror. The lead villain is a blast to watch and the protagonists are likable. It worked for me.

Rating: 7 out of 10

My Review of Doom Patrol's 4x10: "Tomb Patrol"

 

Written by Akaylah Ellison And Tom Farrell

Directed by Omar Madha

Rita (to the team): "What do you say, team? One last mission for old time's sake?"

If you didn't get the memo with this episode, it's simple - everyone's dying and they're all dealing with it with mixed results. Some more proactively than others.

Larry and Rama both decided to deal with their imminent deaths in different ways. For Larry,it was finding a suitable home for Keeg and for Rama, it's one last trip to India before his ending. They left on strained terms and Larry vented some of his frustration on Rita.

Rita's method for dealing with death was to not further antagonise Isabel and to make a family dinner that no one attended except Larry. Then Rita almost got heroic before the rest of the team had to step in for her in that regard.

The one actually being heroic was Laura. She spotted a way to get the gang's longevity back and if she had to suffer Isabel's one woman show, it was something Laura was willing to do. Then she had a bonding session with Isabel and the two of them had some common ground.

As for Jane and Cliff, a roadtrip was in the cards until it wasn't and after spending most of the season not wanting to be Cyborg, Victor only went and changed back into Cyborg. Then there was the rebellion of the Were-butts that tied back to the first episode of the season.

Overall things went from bad to worse as Isabel banished everyone into a portal and now everything really has gone to shit for the whole world. Rita's the only member left and she's not in the best shape either.

- Teddy got back at Nicholas by transforming Dr You into a were-butt. 

- It was nice to see Rita, Larry, Jane and Cliff reminiscing over past adventures. It does however signal the end for this show that little bit more.

- Instead of a turd necklace, it's a lump behind Isabel's neck that holds the gang's longevity.

- Chronology: It's been a few hours since the events of Immortimas.

Tomb Patrol while not as strong as the previous episode did have some very good moments nonetheless. We're heading into the last two episodes of the series and it's definitely heading for a hell of an ending. How will they defeat Immortus now? 

Rating: 7 out of 10 

My Review of American Horror Stories: "Organ"

 

Written by Manny Coto

Directed by Petra Collins

Toby: "Real life really gets in the way."

For now we have come to the end of this Huluween four part event for American Horror Stories and it's going to be a while before we get the remaining episodes of this season. It's a shame this one's the worst so far.

Slightly misogynistic lawyer guy Toby (Raul Castillo) has issues with women and they're rather noticeable. He sleeps with plenty of them and ditches them the next and it's a pattern that hasn't gone unnoticed by three women in his life.

The women being his therapist (Maria Tucci), his boss (Laila Robins) and a co-worker named Sasha (Havana Rose Liu). All of them have noticed Toby's behaviour, called him out on it and were ignored by Toby who wanted to "Make America Fun Again". Oh brother.

However Toby gets something of a harsh wake up call when he's drugged by a hook up named Tessa (Laura Browning). Worse than that, he's had one organ removed and replaced with a brand new organ, which inevitably brought him down a darker path involving organ trafficking.

I'm actually surprised it's taken the show (and parent show) this long to do this type of story but here it is. Toby went undercover and got some answers from Tessa before inadvertently killing her, which was something he wanted to do anyways.

Like every other story, there's no happy ending for Toby. He's caught by Magnum Honors and it's revealed that both his boss and Sasha were in on it. The ending where his therapist ends up buying the miracle organ at the end was quite the sting too.

- Ryan Murphy's previous show Nip/Tuck also tackled a more straightforward version of this plot in its fourth season.

- Was this Manny Coto's final episode or will he have any in the second half of the season?

- Cameron Cowperthwaite popped up as a contact of Toby's in terms of getting escorts and leading him to the organisation doing the organ thefts.

- Chronology: A contemporary setting like every episode so far this season.

Organ was just a bit rubbish. Toby was without a doubt the least sympathetic of the protagonists we've had so far and some of the dialogue about masculinity was atrocious. Hopefully the latter half of the season will be better.

Rating: 5 out of 10

My Review of American Horror Stories: "Tapeworm"

 

Written by Joseph Cole Baken

Directed by Alexis Martin Woodall

Vivian (to Sheila): "I'm here because I have a dream."

The modelling industry really is a cutthroat business for anyone involved and after the previous season's take on plastic surgery with Facelift, this scenario was ripe for horror. 

Let's talk about Vivian Finch (Laura Kariuki). She's a girl from Iowa who moved to the Big Apple in order to achieve her aspirations of being a model. Except she's too fat because being a size four in this merciless is akin to being overweight.

At least that's what Janice Dickinson standin Sheila (Lisa Rinna) more or less tells Vivian. On the plus side, at least Vivian had support from fellow aspiring model and friend Heather (Hazel Graye) and it's not long before Vivian meets Dr Lau (Rob Yang) and get help with her weight.

The help being a drug named Mondify which does help Vivian lose weight, get taken on by Sheila as a client and book some lucrative work. Then it's revealed that due to heart problems, Mondify isn't actually safe for Vivian to keep using.

The alternative however was much worse as the tapeworm that Vivian injected from Dr Lau not only made her a nightmare to be around but it had grown to a ridiculous size inside her. Vivian had no choice to remove it with a concoction of sorts.

So far this season, the outcomes have been bleak for the protagonists and Vivian also didn't get a happy ending. However the tapeworm did when it decided to bond with Heather at the very end of this episode.

- I noticed that they've changed the lettering of the titles this season. I quite like it.

- Sheila did try to warn Vivian about Heather being hungry and she was right. Was Sheila aware of the tapeworm like she was the Mondify?

- Slight missed opportunity by not throwing in some link or reference to the current season of the parent show.

- Chronology: Sometime in the distance past in New York as we went through months of Vivian's journey.

Tapeworm might be the strongest episode so far this season ad two writing credits in has shown that Joseph Cole Baken is a good find for the series. Suitably gross in parts, great premise executed very well.

Rating: 8 out of 10

My Review of American Horror Stories: "Daphne"

 

Written by Brad Falchuk And Manny Coto

Directed by Elegance Bratton

Will: "I think I'm falling in love with you."

Daphne: "Don't tease me."

Oh great, just what we needed - a lockdown episode and a COVID replacement varient to boot. This was something they probably could've done as an episode in the first season. In here, it feels a tad too late.

Saying that, in spite of my dislike of part of the premise, the majority of this one was actually decent enough. Collector dude Will Cazwell (Reid Scott) made for a protagonist caught in a relationship that veered between reality and cyber fantasy.

Being stuck in lockdown with nothing to do and no human contact, Will found himself becoming increasingly dependent on Alexa stand in Daphne (Gwyneth Paltrow) and soon their relationship takes several turns.

Daphne becomes an initial dream to Will by dealing with his mother, arranging deals and ultimately informing him on things that he needed to know. However you can't replace an AI with human contact and Will's girlfriend Sarah (Allegra Heart) became a thorn for Daphne's hold on Will.

Yes, the story took the predictable twist of Daphne going all murderous by killing Sarah and then a whole gallery full of people. In between that, there was also a virtual sex scene with Will and a simulation of Daphne.

In the end, Will learned a very harsh lesson - you can't reason with AI and soon, he ended up framed for Daphne's crimes. Yes, it was predictable and ended the episode on a rather harsh note to boot. Silly boy, Will.

- Gwyneth Paltrow is married to co-creator and writer of this episode, Brad Falchuk. I'm surprised it's taken this long to get her in the American Horror Story universe, though this was a voice role.

- There was a dedicated to Manny Coto credit at the closing credits. Manny Coto passed away in July.

- Reid Scott is another actor I would hope the main show can get next season.

- Chronology: Lockdown lasted for over four months in this episode. 2023 based I assume.

Daphne was the type of episode that's been done quite a bit and no better than when The Simpsons did it in one of their specials. It's not bad but a bit middle of the road.

Rating: 6 out of 10

My Review of American Horror Stories: "Bestie"

Written by Joseph Cole Baken

Directed by Max Winkler

Bestie: "What's our rule?"

Shelby: "Face your fears."

Like the parent show, the current season of this spin off has fallen victim to the split season curse. Also for some reason, Hulu decided to drop the first four in one go.

Sticking with this spin-off's penchant for focusing on younger characters, this opening episode told a story about toxic friendships. Specifically the online ones, involving the type of Bestie everyone should avoid.

Unfortunately for lonely girl Shelby (Emma Halleen), she spent this episode making the wrong friends. Moving to a new home with her father (Seth Gabel), a new school and joining a choir saw Shelby becoming the target of some mean girls. Taking solace in a drag queen named Anna Rehxia (Amrou Al-Kadhi) led to Shelby interacting with a girl named Bestie (Jessica Barden).

Bestie isn't the girl's real name but it's not long before she goes from being a comfort to Shelby to being a complete nightmare. Shelby goes from some harmless things to crossing a line by triggering her choir teacher's Mr Nevens (Jeff Hiller) with a very inappropriate costume choice.

That and Bestie getting Shelby to break her own hand was enough for the latter to realise that she'd be better off with Bestie. Shelby went on a redemption arc of sorts, making amends with those she wrong. She got a seemingly nice boyfriend in fellow classmate, River (Allius Barnes).

However just when this episode seemed a bit too positive, there was a twist. Shelby should've followed her instincts but instead, she ended up being killed by River in a creepy house. River being under the influence of Bestie was certainly a way to end this episode.

- One of the longest episodes we've had from the series and with a new writer too.

- Shelby's mother died of pancreatic cancer, Mr Nevens and his wife lost a baby at nine months and River had his heart on the outside. 

- I was wondering if there was something supernatural about Bestie but her deformation was a result of a drug addicted mother. The heart in the sky at the end was a nice touch.

- Chronology: Halloween factored into this one, but a 2023 setting.

Bestie was a decent start to the season. A solid story about toxic friendships with a bitter twist at the end. Good performances from the main cast and after last season on the main show, nice to see Jeff Hiller in a nicer role.

Rating: 7 out of 10 

My Review of The Witch (2015)

 

Written And Directed by Robert Eggers

Black Phillip: "What dost thou want?"

Thomasin: "What canst thou give?"

Black Phillip: "Wouldst thou like the taste of butter? A pretty dress? Wouldst thou like to live deliciously?"

Thomasin: "Yes."

Earlier in the year, I wrote a review for The Lighthouse and I plan to watch The Northman later this year. For the month of Halloween, I had to go with what is easily the best movie that writer/director Robert Eggers has made so far.

Set in 1630s New England, The Witch followed the story of a family banished from a Puritan settlement due to a religious dispute. The family in question then moved to a secluded forest and all their problems get that much worse.

The family containing feckless father, William (Ralph Ineson) and mother Katherine (Kate Dickie) along with oldest daughter Thomasin (Anya Taylor-Joy), son Caleb (Harvey Scrimshaw), twins Mercy (Ellie Grainger) and Jonas (Lucas Dawson) and baby son, Samuel. Together, the loss of Samuel starts to tear the family apart and quite quickly.

Especially as Katherine's anger at Thomasin over Samuel being taken by a witch (Bathsheba Garnett) and she spends most of the movie thinking the worst of Thomasin. When Caleb has his own encounter with a Witch resulting in his eventual death, Thomasin's the one who got blamed even though it was the twins who spent most of the movie communing with the Billy goat named Black Phillip (Daniel Malik).

As the movie progressed, Thomasin found herself falsely accused of witchcraft and was locked in the goats pen with Mercy and Jonas. The real Witch took them and then Thomasin became an orphan as both her parents were killed towards the end of the movie.

It's the actual ending that really captured the eeriness of the whole movie. Thomasin's entire family are gone and the temptation of butter and a pretty dress was enough to make her sign her name in that book. The last scene as Thomasin takes part in the Witches Sabbath does cap this film on a chilling note.

- The other title for this movie was The VVitch: A New England Tale.

- Hares have been seen as magical creatures in New England and black goats as related to the devil in Basque mythology.

- The language used by the witches at the end was Enochian. 

- Chronology: 1630s New England.

The Witch without a doubt might be one of the most unsettling horror films. It's unrelentingly bleak from start to finish with characters descending into madness and corruption. The ending, while chilling might also be one of the best ending in a horror movie. It was definitely a star making role for Anya Taylor-Joy. 

Rating: 10 out of 10