Reviews by Movie Maniac

Kind of a mixed bag. Feels like two different kinds of movies got pasted together at times. This one is going to be divisive based on it wholeheartedly embracing humor alone. I dug it though, despite some serious issues. The characters really did it for me here. Goldblum was delightful as The Grandmaster, Karl Urban is always a blast to see in anything, Tessa Thompson as Valkyrie was awesome, and, the big winner for me, was Blanchett as Hela.

I loved that they went whole hog to capture he inane nature of comics, the Jack Kirby visuals, fantastic action, and the fan service nods from Surtur to Fenris to mentioning Throg were all nice touches. That being said, it is a fairly uneven, sometimes sloppy, affair that made me wish we got a more serious venture at times if only to see Blanchett really go at it. A more prolonged flashback to her days with Odin would of been appreciated as well.

The real problem i could NOT ignore was Ruffalo's portrayal of the Hulk which was absolutely terrible. The script is more to blame but it's an undeniably bad depiction in the sense that despite the two years he's been missing you feel no logical reason to any of his behavior. He thoroughly annoyed me in this. Another problem: Metal looking like plastic.
Overall though, a fun outing though markedly flawed.

Imagine, if you will, "Carrie" by way of Lucky McKee's "May" and run through a Lynchian grinder and you get "Excision". Though not for everyone, it hits the right spot for those inclined to like the more outre.

The film centers on Pauline, a morbid, socially awkward misfit living in a perpetual suburban nightmare. Her home, school, and social endeavors are all disastrous in light of her disregard for social constructs. Her direct, almost clinical, bluntness comes across as both darkly comedic and unsettling which serves well for us to understand her as well as those reacting to her. Oddly, she is prone to flights of fancy that border on delusion where her aspirations to be a surgeon almost serve as the key to normalcy and acceptance she craves despite her constant rebellion against all that surrounds her.

It is her self-perceived confidence and brilliance that allows her to come to terms with a god she'd rather not believe in and find the answer to the problems that plague her life. Sounds like a happy ending, right? If only it were! All these elements boil up to a morose finale of almost worthy of the Grand Guignol.

Packed with a great cast, razor sharp dark humor, an acerbically satiric script, and crisp direction this movie was quiet the surprise. Highly recommended for those with a taste for the unique.

I avoided this movie forever for a variety of reasons and that's a real shame. I now believe this sequel was very unfairly maligned by critics and audiences alike. Pet Sematary Two got more of what made the book great right than the horribly truncated (and terribly acted) original despite not being a direct adaptation of anything in King's oeuvre. To discuss this movie I must first briefly talk about its predecessor.

Admittedly, upon revisiting the original Pet Sematary after so many years and without my nostalgia and childhood glasses on....it wasn't a good adaptation in the least. It's major issue is that its leads are HORRIBLE actors (a downside that is thankfully countered by the magnificent Fred Gwynne as Jud Crandall) but it also suffers from the mystifying exclusion of elements that were of great importance in the novel. Upon further research, I found out that the studio made the director cut out large and significant portions of the film...and it shows.

As a result, he movie glosses over what made the book most unsettling by abbreviating the nature of loss and removing the idea of the passage of time while simultaneously neutering the Wendigo entity to a relatively weak (almost non-existent) threat or presence. While there are moments where the discomfort of death are felt (Gage's death, Zelda inserts) a lot of the baggage and emotional turmoil that ensues is completely thrown out the window in favor of getting to the third act. The most unsettling, psychologically horrifying aspects of the novel are never addressed appropriately. The forced cuts are even glaringly visible. A good example is when the Creed couple disagrees ever so briefly at the beginning only to be awkwardly cut away and avoided (this scene is pivotal to character development in the book).

Then came Part Two. What i immediately noticed was that it portrayed the influence and desires of the malicious entity exceptionally. We finally get a sound feeling for the Wendigo's range of influence, it's maddening driving force, and it's trickery. Also incredibly satisfying, the move integrated elements of King that are almost revered tropes by now i.e. a small town with a big secret, distinct storylines following different characters that sometimes feel like they just revel in character building before converging, the growing influence of evil over the characters, differing points of view between children and adults, etc. And while, it doesn't linger on the more lamentable aspects of death like the book it does touch upon the varying effects it has on several people and, more interestingly, on what thought the possibility of resurrection might spur.

Directed by the same person that brought us the first one, part two made me desperately hope that one day they will release the full uncut version of the first that would surely do much to reintegrate the pivotal elements of the novel that it so woefully skipped over or left on the cutting room floor.

In the meantime, Pet Sematary Two is a VERY worthy sequel to the events of the book; following the rules of it's universe, using the confines of it's settings, revisiting themes while not retreading plot structure to a fault as most sequels tend to do, and so on. It not only does justice to what was previously established and expounds on it but does so by taking storytelling and structure risks that were a bit unheard of at the time for a mainstream studio picture.

I'd also like to think that despite King removing his name from the ads to this movie (probably because he disliked how much of his script was left out of the first version) that he later took inspiration for Collie Entragian in Desperation from Clancy Brown's awesome portrayal of Gus.

Wan and company have really nailed down the formula for quality sequels, spinoffs, and prequels. After a good, albeit slightly inferior to it's predecessors third chapter, this fourth installment did wonders for Elise's character (as well as her cohorts), introduced a worthy threat (one of the major problems with Chapter Three was that the entity didn't feel as potent as the one's in part 1 or 2), set up the possibility of installments that don't have to reach into the past but can move forward from part two, and brought everything full circle in a satisfying fashion.

All in all, I don't believe the first two installments can ever be touched this one came very close. Whats most wonderful about it is that this feels like it could be watched in the proper chronological order and not lose it's appeal which is something i found lacking in the third one which depended too much on what you already knew. I'm on board if they decide to continue past Elise's passing with her niece and the fellas but if they don't this was an admirable and fulfilling finish.

Nothing about this movie attracted me when I first saw ads for it but, boy, am I glad i watched it on a pure lark. I expected a generic offering but got so much more. In fact, what "The Boy" does best is play with your expectations and then pull the rug out from under you.

The first act builds itself up like a well structured doll horror movie, packed to the brim with foreshadowing and a well executed sense of nervous anticipation only to unexpectedly turn more into a psychological piece during it's second act. At this point you begin to notice that you shouldn't take things at face value even as it lures you into believing more and more in the supernatural as it goes into its third act. Again I found myself expecting one thing only to get another!

I won't say where the third act ends up taking as part of the pleasure of watching this movie is where you end up and realizing how clever all the audience manipulation really was. Suffice it to say, the ending is very satisfying and makes you look back even more fondly on a film that steadily grows on you as it peels back the layers.

All in all, the delivery of these red herrings and false paths is very convincing if you're a jaded horror fan that has become familiar with the twists and turns of the genre. "The Boy" plays with you as the titular character does with the protagonist. It knows what you are waiting for and then turns another corner every chance it gets. Unexpectedly good!

Not only is The Exorcist III the only true sequel to The Exorcist but it might just be one of the greatest sequels to a horror movie ever made. It still shocks me how underappreciated it is though i understand that a lot of people probably avoided after the terrible The Exorcist II: The Heretic which undid all the good work of Blatty and Friedkin. A real shame because Exorcist III (actually based on Blatty's own "Legion") is the movie we should have gotten all along. Thankfully, the movie allows you to ignore anything that happened in part two by following...

George C. Scott as Lt. Kindermann. He's downright amazing and remains one of my favorite roles of all time. Brad Dourif is downright chilling as our main antagonist. Certainly more so than Anthony Hopkins as Hannibal who won the Oscar that year.
Tense, brilliantly scripted,chock full of excellent character work and performances, and downright, genuinely scary....it's a movie that doesn't make the mistake of copying the formula of it's predecessor but bravely carves a unique place for itself while still expounding on the world it exists in and it's characters. Also noteworthy as one of the few times studio interference helped the movie. There is a director's cut that alters some of the material from the theatrical cut and aims it more in line with the book. Though worth a watch for cinephiles it becomes evident that tying the movie more to the roots of the series resulted in a better product. Theatrical cut reigns supreme.

THE ABSOLUTE WORST. The Hellraiser film franchise is one that suffered from a severe downturn in quality early on and yet continues to be expanded by studio greed and easy returns exploiting fan's love of the property. The first two films are considered classics of the genre by most fans of horror and rightfully so. They've earned their spot in the horror pantheon for variant reasons. But it gets sketchy from that point forward. Even though the series has seen some truly awful entries in it's long history even the worst doesn't compare to the abominable dreck that was Hellraiser III: Hell On Earth.

Plagued by countless production troubles, studio buyouts, and the heavy hand of the Weinsteins, the majority of the blame really lies in the director's clumsy hands. Hickox was not favored by Barker, cut corners like crazy, and cast friends and made an already compromised product into something far worse. In the end the movie is nothing but z-grade rubbish that even the once powerful presence of Doug Bradley as Pinhead can't save. Horrid acting, basement level effects, terrible soundtrack, a severe lack of scope and creativity, and some of the worst and most staged looking shots in horror history.

Clive Barker has denounced it and, though the studio allowed him to try to go in and fix the product after it was shot, it proved too much of a disaster to salvage. Initial drafts of the script from Atkins and Randal were done away with and rewritten to the point where they went from ambitious to downright uninspired and trashy. The result was a by the numbers schlockfest that is best left unseen and forgotten.

In the annals of horror history this goes down as the absolute most poisonous entry in a franchise and considering some of the movies that followed are pretty bottom of the barrel already that says a lot. Not even remotely worth seeing if you're a die hard fan. Upon rewatching this trash i went from hating it to wanting to destroy every print in existence.

It's rare that I come across a horror movie that I FEEL has absolutely no flaws but, when it happens, it's an absolute pleasure. "The Ritual", a Netflix exclusive, is one such film. Expertly paced, genuinely engaging, and hauntingly atmospheric utilizes familiar tropes in such a way that ends up marking them as distinctly unique and fresh. Coupling harrowing horror with a riveting human drama built around themes of guilt, forgiveness, and overcoming deep emotional and psychological pain only helps cement the merit of the overall product as above the usual fare. In short, this is one of the strongest, most effective genre films of the last few decades. An instant classic.

Making fantastic use of its setting in the wilderness of a foreign country (Sweden, in this case), the film sets out to keep you in bouts of unease from the get go by wisely placing you in the shoes of a man burdened by guilt and then plunging said individual (and his friends) into alien and claustrophobic countryside that only serves to ratchet up the levels of discomfort.

Keeping you on knife's edge you begin to slowly unravel the bigger picture and, no spoilers, are ultimately treated to one of the most original and satisfying 3rd acts in horror history. Suspenseful, dread-inducing, and terrifying. Filled with great ideas, fleshed out real characters with real problems, and an eerie score to boot, There really is nothing i can say other than WATCH THIS FILM. Highly recommended. A rare 10 out of 10.

Just as strong in its second season as it was in its first, Santa Clarita Diet has asserted itself as one of the best things to come out of Netflix. Fast-paced, witty, relentless in its goal to make you laugh and gag simultaneously, and surprisingly heartwarming, the show proves that the horror comedy is not only reserved for those that dwell in the musty corridors of genre filmmaking. Between this, Ash Vs Evil Dead, and Stan Versus Evil fans can rejoice that the sub-genre is alive and well.

Some would say Santa Clarita Diet subverts the family comedy by injecting elements of gonzo horror but I believe it reinforces the sugar sweet morals espoused in that breed of humor by approaching it in a gruesomely morbid fashion. And gory this is. While relentless delight is to be found in seeing Drew Barrymore regurgitate mysterious organs and gnosh on human flesh there is just as much delight to be found in the lengths that a loving couple will go to be supportive of each other and their family. Quite the balance is struck between these two seemingly divergent goals.

The standard dilemmas that often plague TV families are seasoned with a dash of the outrageous, a healthy helping of the bizarre, as well as buckets of blood, all of which give this creative dish a unique comedic zest. How zesty? Enough for me to use way too many food related puns!

Olyphant and Barrymore work fantastically off of each other's strengths and the supporting cast is just as good. It's also worthy to note that each episode packs in the perfect cliffhanger hook that makes you want to consume the entire season in one sitting. Fitting enough as the approx. half hour length of each episode turns out to be the perfect morsel.

In short, I was both surprised and utterly pleased to have indulged in the bizarre world of suburban horror hijinks that Santa Clarita DIet provides. Check it out!

I wish i could give this movie more than two thumbs down. Talk about being unimpressed. Just a complete letdown. All i can say is that Michael B. Jordan was great but didn't have enough screen time to really work the heft and importance of his character's plight. I do like how he and Panther kinda dwelt in a moral gray area because of what they chose to do or not do, but it didn't make for engaging enough exchanges. This should have focused more on Killmonger than Panther as it would have given more gravitas to the subject at hand...alas, what we got is a dull and uneven first act that dragged quite a bit until Killmonger became the central focus.

Even then the film's other flaws were far too present to let me enjoy it properly. Chief among these is it's inability to make me suspend my disbelief and go along for the ride. Instead, i just sat there nitpicking and focusing on its downsides as I was too uninvested to do much else. Wakanda seemed about as realistic a place as Wonderland...only without the wonder. The natural beauty of Africa was mostly forsaken for garbage CGI locations and digital matte paintings. But it was not the only thing to suffer.

Panther went from the interesting badass of Civil War to the guy I knew too much about to the point of disengagement. Considering the film centered on him, this proved an issue. I will say that Okoye, the head of his royal guard, was excellent in every scene and, quite frankly, the film's only "badass" character in a movie that should of been brimming with them. Killmonger and Man-Ape do their best with what they have and it works while they're around but it's far too little, too late.. Agent Ross felt so out of place it hurt, Panther's sister was a mixture of annoying and far too ridiculous to be credible. I could go on.

The humor in this is not only out of place but cringe-inducingly lame. Much more than it was in Doctor Strange only in Strange I got over it. Here...I just couldn't believe any of those jokes passed muster. Groaning and eye-rolling every time a scene was ruined by some third rate zinger.

I was also shocked at how incredibly horrid the effects in this were. Up to no standard that Marvel has set thus far. Instead a step back. Green screens and digital matte's were blatantly obvious, Panther's suit and fights were a CGI clusterfuck. Remember that cool car chase sequence in Civil War with Panther? Let's do that again only make it so fake that any of the coolness is sapped out of it. And those rhinos and the ships...sweet nuts! How did anyone accept these as up to par with the previous output?

The action? With the exception of Okoye's fights and the final tribal war, the action was a mix of frenzied, close-up camerawork, sub-par choreography, or seeing obvious digital effects jump around and pretend to hurt each other. Never was there a moment of awe and childlike wonder for me but there were plenty of moments of me wishing it looked better or at least came across as cool. No dice.

The now mandatory credit and post credit sequences are not only useless but one of them upstages the final scene of the movie and robs it of its impact in the process by saying the same thing, basically.

I know i'm in the minority here (the movie made billions by now) but it was shockingly bad to me. Luke Cage was a far better black hero character in the MCU and there were even similar themes of the responsibility of having power and using it for the good of others.