Recent Viewings, Part 2

[Alex]

Day Shift.

Not as funny as I'd been told. Not completely unwatchable either, although you'll figure out everything that happens in the movie before it is on the screen.

[Rev. Powell]

MANBABY (2022): A somehow-successful comic who's gimmick is to dress like a baby pretends he's really become a baby through a magic potion, hoping to convince his wife to get pregnant. This could have turned out to be the GLEN OR GLENDA? of adult baby movies (which would have been awesome!); instead, it incorporates the fetish into a fairly conventional (if ludicrously premised) script whose subtext can't help but inspire the odd scene from time to time ("babies don't poop on walls, they poop in diapers" is not everyday bar conversation). 2/5.

[Jim H]

A lot of horror movies over the weekend.

Glorious - Fun little single location horror film.  Ryan Kwanten is a guy who has just gone through relationship troubles, and ends up stuck in a bathroom stall with a glory hole.  On the other side of the hole is some kind of Eldritch horror, voiced by JK Simmons.  Pretty fun.  Shudder Original.

Hellraiser (2022) - Mildly disappointing to me.  It's not bad and has some good visuals, well directed scenes (I like the parts where the Cenobites come) the new Cenobite designs are mostly interesting and I like Jamie as Pinhead.  But I found the story of this one a bit uninvolving, and it overall just kind of underwhelming I guess. 

He Never Died - My second watch of this, my thoughts are basically the same.  Henry Rollins is PERFECT in this role, and it's a great character.  Just a very interesting depiction of this sort of character and what he is going through.  But, as I thought the first time, the plot machinations and the last act don't really gel.  But still, it's disappointing the planned direct sequels to this never happened, instead we got a sidequel. 

The Munsters (2022) - Better than I was expecting, easily.  The trailer does a TERRIBLE job advertising it by the way, all of its bits shown play better in the film by far, and the audio is much better quality and never an issue. Film is colorful, very light, very broad.  I could see the performances annoying some people, and they are a bit much at times, but I still liked it.  Super colorful with garish lighting, and I liked that too.  Very weak climax and ending though - it's basically a string of gags, almost feels like three or four episodes taped together, and the last one is rather weak.  But, I'd watch a sequel.

[Alex]

A lot of horror movies over the weekend.

Hellraiser (2022) - Mildly disappointing to me.  It's not bad and has some good visuals, well directed scenes (I like the parts where the Cenobites come) the new Cenobite designs are mostly interesting and I like Jamie as Pinhead.  But I found the story of this one a bit uninvolving, and it overall just kind of underwhelming I guess. 

The Munsters (2022) - Better than I was expecting, easily.  The trailer does a TERRIBLE job advertising it by the way, all of its bits shown play better in the film by far, and the audio is much better quality and never an issue. Film is colorful, very light, very broad.  I could see the performances annoying some people, and they are a bit much at times, but I still liked it.  Super colorful with garish lighting, and I liked that too.  Very weak climax and ending though - it's basically a string of gags, almost feels like three or four episodes taped together, and the last one is rather weak.  But, I'd watch a sequel.

I've heard a lot of people talk the same way about both these movies. Oh, the reason for the colour palate in The Munsters is because they wouldn't let Rob film in black and white.

[FatFreddysCat]

"Return Of The Killer Tomatoes!" (1988)
Ten years after the Great Tomato War, a mad scientist (John "Addams Family" Astin) has discovered a way to transform ordinary tomatoes into humans by mixing them with toxic waste. He plans to make own private army to take over the world, but luckily there's a dorky pizza delivery guy, his roommate (George frickin' Clooney!), and a hot chick ready to stop the evil plot!
... this sequel to the 1978 stupid-on-purpose cult monster movie spoof is even stupider and more random than the original, which is really sayin' something. The movie's got ultra cheap special effects, over-the-top mugging acting, frequent fourth wall breaks, and dorky humor straight out of MAD magazine. I hate to admit it, but my inner 12 year old was entertained. I wonder how George Clooney looks back on this flick nowadays?
Followed by two more sequels and a short lived animated series!

[lester1/2jr]

re: return of the Killer tomatoes this line from the wikipedia

"Future US congressman Gary Condit also had an uncredited and unspoken role in the film. Rick Rockwell, who played Jim Richardson, later would appear on the TV show Who Wants to Marry a Multi-millionaire?. "

[Alex]

"Return Of The Killer Tomatoes!" (1988)
Ten years after the Great Tomato War, a mad scientist (John "Addams Family" Astin) has discovered a way to transform ordinary tomatoes into humans by mixing them with toxic waste. He plans to make own private army to take over the world, but luckily there's a dorky pizza delivery guy, his roommate (George frickin' Clooney!), and a hot chick ready to stop the evil plot!
... this sequel to the 1978 stupid-on-purpose cult monster movie spoof is even stupider and more random than the original, which is really sayin' something. The movie's got ultra cheap special effects, over-the-top mugging acting, frequent fourth wall breaks, and dorky humor straight out of MAD magazine. I hate to admit it, but my inner 12 year old was entertained. I wonder how George Clooney looks back on this flick nowadays?
Followed by two more sequels and a short lived animated series!

George Clooney has said, if they ever want him for a sequel, he'd love to do it.

[FatFreddysCat]

"Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings" (2021)
A martial artist hiding from his past in San Francisco is called back to his homeland by his super powered, crime lord father, and ends up getting caught up in the battle between his family's ancient warrior clan and an inter-dimensional evil bent on taking over our world. In other words, just another day in the Marvel Universe.  
I wasn't sure how much I would dig this epic blend of martial-arts mayhem and CGI fantasy, because even at the height of my comic collecting phase I never owned a single "Shang-Chi" issue, but the stunt work is tons of fun to watch, the effects are top notch (of course) and the two leads (Simu Liu as Shang and comedian Awkwafina as his girlfriend/sidekick) temper their performances with healthy doses of snarky humor.
Like many Marvel flicks, this one ends up dragging on a bit longer than necessary, but otherwise it was better than I expected.

[FatFreddysCat]

"Demonoid" (1981)
A mining operation in Mexico uncovers a long-buried temple, belonging to a cult that worshipped a demonically possessed, severed "Devil's Hand." When a man accidentally frees the five fingered menace from its crypt (and pays the deadly price) his wife teams up with a Catholic priest to figure out a way to stop the crawling evil before it makes her its next victim.
This totally absurd, low budget Mexican horror flick was a "USA Up All Night" favorite -- the cheap special effects (especially the scenes of the severed hand creeping around like a spider, attacking people), turned it into an unintentional comedy pretty quickly. A few halfway decent gory bits and some gratuitous T&A round out this wonderfully cheesy slice of Schlock-tober entertainment. Turn off your brain, have a few beers, and enjoy.

[FatFreddysCat]

"Zombie 4: After Death" (aka "After Death," aka "Zombie Flesh Eaters 3," 1989)
Boat travelers experience mechanical difficulties and end up trapped on an island full of flesh eating ghouls, raised by a voodoo priest. Sooooo...yeah, basically, they wander around in circles spouting inane dialogue and getting attacked by zombies for 90 minutes. All gory, no story.
Cheap, plotless Italian/Philippine nonsense directed by Claudio "Troll 2" Fragasso.
Skip it.

[lester1/2jr]

Missing Kenley (2022) - ultra exhaustive, 5 part series on the disappearance of a college student in Nova Scotia in 1992. They pretty much grill everyone they talk to. By the end, its pretty clear what happened and that there will probably be 5 more parts (I hope) .

5/5

[FatFreddysCat]

"Zombie 5: Killing Birds" (aka "Killing Birds," 1988)
College students on a bird-watching expedition encounter the angry undead -- victims of a 25 year old mass murder - at an abandoned house deep in the Louisiana backwoods. Hilarity ensues.
...by this point, Italian movie makers were simply slapping the "Zombie" franchise name onto unrelated movies in order to suck in unsuspecting video renters. This flick has no connection whatsoever to any of the earlier "Zombie" installments. In fact, there are barely even any zombies -- they don't start turning up till the movie is half over -- and the only "bird"-related killing happens off screen. Still, I liked this one better than "4: After Death" because there was at least some attempt at a story, klutzy though it may have been. I wonder how they roped Robert "Man From U.N.C.L.E." Vaughn into this thing, I guess he needed a mortgage payment.
Your mileage may vary depending on your tolerance for barely-coherent Italian schlock.

[FatFreddysCat]

"Halloween Ends" (2022)
It's been four years since Laurie Strode last faced off against Michael Myers, who hasn't been seen since. Laurie has finally begun to embrace life again, until she comes into contact with a troubled young man who has designs on her granddaughter, and who eventually gives Laurie the same vibes that Michael did. After a lot of irrelevant sub plots and inter-personal drama, Michael finally lumbers back in (more than halfway through the damn movie!) for a final showdown.

The supposedly-final (though we all know it won't be) Halloween flick brings this latest trilogy to an awkward, unsatisfying close. Just like the last installment, Halloween Kills, it spends way too much time on side stories involving uninteresting new characters, and all but ignores the Laurie/Michael dynamic till the last quarter.

The 2018 Halloween was entertaining, but unnecessary. Halloween Kills was a major step down from that. This one flat-out sucks.

If you must see it, stream it on Peacock like I did, don't waste your time or money going to the theater.

[Rev. Powell]

BLONDE: A fictionalized version of Marilyn Monroe suffers from lifelong daddy issues, sexual exploitation, multiple abortions, and drug abuse while making blockbusters and sleeping with/bloiwng the world's most powerful men. It's true that it's overlong, joyless, trashy, and often clumsy and shallow, but Ana de Armas' performance is blameless, and there are small moments of visual brilliance: the trippy threesome that segues into the premiere of NIAGRA is worth the price of admission (free on Netflix). 3/5.

[indianasmith]

ARCHONS (2018) - A three member rock band goes canoeing along an unnamed Canadian river in an search for inspiration - they are looking for a song to follow up their huge debut hit a few years previously.  Along the way they pick up a cute young groupie, but as they float downriver, the band's lead singer Mitch becomes convinced that unknown creatures are following the group downriver, lurking in the woods alongside the river.  Are they being stalked by monsters?  Or is it just the potent acid they've been dropping? 
A bit of a slow burn at first, but builds steam as it moves along to a WTF ending.  3/5