Horror/Thriller Shudder

“Late Night With The Devil”

By Brett_G on

8.2

I didn’t have Bohemian Grove connected death cult on my bingo card for 2024, but here we are.

David Dastmalchian and Ingrid Torelli steal the show, but that’s not to take away from anyone in this one. Everyone plays their parts to perfection, as we’re transported back to the days of the original late night wars and their attempts to distract us from a world seemingly coming apart at the seams. Behind a thin veil is a grappling with the price of fame and the lengths one will go to to achieve it. Front and center is one of the better demonic possession found footage films on the silver screen in quite some time. What I was most taken by was the world building done in such a short time. I’m not typically a fan of an exposition dump monologue to start a film, but found this one perfectly teed up what was to come. They use the late night talk show structure to build momentum towards a finale that gives the V/H/S series a run for its money. As you know, I judge a horror movie by its finale, and this one swung for the fences and connected with a fast ball right down the middle to destroy a windshield in deep left field. There wasn’t a wasted frame in the entire runtime, leaving everyone in the theater in disbelief of where they went with this one.

So lace up your robe, sharpen your ancient dagger, and get ready for a wild ride!

No comments
Indie Rom-Com

“Chasing Amy”

By Brett_G on

7.4

Through the process of obtaining my MBA, I was enlightened with terminology for so many things in the business world that I had known the intricacies of but had never had a term for… like a PDSA Cycle or Gemba Walk.

Finally! Leave it to Silent Bob to coin a term for the age old self destructed relationship that one posthumously idealizes and therefore chases with great fervor – we’re chasing Amy.

Unlike George Costanza, Ben Affleck convinces Alyssa to switch teams in the opposite direction, convincing her to join the ball and bat club… only to then stick his bat in a woodchipper on account of an all-time case of the yips. His perfect game, ruined by a wild pitch in the bottom of the ninth. At least he had some content to keep his comic book illustration career afloat as a result of his dumbassed decisions in love. Some of us blog about movies.

This was a surprisingly humorous and realistic tale of love, friendship, conflict, and the messiness of life that I really enjoyed finally catching up on! A well-done recommendation from a friend.

No comments
Amazon Prime Comedy

“Ricky Stanicky”

By Brett_G on

7.4

In the “Hangover” spawned cinematic universe of bro-pics… I guess we all have an explanation now behind why John Cena was naked at the Oscar’s and started an Onlyfans.

What I didn’t expect was how many genuine laughs I’d experience and how much true heart they’d drop on the viewer like an absolute BOMB in the third act. There was actually a lot to learn from this 2 hours of insanity. I’m glad to see Zac Efron got to loosen up a big after “The Iron Claw.” Speaking of hand gestures, make sure you self-reflect on your public speaking skills, in order to avoid a missed self-destruction the likes of “air dicking.” Sit back, turn your brain and sense of decency off, and enjoy the ride!

No comments
Action Suspense/Thriller

“Drive”

By Brett_G on

7.2

Between “Baby Driver” and “John Wick”… I give you, “Drive.”

I didn’t expect so much gore, but I also didn’t expect such a well made action movie either. A solid performance by Gosling, a tight storyline, and a nice interwoven crime caper to keep the action scenes tied together until the credits roll. Nicely done!

No comments
Foreign Indie Romance

“Portrait of a Lady on Fire”

By Brett_G on

8.6

I haven’t had my heart ripped out like this in a LONG time… This was a “Somewhere in Time” level gut punch.

Telling the story through the eyes of a painter was such an interesting, yet perfect creative choice. Marianne’s attention to even the most subtle of details about Heloise sold the kindling of a soon to be burning love between them with each passing frame. An excellently executed twist on the “forbidden love” story, told through the lens of the Greek classical myth of Orpheus and Eurydice. The theme of long remembering the details of a former lover felt like the film was way to in my head and the heart that I admittedly tend to wear on my sleeve. The final minutes of the film are nothing but heart-wrenchingly beautiful, making and then living with the poet’s choice. The attention to detail in the performances of Adele Haenel and Noemie Merlant was awe-inspiring to witness.

Also similar to my all-time favorite “Somewhere in Time” turning me on to the works of Gustav Mahler and Sergei Rachmaninoff, this film gave me the works of Antonio Vivaldi to dive head first into and expand my musical horizons anew.

No comments