“Poor Things”

7.2

What if instead of a creature who leaves a path of destruction, Frankenstein’s creature left a path of destruction by seduction? That’s I think the best way to sum up this film… It’s a hard one to pin down, but similar to “Barbie,” takes a swing at societal norms and historical lunacy with a cunning wit about it. The look and feel of the film is a cross between Wes Anderson and Tim Burton. Be warned, approximately 1/4 of the runtime is sex scene. Or disturbing closeups of Willem Dafoe. If your not ready for either, they can both be equally jarring experiences. Unlike “Saltburn,” this film pulled of its purpose much more effectively, and was more palatable, which surprised me. It’s weird, and it’s long… but if you’re looking for something different, this is definitely a film for you!

“Weird: The Al Yankovic Story”

8.1

A parody of a biopic to a parody singer… Only Weird Al could pull this off. And they NAIL IT!

So cheesy, so eccentric, so perfect for the occasion. And Daniel Radcliffe was oddly made for the part of the protagonist. Surrounded by more cameos than I could keep track of in an hour and a half runtime… this one blew my expectations out of the water! (As long as you’re a Weird Al fan and are in for this type of a ride)

“South Park: Not Suitable For Children”

7.6

A Randy Marsh subplot? Count me in!

Definitely not suitable for children, with so little “safe for work” content that it couldn’t have a full-length trailer… but dead on in its satire, as always. From the energy drink craze to OnlyFans to their collision in a collusion between the deep state and societal puppet masters vying for control of our minds… It’s exactly what you want out of a South Park special event.

“Godzilla Minus One”

8.1

Far better than any of the U.S. Godzilla films. This film has stakes and substance in abundance. Well worth the subtitles.

The first 10-15 minutes of this film are truly ruthless. Where our American counterparts suffer from fear of alienating audiences, opting to play it safe, this film goes for broke at every opportunity. It delivers a much deeper message about the human experience and harkens back to the original themes of the Godzilla franchise, grappling with our use of technology and obsession with progress without regard for collateral damage and general consequences.

For such a small budget, this film also looks absolutely gorgeous, even in its destruction. The attention to detail and creativity is evident in almost every frame, and there’s a collective sense of care put into the craft that comes across throughout the entire runtime. An all-time blockbuster on the year!

“Saltburn”

5.8

Umm… I’m at a loss. I’ve seen some sick and twisted things on the silver screen, but typically there is a general direction or purpose to the chaos. Not here. You’ll want to burn the thing to the ground and salt the earth so it can’t come back after this one. If there was a deeper meaning here, they lost me at drinking bath water and necrophilia. A bridge too far in my book. Even as “shock and awe” filmmaking, it didn’t stick the landing for me.