Saturday, April 29, 2023

THE HORROR HARVEST: EVIL DEAD RISE (2023)

 EVIL DEAD RISE (2023)



The Evil Dead series is an unusual set of films, unusual in the most complimentary sense. The first film was a horror movie with unintended humor throughout. The second film is a blatant horror comedy while the third completely leans into comedy, the horror elements merely window dressing. Each of these films are either brilliant or absurd or both. The television series ASH VS THE EVIL DEAD is a wonderful continuation of these films, arguably better than its predecessors. And it is precisely this strange space of horror, humor, and absurdity that the Evil Dead franchise inhabits that has endeared it to audiences.

EVIL DEAD is the fourth film in the series and is a reboot or off-shoot of sorts. It's an attempt at the idea that was perhaps originally what director Sam Raimi intended with the first film: an intense, grueling experience in terror. Serious, realistic, terrifying. Released in 2013, Evil Dead (#4) is a film I hold in high regard, right up there with the original trilogy, albeit for different reasons. In terms of gore and sheer intensity, few films of the last decade have rivaled its heights. Not every fan enjoyed this take on the franchise however, the lack of humor and Bruce Campbell being a point of contention. Although I love Evil Dead 4, I easily see this other point of view.

EVIL DEAD RISE obviously had big shoes to fill. And a curious choice to make. Between Evil Dead 4 and Evil Dead Rise we saw all three seasons of Ash Vs. The Evil Dead, which perfectly channeled the unique esthetics and tone of the original trilogy. But despite unanimous praise from critics and fans, it failed commercially, citing very poor ratings. So, which direction do you go with the series from here? The choice seems simple: the grim serious route of 2013. Evil Dead per Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell is something to which no other filmmaker except the originals can replicate. But that isn't to lessen what the 2013 film achieved either.

So, how does Evil Dead Rise measure up? Well, it can't be compared to Sam Raimi's and Bruce Campbell's Evil Dead quadrilogy. Those films stand in a realm all their own. But against Evil Dead 4 and its contemporaries of modern horror? I'll give the film the gore, but not much else.



THE SYNOPSIS

An earthquake in Los Angeles breaks the seal on a forgotten tomb below a dilapidated high rise. A curious boy unearths the fabled Necronomicon to the ruin of all. Demonic spirits flow free throughout the high rise and one family must fight to survive the horrors of the Evil Dead.

INITIAL IMPRESSIONS

The film starts fairly strong with a solid opening sequence set in a classic "cabin the woods" location. I particularly enjoyed a demonic recitation of a passage from Wuthering Heights. There's solid tension and horror in this first five minutes and then we hard shift from the Californian countryside to inner city Los Angeles and a high rise that looked all too similar to the Continental from John Wick. Immediately the tension of the first five minutes is defused and we start all over again. This "restart" isn't a bad thing at this point, but becomes endemic of my biggest hang-up with the film.

Evil Dead Rise has a momentum issue. It constantly builds to these scenes of tension and suspense only to defuse them moments later and lose all energy and drive. Normally this makes sense in a narrative as there will be breaks in the action from time to time. Yet, in most cases the tension remains and slowly ratchets up towards the climax. This film loses all tension after each horrific sequence and falls flat between set-pieces. Not only does this undercut the work of the previous scenes, but it also makes the film's pacing feel stuttered. This constant stopping and starting kept my pulse from really racing.

Part of this could be from a mostly nondescript film score. Horror films, unlike most other genres, either live or die depending on their soundtrack. All-time greats like JAWS and HALLOWEEN would be terrible movies if not for their incredible film scores. Evil Dead Rise has no such score to speak of. When the score finally does kick in it is right at the end, doing its best impression of Christopher Young's HELLRAISER (not a score evocative of the Evil Dead... well, maybe a little of Army of Darkness, maybe). Maybe it was the theater we were in, but the sound design in general just didn't stand out (which is ironic as two of our main characters where either into deejaying or tech crew members for a heavy metal band). Going back and watching the previous Evil Dead films, the sound design is always a key element.



There are other nitpicks I could go over, such as every member of our core family has some major quirk or extreme personality trait. Such characters work against "down to earth" personalities. When they're all quirky it just becomes obnoxious and grating. The actors themselves are fine, but the direction they're given results in a bizarrely subdued performances (as if they're trying so hard to be serious that they hold back on moments where they should arguably "swing for the fences."). The lead Deadite, Ellie (actress Alyssa Sutherland) looks absolutely terrifying though and really carries the tension in the film. And Lily Sullivan, our lead heroine, does well with what she's given, but I wish she would've "went for it" with her performance in spots.

The gore is top notch! Really the star of the film is the blood, guts, and splatter bathing this film. I've longed for such copious levels of red since, well, 2013's Evil Dead (which still stands above the rest in this regard). If I could caution a piece of advice though: don't watch any trailers for this movie, especially the red band trailers, which give away a lot. There is a homunculus creature towards the climax of the film that is impressive and a blood-soaked finale that mostly lands.

THE VERDICT

Damn, if I didn't want to like this movie more, but it failed to maintain momentum and tension, at least for me. It's strange as individual elements are strong, but edited together it didn't work as a whole. The gore was good and the actors, I feel, were capable of bringing it. But a lack of a noticeable film score and a juttering pace really hampered the experience. A strong and atmospheric score could've really maintained the suspense between set-pieces and carried the slower moments.

Overall Ranking: 6 out of 10 = Above Average 

It was fine, but in dire need of a solid score. Still waiting on the great horror film of 2023 that makes me want to buy it the moment it comes out on blu-ray. 

For more thoughts on Evil Dead and horror, check out these other posts below!


RETURN OF THE EVIL DEAD (1973)

COCAINE BEAR (2023)

M3GAN (2023)

SCREAM VI (2023)

THE HORROR MOVIE MASTER LIST



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Friday, April 28, 2023

SILVER TONGUED SILVER SCREEN: THE SUPER MARIO BROS. MOVIE (2023)

 THE SUPER MARIO BROS. MOVIE (2023)


The first video game I ever played was Super Mario Bros. for the NES Nintendo Entertainment System. For Christmas my dad purchased the big Nintendo bundle with the triple cart containing Super Mario Bros., Duck Hunt, and World Class Track & Field. The bundle came with the console, two controllers, the Nintendo Zapper and the Power Pad too! This was either 1988 or 1989 and from that moment onward a lifetime of video gaming began!

Mario and Nintendo have been with me nearly all of my life and I have played the first Super Mario Bros. game quite a lot. After the Super Nintendo though, I haven't played many Mario games and, admittedly, I wouldn't call myself that big of a Mario fan. But I do respect and appreciate Mario. He's the face of Nintendo and the original Nintendo and SNES are huge parts of my gaming life that I love dearly.

I wasn't going to see THE SUPER MARIO BROS. MOVIE initially, though I hoped for the best for it. Then a close friend reached out and said that his son really wanted to see it. And then my son said he really wanted to see it. Getting together with them, we all went out to the movie theater. And I'm glad we did. Not only have I now seen both Super Mario movies in a theater (yes, the 1993 movie), but I had a really good time with my friends and the movie!

I was pleasantly surprised with this movie and enjoyed it quite a lot.


THE SYNOPSIS

Mario and Luigi, two brothers from Brooklyn struggling to make it on their own as plumbers, are sucked down through a mysterious tunnel and transported to another world. Luigi lands in a land of darkness and despair while Mario arrives in the bright and cheery Mushroom Kingdom. To save Luigi, Mario joins forces with Princess Peach to help unite the kingdoms and defeat the evil conqueror, Bowser.

INITIAL IMPRESSIONS

The look of this movie is absolutely perfect. The CGI animation is beautiful, bright, and deep and so amazingly colorful. The visual spectacle of this film stuck with me afterwards as so stunning and bright; masterfully done. Although I don't watch a whole lot of kids films, so maybe this is fairly common (like with the movies Trolls and Inside Out, both of which I haven't seen).

The characters look exactly how I pictured them. Their designs feel perfect for the characters, representing how I remember them or imagine them from the games. I look at these renderings and designs and they perfectly capture the characters as they should be. In this day and age of adaptations of books, comic books, video games, and so many other established and known properties, there have been many films that attempt different takes, deviating from the source material, and a small percentage of which actually work. I'm so very glad to see an adaptation that sticks close to the source material and succeeds so very well.

Mario and Luigi, the brothers themselves, are done very well. Both characters have so much heart and come across so endearing. You can't help but root for Mario. He's a man whose not a natural winner, success coming rarely and difficultly when it does. Life is tough for Mario, as it is for most of us, but he never gives up. No matter how many times Mario gets knocked down, he always gets up and tries again. Mario is humble, kind, dedicated to his family, and a man of his word. He's inspiring in the way that Rocky (Sylvester Stallone) is and has so much heart. He is the heart of the movie (as it should be) and is a great role model in many respects.

Continuing with the characters, Luigi, Toad, Donkey Kong, and Cranky Kong are all fun. Bowser and his kin are fun too. The voice acting surprised me. Chris Pratt actually does a pretty good job and you forget its him after a while. And I was pleasantly surprised with Seth Rogan as Donkey Kong as I really feared that he was going to sound exactly like himself. Jack Black as Bowser was really good... until they gave him random songs.



Bowser's "Peaches" song felt completely out of character and shattered the illusion of Jack Black as Bowser. At this point it was purely Jack Black. I like Jack Black. I like Tenacious D. But as Bowser this completely took me out of the film and undercut Jack Black's strong performance as Bowser. If they cut out these two songs it would make the movie stronger. I asked my son about this and, him being seven years old, liked these songs. So, maybe these songs hit the mark with their intended audience.

And then there's Princess Peach. She's the complete antithesis of Mario. Confident, strong, skilled, capable, and perfect in everything that she does. And lacking any charm or warmth whatsoever. She has no character growth nor an arc of her own (even Donkey Kong, as small as his role was, had a character arc) and she's arguably the second lead. Anya Taylor-Joy, an actress who is very good and likeable in most roles, really felt flat and one-note. In a few cases she comes across as cocky, egotistical, and condescending to Mario. Now, I don't know what Nintendo has done with her character beyond the Super Nintendo days, so maybe this is spot on for her. But the movie succeeds despite her.

The movie has many fun sequences that keeps the pace moving fast. The Donkey Kong fight was fun, really showcasing Mario's indominable spirit. The Mario Kart sequence was so very colorful and exciting. And the wedding crashing scene by Mario and Donkey Kong, segueing into the epic finale was very well done and left me feeling good at the end of the film. Ending on such a high note, the movie comes across very satisfying and strong.

Lastly I loved the music and the fan-service/nostalgia drops. Music themes from across the entire Mario franchise pop up here and there to great effect and just warm your heart when you hear them. And there's lots of fun easter eggs for the longtime fans that had us dads pointing at the screen and chuckling. All in all, there's a lot of love for Mario and Nintendo fans in this movie.

THE VERDICT

The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023 not 1993) is a fun family film with an endearing hero and pure heart. Visually beautiful, faithful to the source material, and mostly well-voiced acted. There's a lot of love for Nintendo and the Mario franchise baked herein and Mario himself steals the show. There's a lot of fun sequences that keep the movie moving and keeping the kids' attention. It was better than I expected it to be and I left the movie far more satisfied than I thought I would be.

Overall Ranking: 7 out of 10

Nintendo and I go way back and the original Nintendo NES is my favorite video game console. For more of my love for Nintendo and video games in general, check out these other posts below!

SONIC THE HEDGEHOG (2020)




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Saturday, April 15, 2023

SILVER TONGUED SILVER SCREEN: JOHN WICK CHAPTER 4 (2023)

 JOHN WICK CHAPTER 4 (2023)


The John Wick films jumped on my radar with John Wick Chapter 2 (which had an incredible ending!) and I loved it! From there I went back and watched the first film to get caught up, purchased both films, and have been there for each film afterwards. I've been doing my part to spread the word about how great these movies are and sharing them with whomever is willing to watch.

Sadly, I missed seeing the first John Wick in theaters, and almost missed the second film too, but I luckily caught it at the tail end of its original theatrical run at a second run theater. And I haven't missed one since! John Wick Chapter 3: Parabellum was incredible in my opinion, one of the best domestic action films in years. The epic finale with Keanu Reeves versus Cecep Arif Rahman, Yayan Ruhian (both incredible martial artists from The Raid films), and Mark Dacascos was cinematic brilliance.

A sequel would have big shoes to fill as I'd say each subsequent film in the series either maintained the previous level of excellence or exceeded the film before it. And I must say that JOHN WICK CHAPTER 4 lives up to the high standard set by its predecessors... if only just.


THE SYNOPSIS

After being betrayed by Winston, John has spent the last several months preparing for war. A Marquis of the High Table has emerged, determined to put John Wick in the ground and anyone who stands in his way. Friends and enemies of John's alike find themselves in the crosshairs of the Marquis and countless bodies fall as John Wick fights for his life against the greatest enemy he's ever faced.

INITIAL IMPRESSIONS

Hype prior to this movie's release was building the film up as one of the greatest action movies of all time. Listening to such accolades can only let you down for rarely are such hyperbolic statements true. While watching the movie I tried to temper my expectations to something realistic. After the first action sequence in Osaka I was thinking that the hype was overblown. This initial sequence is quite good, with Hiroyuki Sanada being particularly good (he's good in everything he does) and Donnie Yen stealing the show. But after watching many Japanese films, the Osaka set-piece felt more "Hollywood Japan" than real Japan. That was a little disappointing, but what else is there to expect from Hollywood.

But with a runtime of 2 hours and 49 minutes, there was plenty more film left and more opportunity to live up to the hype. And the film only gets better from here. The sequence in Berlin is one of my favorites in the film. Actor Scott Adkins, a guy who I have become a fan of and deserves a major break, appears as the nasty, smarmy, disgusting Killa... and is a pure joy to watch! Scott Adkins takes every second of screen time given to him and uses it to the fullest. For me, he's the standout performer of the entire movie. It's fun, it's thrilling, hilarious, and badass all at once. I was sad to see this sequence come to an end.


Hammering through from one action set-piece to the next, when we finally get to the grand finale it is a four-tiered cake of action indulgence and decadence beyond imagination. Layer one begins with a street chase that starts on foot, then into cars, culminating in a "round-about from Hell" sequence. The second tier is arguably the greatest set-piece in the film and possibly a strong argument for best action sequence from Hollywood in the last decade. It's a mere shoot-out in a dilapidated hotel. But what makes this sequence so special is the cinematography. The way this section is shot is fresh and interesting and different from anything any of the John Wick films have done so far. It's a proof of concept that what could've been just another standard gunfight, if thought through and executed proficiently, can be wild and reinvigorating. Whoever came up with this idea needs to be awarded the highest honor.

The third tier of this incredible finale occurs on the Rue Foyatier, a 222 step stone staircase outside in the dead of night (bizarrely reminiscent of The Exorcist). John Wick battles his way up the stairs in a brutal hard-hitting scene that leaves you aching for the guy. It's proves nearly impossible if not for some unexpected help. Again, this shows that, given the right inspiration, even something as mundane as a set of stairs can be incredibly thrilling in the right hands (I guess Daredevil on Netflix had an epic staircase action sequence prior to this, so I'll give credit to Drew Goddard for that one). And finally, the fourth tier of this bullet layered and blood frosted cake is a classy old school one on one duel. The emotion weighing down this duel, the stakes, and the power behind it are a perfect grand hurrah for a film that, I didn't feel lived up to the hype at first, but by the end completely delivered.

I have no gripes with this film. If I had to state a few disappointments though it would only be in the exclusion or lack of foresight to include characters from the previous films: John Leguizamo, David Patrick Kelly, Common, Angelica Huston, Halle Berry, Cecep Arif Rahman, and Yayan Ruhian. These actors, and by extension their characters, all are still alive (maybe). Had they been included and written adeptly into the script, could've elevated this film and the series as a whole, both paying off beats from previous films and adding far more weight to the events. As is though, John Wick Chapter 4 is excellent despite this. But it could've been even more.

THE VERDICT

My favorite film of the year so far (by a mile), John Wick Chapter 4 deserves all of the praise it's receiving. As a domestic action film, by that I mean Hollywood action film, it is the best in a long time, with plenty of great action set-pieces, inventive ways of showcasing the action cinematically, with show-stealing performances by Scott Adkins, Donnie Yen, and Hiroyuki Sanada. And of course, the man himself, Keanu Reeves. I highly recommend every John Wick film as they are all great with only marginally different levels of quality (I can't decide which one is the best!).

Overall Ranking: 8 out of 10

The Hong Kong Jackie Chan films of yore like Police Story and Drunken Master, along with the Indonesian action films of the last decade (The Raid, The Night Comes For Us) and Japanese and South Korean greats (13 Assassins, Blade of the Immortal, and The Villainess) are still high-watermarks of action cinema, but few domestic films equal the John Wick series (I'd say only Rambo (2008) and Rambo: Last Blood have anything on the John Wicks). I look forward to anything directors Chad Stahelski and David Leitch do next. John Wick Chapter 5 has massive shoes to fill.

For my thoughts on more action films, check out the posts below!

JOHN WICK CHAPTER 3: PARABELLUM (2019)

RAMBO: LAST BLOOD (2019)



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Sunday, April 9, 2023

THE HORROR HARVEST: SCREAM VI (2023)

SCREAM VI (2023)



The Scream franchise and I go way back. The original Scream was the first rated R horror movie I ever saw in a movie theater and it was such an amazing rollercoaster ride that I became an even bigger fan of the genre! I fell completely head over heels for the first Scream film, watched it endlessly on VHS (I bought one of the exclusive release VHS covers from the initial home video release) and then bought the original DVD release (which wasn't formatted for widescreen televisions). 

When Scream 2 came out in 1997 you better believe I was there at the theaters for it! Same with Scream 3 when it debuted in 2000! Sadly, I missed Scream 4 in 2011 (that was a major year in my life with much change and uncertainty, so... I'm blaming that for missing it in the theater) but I saw it later on Netflix. And then I missed Scream 5 in 2022 too because, well, I kind of was out of the habit of movie going and my feelings toward the series were muted and dusty. Truthfully, I just recently watched Scream 2022 for the first time (in prep for the next one!).

None of the sequels quite hit as well as the original for me though. In my experience they've all felt like diminishing returns. Scream 2 was good, but a little less than the first. Scream 3 was a little less than Scream 2 and so forth. In fairness I should rewatch Screams 2 through 4 as I haven't watched them in a long time. I remember enjoying Scream 4 well enough. Scream 5 is recent in my mind and it was okay, I wasn't wowed by any means (like most of the sequels).

SCREAM VI is an improvement. And maybe the best of the sequels (although I need to rewatch 2 thru 4 to have a firm stance).


THE SYNOPSIS

Sam, Tara, Mindy, and Chad (the survivors of the previous film) have all moved from Woodsboro, California to New York City for college. A new Ghostface has emerged to terrorize them.

INITIAL IMPRESSIONS

Scream VI hits pretty solid. There are a number of standout sequences in the film. The Scream franchise has always had it's signature "Cold Call" openings and they've almost always been good. And Scream VI  may be one of the best, formulaic yet still effective... and then it keeps going into something new and fresh. These Cold Call openings are crucial to the Scream films and sets the tone going forward. And this one nails it, with a great cameo from Samara Weaving.

The next Ghostface sequence takes place in a bodega/grocery store and works really well and begins establishing this particular Ghostface as one to be truly feared. All in all, nearly every Ghostface scene works great, making this Scream movie feel like one of the best in franchise since the first. I really believed Courtney Cox's Gale Weathers was in real peril and going into the finale it seemed no one was safe. Perhaps my favorite scene in the film is a great example of a "Slow Scare" sequence. 

By the way, I love all of the horror film references, nods to Friday the 13th Part VIII, and general fanservice. Scream being a "meta-horror film" series lends itself to fanservice like this, so it all mostly works (unlike other films with gratuitous fanservice for no other reason). And every Scream film has a meta-horror monologue, it's one of the series' signatures. I didn't like this one as much, largely because I felt it was trying to speak positively about all of the elements that have "killed" or hurt franchises in the last ten years (curiously counter to Scream 5's meta horror monologue by the same character). But then, the film itself makes decisions to counter this (like what I bring up next), but later leans into these new detrimental tropes. This waffling back and forth leaves me with mixed feelings, like the writers and filmmakers can't make up their minds either.

The story too does some heavy lifting with the lore, touching on every Scream film in the franchise. Me being a story-stickler, I really appreciated the effort on the writers part to draw from each film in an easy way for new viewers to understand, but also rewarding longtime fans for sticking with the series. Going to this level elevates viewers thoughts on the older films, for if the filmmakers appear to care and think the other films are important, it comes across to the audience as well. Too often as of recent years have franchises made the mistake of disrespecting either their roots or even their own films (you know who I'm referring to) and it is always to the detriment of the IP. I'm really glad this wasn't the case here.


Where the film stumbled for me was, where every Scream sequel stumbles, the ending. It feels like a completely different movie once we proceed with the final act. The acting of Dermot Mulroney (an actor I usually like) felt out of place, like he thought he was in a B-movie piece of schlock. The Ghostface reveal was underwhelming too and predictable and their acting devolves to B-movie level as well. And then several protagonists are clearly killed, but then miraculously survive because, well, no reason whatsoever storywise. Their survival actually undercut the impact of the previous scenes and are a detriment to the story as a whole.

I must admit that the majority of the movie is pretty strong, but this ending nearly ruined it all. Thankfully, or sadly, this disappointing ending is expected with every Scream movie. So, I guess it was anticipated to a certain degree. It's just disappointing because we nearly had a film in the series that topped or rivaled the original. But, no. The first Scream is still the one and true king in the series.

THE VERDICT

Scream VI had a lot of great sequences in it, some of the best in the series. The film starts off on strong and creative footing, really mixing up the formula. Great sequence after great sequence follow. But then the ending nearly falls flat on its face. Anyway, it's still a strong film up till then.

Overall Ranking: 6 out of 10 = above average awesomeness!

For more horror films and our thoughts on them, check out these posts below!

COCAINE BEAR (2023)

M3GAN (2023)

THE HORROR MOVIE MASTER LIST





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