Monday, October 16, 2023

THE HORROR HARVEST: THE EXORCIST - BELIEVER (2023)

 THE EXORCIST: BELIEVER (2023)



There are a few legendary horror films out there that, merely mentioning their titles, still evoke shudders and chills within people. Night of the Living Dead, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, Halloween, A Nightmare On Elm Street, among others. And perhaps the most infamous of them all: William Friedkin's The Exorcist from 1973. This movie traumatized a generation when it came out and continues to frighten and disturb audiences to this day. Even the freaking Academy Awards had to acknowledge how powerful this film was... and they typically hate horror movies!

Fast-forward to the last five to seven years. The new horror movie sequel/reboot craze seems to be the "requel" film. They're not remaking the original films anymore, but instead remaking the sequels. But they have to legitimize these new sequels by bringing back some actor or actors from the original film. Halloween 2018 (lovingly retitled by us here at Blood Work as "Halloween: H40" or just H40), while not the first, may have been responsible for shifting everything in this direction. Since H40 we've seen Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2022), Scream (2022), Candyman (2021), and so on.

David Gordon Green and Danny McBride were the two responsible for the latest Halloween requel trilogy. Now the devilish duo are at it again, hoping to kick off a new requel trilogy with THE EXORCIST: BELIEVER. The mentality behind a requel may be (but not necessarily) that of Hollywood's hubris mindset of "we can remake the original and do it better" is over, but may be now, "we can remake the sequels, but do them better." Hollywood's hubris may have tempered a bit, but not much.

So how was The Exorcist: Believer?

'sigh' It wasn't as bad as the cutting reviews are saying. But it doesn't compare to the original.


THE SYNOPSIS

Widower Victor and his teenage daughter, Sorenne, are each adjusting to high school and the teenage years. Sorenne longs for a bit more independence and Victor just wants to hold onto his little girl a little longer before she grows up. Placing his trust in her, Victor acquiesces to Sorenne's plea to hangout with friends after school. The worst happens when Sorenne vanishes with a friend for three days. And when Sorenne and her friend finally reappear it becomes quickly apparent that something is wrong with them. Very wrong. Admitted to a psychiatric hospital, someone recognizes that what may be afflicting the girls isn't mental, but spiritual. With no other option left, Victor finally calls upon someone who might know a bit about what he's going through, someone who, a long time ago, needed an Exorcist.

INITIAL IMPRESSIONS

Full disclosure: I have a grudge against David Gordon Green and Danny McBride for Halloween Ends. I'm getting over it, but I still strongly loathe that movie and what they did to Michael Myers in it. Truthfully, I took a small amount of pleasure in seeing Green and McBride eviscerated by audiences and critics for Exorcist: Believer. I wasn't even going to see this movie until a friend asked me to go with them. Going in with a chip on my shoulder already, I'm surprised to say that I enjoyed this film more than I thought I would.

The movie is slow to start and really takes its time getting started. This did remind me of the original Exorcist in how the film is a slow build to a horrifying third act. Just like the original film, this movie felt more like a drama to begin with rather than a horror film. To me this felt like an intentional esthetic choice to match the original. Then there were a few artistic shots and sequences that felt rather pretentious, maybe to evoke an uncomfortable feeling within the audience. Ultimately it had me wondering if DGG was trying to go for an "elevated horror" approach similar to A24 films or something that might be recognized by the Academy (in my book = pretentious BS). If not for a similar esthetic to the original, this would've annoyed me. As is, it felt mostly in line with the original.

What did annoy me was Ellen Burnstyn, or rather the writing of her character. She came across with swagger, piss & vinegar, and an overall unlikable personality. She even seems to carry disdain or resentment towards the Catholic church, a moment that really pushes her away from anything resembling a likeable character. Other than for nostalgia she added nothing to the film. I'd go so far as to say that she detracted from the film, through no fault of the actress. Yeah, was it cool to see her back? Sure. But she was utterly superfluous.



The movie does have moments worth noting. There are some frightening scenes and jump scares that land. There are some instances of gruesome imagery that lingered with me too. The little scene near the end with Catherine and the demon particularly left me feeling gutted.

And then there's the climactic exorcism sequence that composes the third act. Something about this entire sequence felt slightly off. An element that the original film had was a dread of going into Regan's room every time. As an audience member, you feared going into her room. With this film, however, this final sequence didn't really possess any tension or terror. And when it did, the tension only lasted for fleeting moments. The exorcism process also came across rather strange, as if the characters and filmmakers weren't taking it seriously. Or more likely, the filmmakers weren't committing to the idea, instead experimenting with several different and opposing viewpoints. The result was a fairly muted and muddled climax. The Exorcist is a film that deals with elements of religion, God and the Devil, and faith. Without those core tenets the story possesses no power. The filmmakers almost come across as embarrassed to even entertain such "old ideas." If you're making an Exorcist movie, shouldn't someone making the film, either the writer or director, actually believe in these things?

Without going into spoilers, the exorcism doesn't go as planned, but the demon leaves anyway. This is one of my big hang-ups with the film. The demon clearly has the advantage and the exorcism isn't really working. And then the demon just leaves? What?

THE VERDICT

Overall there were too few horrific moments that really stood out. I feel most of the dramatic moments work, with a few exceptions. But the horror elements really lacked intensity. Obviously none of the actresses playing the possessed girls comes anywhere close to matching Linda Blair's unforgettable performance. But even the structuring of the scares lacks in most cases. Putting my grudge against the filmmakers aside, there just wasn't enough here that really stood out.

Overall Ranking: 5 out of 10


What always made an exorcism movie, be it The Exorcism of Emily Rose, The Conjuring, The Pope's Exorcist, and the original Exorcist is a feeling of belief after watching them. At the end you step out of the film thinking, if only a little bit, that maybe there's a bit of truth to this God and Devil thing. This movie didn't have that at all. Even if your approach is through a different religion, like Shintoism in the Grudge for instance, you still come away feeling as though maybe this stuff is real or at least contains a tiny grain of truth. Whatever the religion represented, the movie needs to evoke a feeling of belief. And this one didn't. At least for me.

For more of our thoughts on current horror films and other Exorcism-like films, check out the posts below

THE EXORCIST (1973)


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Saturday, October 7, 2023

SILVER TONGUED SILVER SCREEN: EXPENDABLES 4 (2023)

 EXPENDABLES 4 (2023)


Growing up in the 1980s and 90s, cinematic heroes like Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bruce Willis and Kurt Russell, along with so many others dominated the action scene for years. The action blockbuster film had become larger than life and so had the actors starring in them. As kids we used to ask who would win in a fight: Stallone or Schwarzenegger? Jackie Chan or Jet Li? Snake Plissken or Mad Max? All of us dreamed about a single movie where all of the great action movie stars were together on screen at the same time.

2010's Expendables felt like that dream had finally come true. Sylvester Stallone had come back and revitalized Rocky in 2006. He reminded us all that Rambo was still the king of action in 2008. And then in 2010 he showed audiences everywhere why his generation of action heroes was the best. I absolutely loved the Expendables, feeling it was one of the best action movies I had seen in years. And, for the most part, it delivered on that childhood dream... almost. Schwarzenegger and Willis were there, but only as cameos. And Dolph Lundgren drew the short straw. But still, it was a solid R rating and the action was intense.

Expendables II was highly anticipated, with the promise that Schwarzenegger and Willis would have bigger parts, Lundgren would be treated better, and Jean-Claude Van Damme would take them all to task as the villain. Sadly, that film felt watered down compared to the previous by virtue of being rated PG-13 (retro-fitted to be Rated R after fan backlash, but it was by all intents a PG-13 film). Sylvester Stallone directed the first Expendables himself, but stepped aside for the sequel, resulting in not nearly as great a film. But it was still really damn fun with some great moments. And Chuck Norris showed up too!

And then came The Expendables III in 2014. Willis was out, but Harrison Ford was in along with Wesley Snipes and Antonio Banderas! And Mel Gibson took on the role of the big bad villain. But then they added a ton of younger stars and up & coming talent, which no one wanted to see cluttering an Expendables movie. Following the downward trend, this third film, despite some great performances by Mel Gibson and others, felt the weakest of the three. At the time I was pretty disappointed in this film, but today, ten years later, I've come to still enjoy it for the fun film that it is.

At the time, given the diminishing returns for each subsequent film, I didn't feel the need for an Expendables 4. Over the years though, seeing the action film evolve with movies like John Wick, the Raid, and the last few Mission Impossible films, my mind was thinking of how another Expendables movie, updated with the action sensibilities of today, could look. And 2019's Rambo: Last Blood was brutal and amazing. It seemed to me that there was no reason why a new Expendables movie couldn't go that extra step and reinvigorate the franchise. 

Now, we have our look at a new Expendables film...


THE SYNOPSIS

Barney Ross, Lee Christmas, Gunner, Toll Road, and the rest of the gang head out on another mission to save the world. The plan goes awry, the mission goes belly-up, and one of the Expendables dies. Things get personal as the surviving Expendables gear up for a revenge mission with possibly igniting World War III in the process. Will the Expendables succeed? And who will be left alive by the end of it?

INITIAL IMPRESSIONS

These movies are the equivalent of juke food and you feel good while watching. This was simply a fun movie. It wasn't great. It wasn't trash. It was a fairly middle of the road, old-fashion action fun. It did not evolve like I was hoping it would've, nor did it drop off from the bar set by the previous film. It remained decidedly consistent from the previous sequel (still not as good as the original... maybe not quite as good as Expendables II either). And the stellar cast of Expendables III (the real action stars, not those young kids) may even give E3 the edge over E4 at the end of the day.

Adding Tony Jaa and Iko Uwais were definite highlights. Having seen the Ong Bak films and The Raid films along with other films with Tony Jaa and Iko Uwais, I have a hard time believing anyone on the Expendables team could take them down. Sadly, there was no scene in which Tony Jaa launches into a flying knee attack (if you have Tony Jaa in your film, how do you not have at least one flying knee?!). But the biggest missed opportunity here was not pitting Tony Jaa against Iko Uwais. That fight would've been LEGENDARY! What an incredible shame to have not taken advantage of this. 

Stallone and Lundgren take it easy this time around and sadly don't do a whole lot in this movie, which was another real disappointment. Instead, the movie leans on Jason Statham to carry it. Statham gets the lion's share of the action and the truly standout moments. I love Jason Statham and he's always fun to watch, but these movies should be ensemble pieces and not a Statham solo act. I just wish the filmmakers would've shared more standout action sequences with the rest of the cast as most of them felt as though they could've easily disappeared into the background.


The other additions to the cast like Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson, Jacob Scipio, and Megan Fox didn't really leave much of an impression. Levy Tran had some neat moments next to Tony Jaa, but nothing all that grand. There really needed to be a female villain for her and Fox to throw down with, someone like Julie Estelle (who is AMAZING and could've kicked their asses). They should've also added Joe Taslim and Yayan Ruhian to round out Iko Uwais' crew (but, if they had added Estelle, Taslim, and Ruhian, the Expendables would've never survived!). And, while it was cool to see Andy Garcia again, I feel like he was wasted and not given time to shine either.

After the devastating inciting incident, the rest of the movie builds up this "ultimate enemy" that Stallone could never defeat. They even go so far as to say that this nemesis killed all of Stallone's original Expendables team (a team prior to the movies). All of this build up should've led to an epic reveal of the film's true villain. And it falls flat, at least for me it did. I was hoping for something worthy of Stallone or Schwarzenegger, like Steven Seagal or Keanu Reeves or Jackie Chan or Carl Weathers or Kurt Russell or Michael Jai White or someone with real movie history in the action realm or history with Stallone. How about Tom Cruise?! The villains of the first film were Eric Roberts and Stone Cold Steve Austin, cool but underwhelming. The villains of the second movie were Jean-Claude Van Damme and Scott Adkins (Adkins is very underrated and this team-up was great). The third movie it was Mel friggin Gibson! Talk about saving the best for last. This movie really needed a great ultimate enemy and a great team of villains that could potentially defeat the Expendables. Other the amazing Iko Uwais, the enemies in this film were severely lacking.

 The opening action sequence was solid and set a pretty good tone going forward with the movie. And the moment one of the Expendables dies grabs your attention. Iko Uwais shines as the villain at the beginning. The second act drags a little bit as it sets the pieces in place for the grand finale. The finale is pretty good overall, but when you take into account the missed opportunities and potential of what could've been, it leaves a little something to be desired.

THE VERDICT

The first Expendables film showed audiences what could've been and delivered on an epic dream-match we waited decades to see. This latest Expendables film leaves audiences wondering what could've been rather than delivering another action movie dream come true. Even so, absence certainly makes the heart grow fonder, I suppose. I'd be lying if I said there wasn't a warm fuzzy feeling inside me seeing Stallone, Statham, Lundgren, and the crew back together again. It was nice, like seeing old friends again. So, while this movie had its share of disappointments, I was still able to enjoy myself with this movie.

 Overall Ranking: 5 out of 10



I really do love these actors and I'm glad we were able to get four films out of the Expendables concept. But this movie I think lost sight of what the Expendables is all about. These films should be "dream casting" scenarios and action event films. It won't be much longer before the great cinematic action heroes of the 80s, 90s, and 2000s retire. No Expendables-like opportunity should be wasted. 

For more of our thoughts on action films, check out these other posts below

EXPENDABLES III (2014)

RAMBO: LAST BLOOD (2019)

MISSION IMPOSSIBLE - DEAD RECKONING PART 1 (2023)

SISU (2023)

JOHN WICK CHAPTER 4 (2023)

JOHN WICK CHAPTER 3: PARABELLUM (2019)

BLADE OF THE IMMORTAL (2017)

ATOMIC BLONDE (2017)

BABY DRIVER (2017)

MAD MAX: FURY ROAD (2015)

SPECTRE (2015)

FURIOUS 7 (2015)

FATE OF THE FURIOUS (2017)

SNOWPIERCER (2013)

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Sunday, October 1, 2023

KAIJU CINEMA: GAMERA REBIRTH (2023)

GAMERA REBIRTH (2023)

We haven't talked about him nearly as much as we have Godzilla, but one of our all-time favorite kaiju is the titanic terrapin himself: GAMERA. The only other Japanese kaiju to ever come close to rivaling Godzilla, the Gamera films began in 1965 and saw eight films from 1965 through 1980. Another three films were released in the 1990s, arguably three of the greatest kaiju films ever made. The final film, as of yet, came out in 2006, titled: GAMERA THE BRAVE. Since then the Gamera series has lain dormant, much to our disappointment.

Gamera is unique among most kaiju as he is commonly depicted as a "friend of the children." In the original Gamera film there is a child character who has a curious fondness for Gamera, despite the dangers. The second film in the series eschews this idea only for it to return even stronger in all of the following films in the series. For the rest of the Showa era the Gamera films became specifically aimed at child audiences and even affected the Godzilla series in similar ways (there is a notable shift in the Godzilla series from serious drama to childish super heroics after the Gamera films began). Conversely, though being aimed at younger viewers, a surprising amount of blood, gore, and violence often pervaded in these films.

And the kaiju Gamera would battle were often wild and unique creature designs. Barugon had an extending tongue that spat freezing air and had a rainbow beam attack. Gyaos was a giant bat-like beast with a taste for blood (imagine if Dracula became a kaiju) and a laser beam attack. Viras was an alien cephalopod-like thing that came to earth in its own spaceship. Guiron had a giant knife for a head and shurikens that shot from his head. And so on and so forth, the creativity in the kaiju designs being foremost (and these more bizarre designs would also eventually influence Godzilla too with such kaiju as Gigan and Megalon). In all fairness though, the Godzilla franchise tremendously influenced Gamera as well. 


While the Gamera films of the 1960s and 70s have their merits, and are enjoyable in their own right, they rarely matched the quality coming from Toho and their kaiju films. The budgets for these films were significantly smaller than those of the Godzilla series and the resources available to Daiei's filmmakers were far more limited. And the focus on the children and the child actors themselves often left a lot to be desired. The Gamera series significantly improved in the 90s and 2000s, but even so there is a lot to be enjoyed from the Showa era films of the 60s and 70s.

Fast-forward to the 90s and the films became far more serious. The connection and focus on children characters was retained albeit with more mature high school students as opposed to more juvenile grade-school aged children. Then in Gamera The Brave the focus returned to grade-school children with magnificent results, being the best depiction of children in a Gamera film to that point. At last, the Gamera series had mastered the inclusion of children in their films that worked for all ages.

The Gamera film series, essentially finishing with Gamera The Brave, ended on a high note, the last four films being all high caliber kaiju cinema. And fans of Gamera eagerly awaited more, especially in the void left by Toho as America tried their hand at Godzilla. Aside from a proof of concept trailer for Gamera's 60th anniversary in 2015, the Gamera series was done.

Until now...


THE SYNOPSIS

Boco and his friends start their summer vacation from school when a host of avian-like monsters suddenly attack the city. Devouring humans in the streets, these monsters grow larger as they eat. Boco and his friends are nearly eaten alive when a colossal turtle-like creature appears to save them, a creature Boco calls Gamera. An organization called the Eustace Foundation arrives, claiming knowledge of these creatures, calling them "kaiju." More kaiju begin appearing and it soon becomes apparent that these monsters are targeting Boco and his friends. Joining the Eustace Foundation, Boco and his friends are taken to a more secure location. While en route they are attacked by several kaiju, and each time Gamera arrives to save them. But what is the connection between Boco and Gamera? And why are the evil kaiju targeting them?

INITIAL IMPRESSIONS

Upon finishing the series, Gamera Rebirth feels like a genuine love letter to the 60s and 70s Gamera films. Comprising a mere six episodes, 45 minutes each, each episode could conceivably be a remake or reimagining of a classic Gamera film. No new original kaiju appear in the series, instead focusing on redesigned and revamped versions of most, but not all, of Gamera's original enemy kaiju. And the kaiju  battles are one on one, presented much like how they were in the original films. Not to criticize those films from the 60s and 70s, but this series is essentially updated versions of those films with tighter continuity and a consistent human cast between them.

The story is one of the strongest aspects of the series. The series weaves in key elements from the classic films in compelling ways, feeling both respectful to those films while elevating the ideas and themes. Of particular note are the four central protagonists, the kids. These children are each given distinct personalities, deep character development, and relatable experiences. The children characters were never particularly endearing in the original films, but they are wonderful and fully-fledge characters here.


But the real standout aspect of the series are the kaiju (of course!). Gamera's new design manages to feel both fresh and exciting while feeling traditional. Reminiscent more of his 90s designs rather than the 60s and 70s, Gamera appearance in this series is nothing short of spectacular. And this extends to the other kaiju as well, each of the classic enemies receiving a new design that's exciting and respectful to the originals. What's particularly noteworthy is, while reinterpreting these classic monsters, the filmmakers never stray too far as to losing who these kaiju are. They never reach too far into the "experimental" area that the Godzilla series has traveled lately, which was much appreciated. Their powers too are given greater definition and exploration, further showcasing how amazing these monsters are. The excitement for the next kaiju keeps growing from episode to episode, building momentum as the series reaches its climax.

The biggest point of concern for this series is the animation. There are notably two aspects of the animation: 1) the humans. 2) the monsters. A cel-shaded CGI animation style (one that's popular at Netflix) is used, the same style used for the Godzilla Planet anime trilogy and Pacific Rim: The Black from Polygon Pictures. Personally we've never found this animation that attractive. For the human segments the animation is particularly poor, almost embarrassingly so. But the monster segments and battle scenes are breathtaking and utterly engrossing. It appears as though the production budget for this series was quite low and the production team made a decisive choice to prioritize the kaiju segments, lending most of their resources to render those and leaving little else for the human segments. If this was in fact the case that the filmmakers found themselves in, they certainly made the correct choice. The monster segments are near perfection and the human segments are lifted up by solid storytelling and wonderful characterizations.

It's clear that the Gamera series has never had the same budgets given to them as the Godzilla series. As such, this series doesn't quite match the production quality of even the Netflix original animated Godzilla projects (some even animated in the same style). However, given the resources available to them, Gamera Rebirth is excellent. A lot of love and care was taken into crafting this story, its characters, and kaiju. The love these filmmakers have for the original Gamera films comes across to the audience. There's even an instrumental version of the classic "Gamera March" song from the original series to top it all off.


THE VERDICT

Gamera Rebirth was fantastic. The kaiju shine like no other in this series (as they rightfully should)  with new yet reverential designs, deepened power sets, and homage to their origins. The animation is terribly uneven however, skewing favorably towards the kaiju and negatively towards the humans. But relatable and endearing characterizations strengthen the human characters, making up for the disparity in animation. The overall narrative is highly compelling keeping you watching at a faster and faster rate. Overall this whole series works very well and services the Gamera franchise wonderfully. Maybe the ultimate love letter to the Showa Gamera series, Gamera Rebirth is a great addition to the franchise.

Overall Ranking: 8 out of 10


While not my favorite films in the series, the Showa Era of Gamera films have always been enjoyable and fun kaiju films. Gamera Rebirth feels like a vindication of those films and of my feelings towards them. This series represents those films how we as fans see them in our hearts, with much love and excitement. Now, if only this series would receive a second season as well as a physical media release, we would be in heaven! Even better still, hopefully this series is successful enough that Kadokawa will greenlight a new prestigious Gamera film. Fingers crossed!

For more of our thoughts on giant monsters and all things kaiju, check out these other posts below!

SHIN GODZILLA (2016)

SHIN ULTRAMAN (2022)

SHIN KAMEN RIDER (2023)

THE SAGA OF THE KING OF THE MONSTERS 
 
Part 8: Son Of Godzilla (1967)
Part 9: Destroy All Monsters (1968)
Part 10: Godzilla's Revenge (1969)   
Part 11: Godzilla Vs The Smog Monster (1971)  
Part 12: Godzilla Vs Gigan (1972)    
Part 13: Godzilla Vs Megalon (1973)  
Part 14: Godzilla Vs Mechagodzilla (1974)  
Part 15: Terror of Mechagodzilla (1975)      
Part 16: The Return of Godzilla (1984)   
Part 17: Godzilla Vs Biollante (1989)       
Part 18: Godzilla Vs King Ghidorah (1991)     
Part 19: Godzilla Vs Mothra (1992)        
Part 20: Godzilla Vs Mechagodzilla II (1993)
Part 21: Godzilla Vs Spacegodzilla (1994)
Part 22: Godzilla Vs Destoroyah (1995)
Part ???? Tri-Star's Godzilla (1998)
Part 23: Godzilla 2000 (1999)
Part 24: Godzilla Vs Megaguirus (2000)
Part 25: GMK Giant Monsters All-Out Attack (2001)
Part 26: Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla (2002)
Part 27: Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S. (2003)
Part 28: Godzilla: Final Wars (2004)       

 

LONG LIVE GIANT M ONSTERS!

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Saturday, September 23, 2023

THE HORROR HARVEST: THE NUN II (2023)

 THE NUN II (2023)


The Conjuring umbrella of films have gifted audiences with some great horror experiences, memorable characters, and some new horror icons. The Annabelle doll has really earned its place among the Rushmore of creepy horror dolls. But if there's one character from these films that really stands above the rest, in our humble opinion, it's Valak a.k.a. The Nun.

First introduced in The Conjuring II (2016), Valak took everyone by surprise, stealing the show. A terrifying character design accompanied by a handful of effective and terrifying sequences, this character left a lasting impression with us here at Blood Work and with many others. When news hit of a spinoff film centering on the Nun, the horror community teemed with excitement. I don't think James Wan nor the other filmmakers involved knew the expectations set for this film nor the high bar they'd be expected to hit with this film.

When The Nun came out in theaters in 2018 it was met with mixed reviews. Some loved it. Some hated it. Some thought it was okay. The approach to the film was quite different than any of the other Conjuring films. Rather than a "decades past" modern American setting, The Nun takes place in Europe with the medieval trappings of gothic Romania and everything that comes along with it. That included an "old world" Draculian approach to the character and storytelling. This differentiated it from the other Conjuring films, embracing a different style of horror film and horror experience.

For us here at Blood Work, we loved it. To us it felt like an old school Hammer Horror film. If the other evil entities in the Conjuring films were comparable to vampires, Valak felt like Dracula, the lord of all vampires. A next level threat beyond any other in the franchise. Despite the mixed reception the film became the highest grossing entry in the Conjuring franchise to date. We hoped that meant there'd be a sequel someday.

And finally, five years later... THE NUN II has arrived in theaters!

And we were first in line to see it!



THE SYNOPSIS

Sister Irene is called upon by the Vatican to once again investigate a series of incidents in France baring a striking resemblance to her encounter in Romania. Terrified at the prospect of facing that demon once again, she hesitates. With the help of a friend, she travels to a small boarding school in France where she encounters an old friend, one she never expected to meet again. There she discovers the demon she believed banished to Hell is alive and well. And more powerful than before.

INITIAL IMPRESSIONS

The movie begins with a bang, off and running right out of the gate, trying to start off on a similar foot to the previous film with a brutal event setting everything into motion. Gone are the old world trappings of the Romanian countryside, the looming castles, and haunted graveyards which, to be honest, we miss a little bit (you just don't get those kinds of classic horror settings very often anymore). The new setting though, in a quaint old French town and dilapidated boarding school still provide plenty of gothic atmosphere and sense of foreboding. While moving out of the castle for the city, the filmmakers still maintain the old European esthetic and gothic trappings, which was so much of a highlight in the first film and works well here.

The Hammer Horror vibe is still very much alive in this film, much to the film's benefit. If the first Nun film was DRACULA: PRINCE OF DARKNESS, then The Nun II is akin to DRACULA HAS RISEN FROM THE GRAVE (when Dracula leaves his castle and begins preying upon the unsuspecting citizens of a European township). Valak terrorizes the people of this small French town and all-girls boarding school. There's a collapsed chapel in the boarding school which provides many great sequences, one in which "the eye of the devil" is upon you.


Sister Irene and Maurice "Frenchie" return for the film, but sadly no Father Burke (disappointingly killed off screen, which we hope was just a lie. It would be nice to see Father Burke return). Frenchie's role is increased from the last film and actor Jonas Bloquet delivers a solid performance. Taissa Farmiga too delivers another great performance and the story expands on Sister Irene's visions in new and interesting ways. Sadly, we don't learn more about Valak though, we were hoping for a little more background information to be revealed.

There are a number of good sequences in film building up to an epic finale. The opening is great. There's three good scenes in the crumbling chapel, a great scene in a hallway and stairwell, and in an old French alleyway. Once the final sequence starts the movie puts the pedal to the metal and doesn't let up. It may be one of the most intense finales of any of the Conjuring films to date.

If there's a complaint about anything, it's that we wanted more Valak screen time, specifically Bonnie Aarons in full habit and makeup. A lot of Valak's actions occur through the person they're possessing so, while Valak is ever-present, we don't see much of her iconic visage. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, as the film leaves you wanting more. But the few times we do see Valak in all her nun-glory are quite effective and worthwhile. Also, the film's score didn't quite hit as well as the previous score by Abel Korzeniowski (Marco Belltrami does the score here and it doesn't quite deliver to the same level), nowhere near Joseph Bishara's scores either.

THE VERDICT

All in all, we had a great time with The Nun II. Valak still remains our favorite character to come out of the Conjuring franchise and maybe one of the best horror characters of the last twenty-five years. This film still manages to channel the Hammer Horror feel, utilizing an "old European world" esthetic with modern effects. There's a load of scary sequences adding up to a fun and memorable horror experience. We can't wait to see this one again and eventually add it to the home video collection!

Here's hoping this film will be successful enough to warrant a trilogy. If a third Nun film happens, count us in!

Overall Ranking: 7 out of 10


For more of our thoughts on the Conjuring universe films and its sister franchise, check out these other posts below! 


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Saturday, August 26, 2023

SILVER TONGUED SILVER SCREEN: MISSION IMPOSSIBLE - DEAD RECKONING PART 1 (2023)

MISSION IMPOSSIBLE - DEAD RECKONING PART 1 (2023)


We here at Blood Work love a good action film, the genre being among our favorites. John Wick Chapter 4 and the Finnish film SISU were among some of the best action films this year, both worthy of owning. Of the films we've seen this year, there is another movie that stands right beside John Wick and Sisu: MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: DEAD RECKONING.

Admittedly, we're not die hard Mission Impossible fans. We saw the first and second Mission Impossible movies WAY BACK when they first debuted in theaters. But after that we fell off of the series. After Ghost Protocol though we started hearing people talk about Mission Impossible again. Then again with Rogue Nation. When Mission Impossible: Fallout came out all of the buzz surrounding the series finally tempted me to watch again.

The entire series was streaming on Amazon Prime a few years ago. I started with MI4, then MI5, and finally watched Fallout. By the end of my watching I found myself saying, "Wow... I'm actually excited to see the next Mission Impossible movie!" That was the first time I ever said that and I went out to the theaters to see Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part 1.

I say again for the second time ever, "Wow... I'm actually excited to see the next Mission Impossible movie!"

I loved Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part 1!


THE PLOT

Ethan Hunt and his crew are tasked with tracking down an activation key for the most advanced artificial intelligence program ever devised. Enemies and allies from across the globe gather around them as the race to control this A.I. begins. Among the opposition is an enemy that seems to know every move Ethan and his crew are about to make, seemingly predicting their future to frightening accuracy. To defeat this new enemy Ethan must outthink himself and everyone else.

INITIAL IMPRESSIONS

This movie was meant for theaters and delivers one of the best theatrical experiences I've seen in years. The cinematography of this film is intense and immersive, zooming in on hand to hand action sequences, elevating the intensity, and zooming out for the expansive shots of death-defying stunts Tom Cruise has been known for. This movie is a feast for the eyes in terms of cinema. And the sound design is incredibly complimentary with the visuals, enhancing the entire experience. The film uses the theatrical surround sound to great effect, all of it adding up to an experience you can only get in the movies.

Like most Mission Impossible films, the plot of this movie is pretty standard, spy versus spy, race to stop Armageddon, and all that. It's a typical plot, but that's not necessarily a negative. There is something to be said for a movie that knows what it is and executes a genre experience to perfection. In this film the "typical" spy formula is handled very well, while feeling fresh and exciting. Mainly in how the core characters are written, the returning cast each feeling like themselves and acting how we've come to know them. These characters who we've been following for nearly 30 years now, continue to be endearing, charismatic, and entertaining, this film growing our investment in them. As a result of this, I think I've become a genuine Mission Impossible fan.

This is a franchise that has been maintained and curated very well in a time period where so many franchises have been mishandled, mistreated, and outright ruined. But I digress...


The new characters too are both intriguing and welcomed additions. Haley Atwell plays the character of Grace and is the showstealer of the new characters. Why she hasn't been in more movies is a mystery because she is wonderful in this film. Pom Klementieff too is great as one of the villains, badass, creepy, and relentless. Returning stars Rebecca Ferguson and Vanessa Kirby round out a stellar cast of women in this film, Ferguson being the best beside Atwell. Esai Morales kills it as the villain too, bringing a cold and calculating menace to his character. There is no weak member of this cast.

At nearly three hours long (2 hours, 43 minutes to be exact), this movie flew by. The pacing moves at a rapid clip without sacrificing plot or character development. All in all, this was one amazing movie, maybe my favorite or at least tied for my favorite new movie of 2023.

THE VERDICT

Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part 1 is a great example of a properly maintained franchise and a spy film executed to nigh perfection. And this movie is an incredible theatrical experience meant to be seen on the big screen! The visuals and sound remind you of what a great time you can have at the theater. All of the actors deliver great performances and give it their all. I can't wait for Mission Impossible 8 and you better believe I'll be there at the theater for it!

Overall Ranking: 8 out of 10

I loved this movie! Go out and see it for yourself while you still can!

For more of my thoughts on action films over the years, check out these other posts below!

SISU (2023)

JOHN WICK CHAPTER 4 (2023)

JOHN WICK CHAPTER 3: PARABELLUM (2019)

RAMBO: LAST BLOOD (2019)

BLADE OF THE IMMORTAL (2017)

ATOMIC BLONDE (2017)

BABY DRIVER (2017)

FATE OF THE FURIOUS (2017)

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