Masterpiece of Horror Theatre- The Final Girls

      One of the screenwriters for the film, Joshua John Miller, was the son of Jason Miller, who was Father Karras in The Exorcist. Miller attributes the film's inspiration to watching his father die over and over on film, and the dissonance that invoked when his real father died in 2001. The film was ultimately optioned by Sony (after a brief period at New Line Cinema, who wanted to remove the emotional beats of the film), with screenplay by Miller and MA Fortin with director Todd Strauss-Schulson (whose biggest credit at that point was A Very Harold and Kumar 3D Christmas. and would go on to direct this year's Isn't It Romantic). Originally an R-Rating, the director was forced to cut it down in a PG-13, which he was ultimately satisfied with (I'll get to that). The film was shot in Louisiana in 2014, before it's October 9th, 2015 release to critical success.

       Max Cartwright (Taissa Farmiga, sister of Vera) is the daughter of Amanda (Malin Akerman), who played the role of Nancy in the first of the popular Camp Bloodbath film franchise in the 80's, before becoming typecast. After one failed audition, the two get into a severe car accident, where Amanda is killed. Three years later, Max is still dealing with the aftermath of the incident, when she, as well as friends Gertie (Alia Shawkat) and Chris (Alexander Ludwig), when Gertie's stepbrother Duncan (Thomas Middleditch) invites all of them to a screening of Camp Bloodbath. While obviously reluctant, she and her group acquiesce. At the screening, however, a fire emerges, and the group, now including Vicki (Nina Dobrev), are forced to go through the screen using the fake machete to escape. They find themselves in a forest, when the van from the film, driven by Kurt( Adam DeVine) drives by. When he drives by every 92 minutes, it confirms to Duncan they have, in fact, been teleported to the film Camp Bloodbath.

     I reviewed Scream a while, and it wasn't that positive, but I conceded it was likely because it was a film of its era. The tropes it was mocking have been dissected and reevaluated over the years, and it was a film of that 90's. Given this is closer, (and the director did list Scream as an influence), it understands the audience better to know these slasher tropes, and doesn't just regurgitate them to the audience. It helps that there is the strong emotional core of Max seeing a younger version of her deceased mother and trying to save her life. That is basically the driving force of the film and the main conduit by which the audience can invest in the characters. I do like that they play around with various elements of film, from runtime, to flashbacks to tropes to ADR. It really helps build the world of the movie, while making the process of making films seem surreal when you really consider it. Some cast highlights include Farmiga, Akerman, Middleditch (I haven't seen many Silicon Valley episodes, but he's always good), and especially Kurt Devine, who relishes the role of the prickish, horny slasher victim with zest. There are some good jokes at the expense of slashers and their 80's setting. Finally, the Friday the 13th is very thorough. The filmmakers clearly love that series, and having now seen that series, there's a lot of nods and references, especially to the first two, and the recreation is pretty great (especially an 80's recreation of the 50's)

    Some of the jokes did fall flat, mostly the ones that did deal with the same material Scream did, at least in the morality of slashers (i.e. people who have sex tend to murdered). Again, I think this very much is just that this particular cliche has explored, parodied, and dissected enough that pointing it out seem rote (though they do integrate it into the plot and the ending pretty well). It also kind of dragged towards the middle. I think that the sequel bait, while apt for slasher, left the film with a bit of unsatisfying ending. I do wish there was a sequel.

     So, yeah, this was decently funny, and a good homage to the slasher genre. If you enjoy slashers, than this is definitely worth checking out. Otherwise, I can't say you'll enjoy it, but there are some good jokes here and there.

    Alright, this was an unscheduled change, because I realized there weren't a lot of post-2000's horror in the docket. Anyway, since we're on slashers, next week will be one of the biggest influences on the genre, Mario Bava's Blood and Black Lace.

Masterpiece of Horror Theatre- The Devil's Backbone

     Guillermo del Toro wrote the screenplay to this film in the mid-80's as a film student at University of Guadalajara. It was influenced by Del Toro's longtime fascination with ghost stories, including his interactions with apparations as a child and how his uncle became a ghost, and was originally set during the Mexican Revolution with a "Three-armed Christ". When his 1993 feature film debut Chronos was screened at the Miami Film Festival in 1994, del Toro ran into Spanish director and producer Pedro Almodóvar, who loved the film, and was willing to produce del Toro's next feature. Almodóvar and his brother Agustin produced the film through their company El Deseo. Despite this, del Toro went through some troubles before he could get into his passion project. His Hollywood debut, Mimic, was distasteful behind the scenes because of the interference of the producers: The Weinstein brothers. Not helping was when his father was kidnapped for ransom. Finally, he and the Almodovar brothers were able to move forward with the project after Mimic's release. By then, the story was shifted to Spain during the Spanish Civil War, and a ghost boy was made the focal point. Other influences included the Spanish graphic novel Paracuellos by Carlos Gimenez, who served as a storyboard artist. Made for $4.5 million, it would make $6.5 million, and become critically acclaimed, cementing Del Toro as one of the finest directors of his era. On del Toro's part, he says this and its spiritual successor Pan's Labyrinth are his favorite and most personal films.

     During the Spanish Civil War in the late 1930's, young Carlos (Fernando Tielve) is dropped off in a orphanage run by Republican sympathizers Dr. Casares (Federico Luppi) and Carmen (Marisa Paredes) after his father dies fighting the Nationalists. The groundskeeper Jacinto (Eduardo Noreiga) is involved with both Carmen and teacher Conchita (Irene Visendo), but secretly wants some gold he had found in the orphanage, and plans to destroy it to cover his tracks. While Carlos has trouble fitting, he soon befriends the bully Jaime (Íñigo Garcés), and has an encounter with an apparition. He soon learns of Santi (Junio Valverde), an orphan who seemingly died in an aborted bombing. However, Santi's story may have more to it.

  Starting off, the lighting in this movie is great. There's a surrealness to it, both in the scenes set in the hot sun and at night, which helps ground the viewer in the world the characters inhabit and the eventual supernatural elements which gradually reveal themselves over the course of the film. It also is just good to look, with enough realism that you are able to accept the scenario much as the characters in the film have. I liked how the political nature of the film is very subtle. The cruelty of the villain Jacinto is juxtaposed towards the cruelty of the fasicst allied nationalists, and the heroes are explicitly helpful and kind, as well as very strongly affiliated with the Loyalists/Republicans. The image of the defused bomb sitting in the orphanage was a fantastic center for the entire film, and helps with showing the shadow of war the characters constantly live under. And it has del Toro's tropes, which he always does masterfully, from the monstrous, but very handsome villain and the strange creature turning out to be less threatening than said villain. I liked that he can juggle multiple characters and plotlines without any of them feeling too rushed or I honestly think one should see this film to soak it in fully, because just describing it doesn't really put up the scale of this film, and how it really gives a great mood.

    I don't have many criticism. Maybe that it was a bit too long, but it never feels dragging and none of the scenes were unnecessary.

    This is del Toro. He's a personal hero of mine, and I've never disliked any of his films. I'd say I'd prefer Pan's Labyrinth, but that is a perfect film on all measures, and I prefer it over almost all films. That said, this is still a masterpiece, and anyone and everyone should watch it no matter if you like horror or not. It is great, and I am very glad I watched it.

   So, apologies for the lateness of this. I haven't had the best October, shall we say, and Saturday was especially hard, because of circumstances beyond my control. Anyway, tomorrow, we go from arthouse horror homage to Pleasantville horror homage, with The Final Girls.
      

Masterpiece of Horror Theatre- Phantom of the Paradise

    This next film takes its inspiration from a variety of sources, including Gaston Leroux The Phantom of the Opera, Goethe's Faust, and Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Grey. Director Brian de Palma had already made a name in the industry by this time, primarily with small independent films (many of which starred a young up-and-comer named Robert De Niro), before garnering acclaim for Sisters in 1972. Singer-songwriter Paul Williams, who stars as the film's villain Swan, also scored the film. The film had a number of legal issues, including having to change the title from The Phantom to avoid confusion with the comic strip character of that name, and the inital name of the evil record company, Swan Song, due to Led Zeppelin's label having the same, which delay pre-production, such that it released in 1975, despite being completed in 1972 (Twilight Zone creator Rod Serling did narration for the film before his 1972 death). The film was a massive flop (except, oddly enough, in the city of Winnipeg in Manitoba, where it play continuous for 4 months), and was received with mixed reviews, though has gone through a critical reappraisal. After this film, De Palma was given the job of directing a film based on a bestseller from a new author. The author was Stephen King, and the book was Carrie.

     In search of a hot new thing to do in rock music to open his new extravagant music palace The Paradise, prolific producer Swan (Paul Williams) comes across a struggling singer-songwriter named Winslow Leach (William Finley) performing, and convinces his underling Philbin (George Memmoli) to sign Leach on, while secretly stealing his work from under him. So, Leach, while trying to talk to Swan, ends up getting kicked out of Death Records (owned by Swan), and tries to confront Swan at his house. There, he meets Phoenix (Jessica Harper), who, based on her lovely voice, he deems his muse. Ultimately, he attempts to crossdress to sneak, but it caught, and Swan frames him for drug dealing. He goes to prison and has his teeth removed and replaced with metal ones. He escapes in a delirious rage after learning his song is to open the Paradise. He breaks into Death Records, and tries to stop the printing of the record, but ends getting his face (and vocal cords) destroyed by the record press. He then jumps into the East River to avoid the police. Now donning a costume that looks vaguely like the Midnighter's costume from The Authority (ask your comic fan friend), he now seeks justice, but Swan convinces him to become resident songwriter, with his muse Phoenix even performing the songs. Of course, Swan has an agenda on his mind.

   The only other De Palma film I've seen is Scarface, and that showed his love of neon lights as a mood enhancer in full force. That particular aspect helps with providing a subtly alien atmosphere to the film. It is set in the bizarre, waywire world of the music industry, and the bright neon colors, from the sterile whites of Death Records' waiting room to the dark colors of the prison to the rainbow coloring of the Paradise, all help give the film a feeling of uneasiness much as the titular Phantom is experiencing as he navigates through a world hostile to him and what he represents. The more fantasy elements are well-handled. Very subtle with its Faust allusion and the depiction of the Devil. It gives the film its own distinct atmosphere, and makes it very memorable in terms of visuals. The music is very good. Going from 50's doo-wop to early 60's beach rock to 70's arena easily and with ease. Jessica Harper was a highlight, having an excellent voice and presence, and Paul Williams is a villain who relishes being evil and is having a great time. Finally, I do legitimately love the look of the Phantom. Just the way all the elements comes together really helps sell him as a victim of a capitalist machine uninterested in the authencity he brings to the table, but appropriating part of it.

    It took me a while to really get into this film, and that is primarily because of its tonal inconsistency. It goes from whimsical to comedic to scary back to whimsical in its first 40 minutes, and because of that, it's really hard to follow or keep up with. There's a lot of parodies and homages that tend to slow the film. Eventually, it stabilized, and that's when it started getting particularly good, but it really struggled to maintain that sort of interest for its first half.

     I think I kind of love this film. It took a bit while watching for it to click with me, but when it did, it was a fun, enthralling ride that keep me on my toes. If you like 70's music or Paul Williams, this is a must-watch. Really, it's a great musical, so I think most people will be able to get into it. Again, it takes a while to gain its footing, but when it does, it was a memorable experience.

    Next week, we return to the world of Ray Harryhausen with Earth vs. Flying Saucers

Summer of Terror-Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child

    So, the idea of this, (originating from Leslie Bonham) was pitched for the second film, but rejected because of the pregnancy of one of the executives. Bonham got the chance to write the chance to write this as the fifth film for the franchise. However, the process of actually filming it was strenuous with director Stephen Hopkins having only four weeks to actually shot the movie and four weeks to edit. On top of this, the film was heavily cut down from its original vision to avoid an X-Rating, resulting in watered-down death and continuity errors. Released on August 11th, 1989 (about a year after the last one and apparently one of the last slasher films of the 80's), it was not only the lowest grossing of the franchise, but the most negatively reviewed up until this point. Even director Stephen Hopskins stated he was dissatisfied with the final result. Does it deserve this treatment? Let's take a look.

      Alice (Lisa Wilcox) has finally settled down after the events of the last film and graduated high school. However, she is haunted by visions of the conception and birth of Freddy Krueger (Robert Englund) in an insane asylum. In the last one of these, she sees him getting resurrected in the church where she defeated him last movie, and he hints that he's found a way to get back. She tries to contact her boyfriend Dan (Danny .... Hassel), but Freddy gets him while he's en route. Alice faints, and finds out from nurse friend Yvonne (Kelly Jo Minter) that she is pregnant with Dan's child, which Alice realizes is Freddy's conduit to make his comeback.

      The dream sequences in this series just get better and better, and this easily has some of the best. Dark, surreal, scary, with some interesting twists and excellent visuals. It truly pushed the effects of the period while also looking great today. I don't really want to spoil some of these because these are some really original stuff.

     The best thing about this film is also its biggest drawback. The superb effects are in fact often on full display and are very clear. It's scary, but as it goes on and especially as it serves the often haphazard, ludicrous plot, the film really starts to come off as more campy, and that's where it really starts to fall apart. I tolerated Freddy Krueger's wisecracking persona, but here, it becomes unbearable, and it really diminishes his threat. A lot of the deaths are also way too over the top to invoke any real terror. In fact, a lot of them seem more like Looney Tunes gags than horror movie deaths. It also doesn't help the story is confusing and kind of ridiculous, with too many moving parts to take note of. I think a lot of these problems can be attributed to the cuts made, meaning some scenes are not in the film, and there are continuity errors here. So, maybe the uncut version is better.

    So, this is easily the weakest the series has gotten so far. Again, the effects are the probably the best of the whole series, so if you want to see that, it is a recommendation. However, there really is no reason to see this unless you want to see all of them.

    Alright, so we finish off the original continuity with Freddy's Dead (since I already did Freddy vs. Jason)

Summer of Terror- A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master

        The initial idea for this film from Wes Craven and partner Bruce Wagner involved dreams as a vehicle for time travel. This was rejected out of hand for the producers, who instead went with an idea from Brian Helgeland (recommended by Robert Englund himself, because Halgeland had written Englund's directorial debut 976-EVIL. Helgeland would go on to write LA Confidential) and brothers Ken and Jim Wheat (who would later write the ... Stepford Husbands. Well, they can't all be winners). Finnish director Renny Harlin (later known for Die Hard 2 and The Long Kiss Goodbye) got the job after pestering the producers for a while to get the job. Harlin would get inspiration from a Chinese ghost story and many of his own nightmares, though his initial vision for the film was cut down by the producers. Not helping was a then ongoing writer's strike, which forced Harlin and the actors to improvise many scenes. Patricia Arquette, seeking a wider range of roles, turned down a hefty offer to return to her role as Kristen Parker, which went to Tuesday Knight instead. The film had a budget of $14 million, the highest of the series thus far, and grossed $49 million, though with mixed reviews.

      After the deaths of Nancy Thompson and Freddy (Robert Englund) in the last one, Kristen (Tuesday Knight), Kincaid (Ken Sagoes), and Joey (Rodney Eastman) try to adjust back into normal life. However, Kristen is still haunted by him, and pulls the other two into her dreams frequently, where they have to calm her. In the meantime, Kristen has a new circle of associates, including boyfriend Rick (Andras Jones), his sister Alice (Lisa Wilcox), Sheila (Toy Newkirk), and Debbie (Brooke Theiss), while keeping in contact with Kincaid and Joey. However, lo and behold, Freddy's back, and he promptly dispatches Kincaid and Joey. Before he kills off Kristen (the last of the children whose parents had killed Freddy), she transfers her abilities to Alice. Now Alice and her friends must stop Freddy, who decides he likes this gig.

     This definitely has some of the best dream segments and scares of the franchise thus far. Very inventive, very scary, using a variety of interesting and disturbing imagery, ranging from the mundane gone wrong to the eldritch. There's a martial arts setting early in the film that's a particular highlight. The idea of Alice having the ability to absorb the abilities of her dead friends, along with bringing them into her dreams is an interesting conceit that works well overall. Robert Englund is, as ever, an excellent presence that manages to be slightly intimidating in his own way. I also like that this ends with a full on fight sequence.

     I'll admit, I wish that the survivors of the last film had been in it more, or had at least put up more of a fight against Freddy. Given that we had seen them fight off Freddy so effectively, it would've been nice to have them put up more of a fight. It also feels somewhat derivative of the last one in some parts, particularly how it involves a team-up and Freddy dispatches the main teens one by one. It manages to be distinct, but it is quite galling.

     So, this has some of the best sequences of the series, but also not really the strongest writing of them. That lands it at a solid okay. Not my favorite per se, but definitely worth watching just for some of these sequences.

     Next is The Dream Child.

Summer of Terror- A Nightmare on Elm Street

    Alright, with the relative success of last year's Summer of Terror, I figure I might as well continue with the most logical successor: The Nightmare on Elm Street series. I've heard, on the whole, this series has a more consistent quality than the Friday the 13th series. Plus, there are fewer films to review. I would've done this back in June, but I've been busy. Anyway, let's start at the beginning with 1984's A Nightmare on Elm Street.

(Reminder, I will not put spoilers in the synopsis, but if needed, I will put certain spoilers in the critique, so be warned)

      I've discussed Wes Craven and his seminal work in horror genre in a couple of these. Born into a staunch Baptist family in Cleveland, Craven became an English instructor, both on the high school and university levels, following his graduation from John Hopskins, before eventually going into filmmaking. He would do some very low-budget, X-rated feature under pseudonyms before finally hitting it big with the visceral horror film The Last House on the Left, and following it up with the also visceral The Hills Have Eyes. He would do several more films in the early 80's, Deadly Blessing, an adaptation of the DC Comics character Swamp Thing (that film inspired Alan Moore's celebrated run, among others), and a sequel to The Hills Have Eyes. He was almost destitute due to the failure of the former two, before coming up with the idea for Nightmare. Its conception had a number of origins. An old vagrant that Craven had seen as a child. A horror parody his students at Clarkson University produced on Elm Street, Postdam, New York A number of sleep related deaths amongst Southeast Asian refugees. The Gary Wright song "Dream Weaver". The DC comics character Plastic Man. The fact that red and green are the two most contrasting colors to the human retina. All of these elements were put into the character of Freddie Krueger, named for a childhood bully of Craven's. After finishing the script in 1981, shortly after the production of  Swamp Thing, and shopped it to several studios, before film distributor New Line Cinema (then just starting film productions through some films by John Waters) agreed to produce (though money troubles would cause the budget to inflate from $700,000 to $1.1 million). Craven was determined to make a great movie villain. Inspired by the masked killers of the time, he made Krueger heavily disfigured as his "mask", and considered having a stuntman play him, like Jason. However, after several screen tests, it was decided that an actual actor was needed. He was also changed from a child molester to a child killer due to a number of child molestation stories popping up in the news at the time. Robert Englund (at one point, considered for the role of Han Solo and having played a large role in the show V) was soon cast, and put into heavy make-up, coming to embody the role for the rest of the franchise. After actor Charlie Sheen passed up the role of Glen, other actors were considered and auditioned. Eventually, Craven's daughter picked out an actor accompanying a friend to their audition from a headshot, and Craven cast a young Johnny Depp in the role. Filmed in and around Los Angeles, it would use 500 gallons of fake blood and other extensive special effects (including an oatmeal-glue mix for the melting staircase scene, and of course, Freddy's glove, made with steak knives). Released on November 9th, 1984, the film make $1.2 million on its opening weekend,and $25 million over its run in theaters. The success would push New Line into the mainstream, making it "The House that Freddy Built". It has come to be seen as one of the greatest horror films ever made.

      In an Everytown, USA, high schooler Tina Grey (Amanda Wyss) is chased in a dream by a mysterious disfigured man with claws (Robert Englund). When she awakened, there are tears in her nightgown. While her boyfriend Rod Lane (Nick Corri) is unsympathetic, her friends Nancy Thompson (Heather Langenkamp) and her boyfriend Glen Lantz (Johnny Depp) comfort her. Sure enough, the next night, while Rod and Tina are sleeping together, Tina is again hounded by the man, who catches up, and kills brutally. Rod witnesses her body being torn under the sheets, and flees. He is subsequently accused by Nancy's father, Police Lieutenant Donald (John Saxon) of her murder. However, Nancy is unsure, and she herself is pursued in her dreams by the man, now calling himself Freddy. She would soon find herself in a seemingly unwinnable situation, all while learning stunning truths about her mother (Ronee Blakely) and the other parents on Elm Street.

     I did this film back when these were short Facebook reviews. I remember not liking it, feeling it was too cheesy and weird. Now watching some 5 or 6 years later, I definitely didn't give it its due credit. The atmosphere of this film is amazing. It is all pervasive, slowly invading even the most calm settings around, and it seems never-ending. This is helped by Freddy's reliance on dreams, which means the characters are always going to encounter him because of the need to sleep. It makes for some great, inventive scares, and the creeping sense that follows you as you and the characters try to determine his next move. There is some great, iconic imagery, especially the boileroom, which is shot in a dream-like quality. I appreciate that Freddy himself is distinguished from other slasher by his facial scares and his lively personality, as well as supernatural abilities. He is a great villain, constantly around, and even when things seem safe, he pops back up. The way he's defeated is especially clever, using the logic established in the film and personal growth to slowly diminish his power. I like that some scenes are indefinite as to whether they're dreams or not.

    If I had one criticism, it is too short. A lot happens, but it is wrapped up very neatly. It might've been nice to explore the community a little, Freddy's crimes in life, how the dream world works, but the film is only 90-some minutes. I also feel that it lags in certain parts, especially the scenes where they try to determine the cause of Nancy's problems, and I wish they had gone a little more into how Freddy got to be a supernatural ghost, but perhaps they explain it in the sequels.

   I was way off about this movie. This was actually pretty good, and this time around, I enjoyed it a fair bit. I recommend it to horror fans or thriller fans as well, or for historical purposes to see the origin of a horror icon. It does pique my interest in the sequels as well.

      Speaking of which, join me tomorrow for Freddy's Revenge.
     

Reason for the Season- Twilight Zone (2019)

    A couple years ago, I did a piece on this very blog lamenting that science fiction anthologies were not as common (relegated to season long anthologies at that time). In that piece, I mentioned that they shouldn't do another *Twilight Zone*, because there were at least two others before it. Well, they went and did it anyway, so that's why I decided to review it: to see if this lives up to any of the previous incarnations and to see how the anthology format holds up now. Just a reminder, these are more free-form, stream of consciousness than my typical reviews, and I include spoilers with abandon.  Also, I want to make this an official series, so there's a title. (Get it? Because TV series are organized into seasons and... you get it.)


    Okay, of the three version of this show, this is easily worst. I've said this for weeks as it has been released. For a long time, I regarded the 2002 version as the weakest one. Even that had some highlights and some good episodes (especially the sequel to "It's a Good Life," with Bill Mumy himself). This, however, has the weakest set of episodes so far. And it starts off fine. The Comedian episode with Kumail Nanjiani was pretty good, with a Twilight Zone-esque twist and very universal themes. It goes downhill from that almost immediately with the second episode, a very loose remake of Nightmare at 20,000 Feet called Nightmare at 30,000 Feet, which had... a podcast, I think, and Adam Scott running an airplane. Honestly, I don't remember a lot of it, and that's the problem with a lot of these. They don't really have those clincher moments that the standard Twilight Zone episodes do. Like, take the classic episode *Time Enough at Last*, of course about a dude who just wants to read, but is constantly distracted by the people in his life. At the very end, he has the time to read all the books he wants, since everyone else was wiped out by the apocalypse, but just he is about to, he breaks his glasses. That is a very iconic and very memorable moment. That is largely absent from this new incarnation, and in its place is... attempting to comment on modern social issues. Like, in the least subtle manner possible. The worst offender is "The Wunderkund", about John Cho as a political advisor who gets an 11-year old elected President. It is very clearly about Trump, and it is so painful to watch. Like, imagine all those hacky Trump jokes from like, Jimmy Kimmel and Bill Maher, and make them into a *Twilight Zone* episode and here's what we've got. "Not All Men" could've been interesting exploration of toxic masculinity, but doesn't really demonstrate that and has an ending that just contradicts itself. "Point of Origin" could've been as biting as an episode of the original, with a focus on the current immigration crisis. Again, though, it doesn't really explore these issues or really makes a point about them. It's just "yep. This is happening." People have defended (correctly) that the Twilight Zone from the 60's was political, but it always felt complete, and further more, held up as stories in their own right with universal themes. "The Monsters are Due on Maple Street" could be held as a commentary on McCarthyism and the Red Scare, but could be seen as a simple story about mass hysteria and the dangers of paranoia. Hell, the 2002 one had an update that was pretty good, while also commenting on the hysteria following 9/11. A lot of these, beside being unsubtle, are just not really good or memorable. Okay, there is one, and it's the best one of this season "Replay". There is a strong undercurrent about police brutality and racism, but it never feels too attached to that. Instead, it has more of an overriding theme about changing the past and trying to build a future. That makes it work a lot better, since it combines contemporary themes with more universal ideals. Aside from that, it just isn't very memorable. I've heard "Six Degrees of Freedom," was touted as a highlight, but I didn't care for it, especially the end. I can't tell you anything that happens in "A Traveler" or "Blue Scorpion". The very last episode of the season "Blurryman" is also pretty mediocre for the most part, though its message about how people ought to explore and expand art in all different directions and explore new ideas and worlds, and that something can be both good art and good entertainment was decently handled in the closing narration (the episode leading up to it was decidedly less adept at this message). That narration reminded me a lot of how Rod Serling, a long suffering TV writer who had scripts regularly censored by sponsors for their too-close-for-comfort stories, was able to use SF/Fantasy to explore contemporary themes and new ideas. (They might've also taken influence from the old Tower of Terror ride in Disney California Adventure with their TZ homages) The thing with this is that it has potentially good ideas and has a stellar cast and crew. Thus, none of it is really bad per se, but at that point, it just doesn't reach the level of being good. It's solid mediocrity, and that's probably the worst part. It just doesn't evoke an emotion within you. I'll probably never see any of these episodes again, and I've rewatched plenty of the *Twilight Zone* from all its incarnations. It is revived for a second season, and hopefully, it does get a lot better, because I do see potential in this series, if they can look at what didn't work for people and fix it, this could be a great show. Finally, Jordan Peele does a decent job as narrator. I honestly preferred Forrest Whittaker during his short stint, or even the unseen narrator from the second season of 80's series. 

Well, with that out of the way, join me in a little bit as this year sees the next Summer of Terror with the Nightmare on Elm Street series.

Current Film Reviews- Pokemon: Detective Pikachu

        Back when I successfully turned my October horror reviews from short reviews done on my Facebook to full reviews here, I experimented with other sorts of review series to do. One of those was "Pokecember", where I did reviews of the Pokemon movies every December. Since they reliably come out each year with the anime, I could hypothetically do it for a while. I successfully finished off the six films before the Advanced Generation, but after Jirachi Wish Maker, it tapered off. I was in Freshman year of college, and a lot of stuff got in the way of doing another. Ultimately, I never picked it back up, but have since started other series to pick up the slack for slow months. However, with this film bringing Pokemon back into the public consciousness, I might bring it back this December, so watch out for that.

     Based on the 2018 video game of the same name (part of the multimillion dollar franchise created by Satoshi Taijiri), the film follows Tim Goodman (Justice Smith), who gave up his dreams of being a Pokemon trainer in favor of being an insurance adjuster. He is forced to go to the non-region specific Ryme City, founded by billionaire Howard Clifford (Bill Nighy) as a place where humans and Pokemon can interact peacefully, without any of that battling nonsense, when his policeman father is reported dead from a severe car accident. However, while searching his father's apartment, he finds a Pikachu (Ryan Reynolds), who talks! And has his father's hat, meaning he was his father's companion. This leads to the conclusion that his father might still alive. This leads Tim and the Pikachu to become an unlikely team to investigate his death, with the help of intrepid reporter Lucy Stevens (Kathryn Newton) and her Psyduck, and eventually unravel a conspiracy involving Clifford's organization and the legendary Pokemon Mewtwo.

     I loved that the Pokemon are the right amount of realistic. They look like they exist in the real world, and their presence against living breathing humans isn't jarring. However, they still look like their game counterparts, and still have the traits of them. (The designs were apparently helped by  This sufficient level of realism really cements the respect the makers of this film have for the material. They take it seriously enough that it never becomes too camp or dumb (like some of the weaker anime movies tend to get), but it still has the right amount of fun, humor, and absurdity that the franchise has always had. The filmmakers were not embarrassed by the source material, and use its creativity and wonderful creatures to build a new story and setting to explore underappreciated parts of the franchise (like how Pokemon are integrated into human society). As a lifelong fan, I really appreciated all the little nods and references they make throughout and all the cameos that I can name, but I feel that it is still accessible to a general audience, especially the target audience of children. All that aside, this was just fun to watch. A real thrill that keeps you interested and intrigued throughout, it manages to use the standard three act hero's journey to great effect. I especially liked the twists (no spoilers), and how they are generally built up as you see the film, and makes you reconsider what you saw before. It also had one hell of an exciting climax.

    I had a massive problem with the pacing of the film. It feels like it goes too fast at parts, especially in establishing the relationship between Pikachu and Tim. They just start investigating the crime almost immediately after meeting. I wish a little bit more time had spent on their relationship, and how it grows throughout the film. Not to say there wasn't any time dedicated to this, but that there needed to be a little more time to allow it to be cemented. There are also parts that are underexplained, and feel like they are shown in cut scenes. It makes for an occasionally confusing viewing experience. I think they were hoping the viewer is intelligent to figure, but a little explanation.

    As I said, I am a big fan of Pokemon, so my opinion of this film is colored by that. Normally, the flaws that are in this would lower its reputation, but I was so enthralled by the world they create and how well they managed to make the Pokemon world feel like a real place, I choose to ignore those and just sit back for the ride. And really, when the good stuff is that good, I can easily forgive the small things. So, yeah, this is a definite recommendation for Pokemon fans. If you aren't (which is likely), I think it works well enough in its own right, but I also largely would recommend it for kids, who'll enjoy it. I should know, if this came out when I was a kid, this would've been my stuff.

  Next on the docket, I explore the reputation of Ishtar in another Dailles and Nightlies  

Masterpiece of Horror Theatre- Hellboy II: The Golden Army

     (Okay, a bit of explanation. I couldn't find Spirit of the Beehive online anywhere. I assumed it was on Hulu, but for some reason, it wasn't there. Since getting a DVD of it would take a couple days, I decided to make a last minute pass, and choose something that was more easily available. To compound manners, I twisted my foot over the weekend, and had to spent time recovering from that. With that out of the way).

      Not much history, as to be expected from a sequel. Guillermo del Toro had intended a trilogy with the character, and with the success of the first one, the sequel was to be released in 2006. However, Revolution Studios, which had produced the original, went bankrupt, and Columbia stepped in to distribute. After bouncing around a few ideas (including reinterpretations of classic monsters and elemental titans) and some stories from the comics to adapt, del Toro and Hellboy creator Mike Mignola wrote an original story. The film finally entered production after Pan's Labyrinth won many accolades. Released in 2008, the film was both financially and critically successful, and a third film was in development, before it faltered, and a reboot (currently slated for 2019 with Stranger Things' David Harbour in the lead role) was deemed necessary.

     On Christmas Day, 1955, Trevor Bruttenholm (the late John Hurt) tells his adoptive son Hellboy (Montse Ribe) about the legend of the Golden Army. How humans and elves went to war many years ago, and how the Golden Army was created by Goblin engineers for the elves to destroy humanity. However, the elf King Balor ( Roy Dotrice) sees the destruction wrought about by his new army, and how he created a pact with mankind. However, Prince Nuada (Luke Gross), who had tempted his father to creating the Golden Army, is dissatisfied with this, and leaves to be called back at some indeterminate time, while the Golden Army is sealed away with the elf crown being the key to opening it. Sure enough, in the present day, Nuada decides his time has come to destroy the humans, and retrieves their portion of the crown from an auction at a museum. He then kills Balor, and takes his portion, while his sister Nuala (Anne Walton) flees with the final portion. Hellboy (Ron Perlman) and fellow Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defense (BPRD) agents Liz Sherman (Selma Blair) and Abe Sapien (Doug Jones, now doing both voice and body) investigate the initial attack, and find themselves the victims of tooth fairies (which are not as innocuous as they sounds). They defeat them, but Hellboy is exposed for the first time to the public, prompting fallout with the higher ups, particularly BPRD head Tom Manning (Jeffrey Tambor). They take one tooth fairy, and have their new team leader, Johann Krauss (John Alexander and James Dodd for body, Seth MacFarlane (!) for the voice) a German whose body is now a strange ectoplamsa material contained in a suit, examine it. This leads them on a course that will intersect them with Nuala and then, having to stop Nuada from reviving the Golden Army.

      I don't know where to start with how good this film is. It has great effects, an engaging story, great performances, great action, a larger sense of world building and mythology, some nice homages here and there (including references to the films of John Landis and Ray Harryhausen). Unlike the more mysterious original, this one has a more of an action-packed, urban fantasy feel to the proceedings, which actually works in that it still feels like it's in the universe of the original. It also has the character grow from the original, and grow throughout the film. The Golden Army itself was built up well, especially with their ability to regenerate, making their threat very clear, and forcing a unique solution beyond a direct confrontation.

     This is one of those films where every flaw I could think of actually works upon revisitation. I suppose the length.... nah, I'm kidding, it's 2 hours long. I think a little bit more backstory was needed for somethings. Like, if the elves were solely restricted to the British Isles and Ireland or were more worldwide, and a bit more on Johann Krauss and what happened to him (since he turns to the heroes side due to a tragedy in his life). It might've helped flesh out the story a bit more.

    I was harsh on the original Hellboy. I think I didn't really appreciate it for what it was, a fun romp with many different references and complex worldbuilding. I think this is better than the original, and a whole hearted recommendation to anyone who loves horror, urban fantasy, action, or del Toro films. Just, maybe watch the original first, however.

   We're at the home stretch, so Friday will see the modern classic American Psycho.