Movie Revisit: Unforgiven (1992)

Hiya, pardner. So as like… two and a half of ya might remember, to celebrate this blog’s tenth anniversary, I’d revisit some of the first few things I ever reviewed on it. And we’re kicking it off with the first film I ever wrote about on here. So let’s go.

Ladies, gents, and non-binaries… “Unforgiven”.

Once upon a time, William Munny (Clint Eastwood) was known as the deadliest outlaw, but he has since retired and become a farmer. However, this quiet life gets put on hold as Munny decides to take on one last bounty hunt with an old friend (Morgan Freeman) and a cocky whippersnapper (Jaimz Woolvett). The story of “Unforgiven” is not one of simple rootin’ tootin’ hijinkss. It’s a moody tale of self-reflection, giving us a repentant exploration of morality, pain, and guilt, how time can make violence and past mistakes turn us bitter and damaged. How insecurities and our actions can create so much hurt. It’s a tale that can be gritty and intense, but also surprisingly tender and heartfelt, and I found it riveting from start to end.

The characters in this are fantastic. They’re all these complexly woven, very well realized figures, showing us all their sides over the course of the movie. They’re some of the richest characters I’ve had the pleasure of experiencing in a western. From our leading man being full of regret over what he’s done, to a young man with a secret, to a sheriff that can be as jovial as he can be violent. And I find all of them really engaging. What also helps is the cast, all of whom are fantastic. Clint Eastwood, Morgan Freeman, Gene Hackman, Jaimz Woolvett, Frances Fisher, Richard Harris, Saul Rubinek, and more, there’s not a weak link here.

The score for the movie was composed by Lennie Niehaus, and it’s stellar. Dark and brooding, but with an underlying sorrow to it that gives it this chilling sense of foreboding. It helps build some really good suspense and even gives certain scenes a bit of a horror-y vibe. There’s also a recurring motif in the score called “Claudia’s Theme”, composed by Clint Eastwood himself, and it’s an emotional powerhouse of a piece. Its main melody being a fairly simple series of notes played primarily on the B-string on an acoustic guitar. It shows up a few times throughout the movie, melding marvelously with Niehaus’ moody-broody musings, making for just an emotionally rich soundscape.

Written by David Peoples, “Unforgiven” was directed by Clint Eastwood, and I think this might be some of his strongest direction. Sweeping, yet intimate. Big, but also not so big that you lose scope of the small, important moments between characters. It manages to feel grandiose without really going for a super huge scale. But what makes it shine even brighter is the cinematography by Jack N. Green, which is not only pure eye candy at times with some marvelous use of light and shadow, but it also works in tandem with Eastwood’s direction to create a stunningly crafted visual experience that always keeps the characters in focus.

This movie’s been very well received. On Rotten Tomatoes it has a 96% positive rating and a “Fresh” certification. On Metacritic it has a score of 85/100. And on imdb.com it has a score of 8.2/10, and is ranked #147 on their “Top 250” list. The movie won 4 Oscars in the categories of Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor (Hackman), Best Director, and Best Editing. It was also nominated for an additional 5 Oscars in the categories of Best Actor (Eastwood), Best Original Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Set Decoration, and Best Sound.

So yeah, “Unforgiven” still absolutely holds up. It has a great story, fantastic characters, fantastic performances, great music, and fantastic directing/cinematography. Time for my final score. *Ahem*. My final score for “Unforgiven” is a 9.91/10. Which means that it gets the “SEAL OF APPROVAL!”.

My revisit of “Unforgiven” is now completed.

So what’s next on the revisit agenda? I ain’t tellin’, you just have to stay tuned.

Series Review: Poker Face – Season 1 (2023)

I love procedurals. Sure, a lot of the time they’re quite trashy, but they bring me a certain comfort. Just something nice about that structure that I can easily hunker down with and enjoy. But on occasion something comes along that sticks out within the genre…

Ladies, gents, and non-binaries… “Poker Face”.

Living lie detector Charlie Cale (Natasha Lyonne) finds herself traveling the states, on the run from people who want to hurt her. But as she tries to stay one step ahead, she often finds herself helping out random people she meets, using her skills to get to the bottom of a situation. Have you seen “Columbo”? Now take that, mix it with the semi-meta sharpness of “Knives Out”, and you get this show. It’s a procedural, very much borrowing from the structure of the aforementioned “Columbo”, but twisting it a bit akin to the creator’s previous works. And as a fan of both those things, this was very much up my street. I love seeing the setup at the start, and seeing how ol’ Chuck figures out how to prove that the villain of the week is… well that. It follows that familiar formula while also letting the writers and directors still have fun with how they play around with what happens, all while keeping the tension of Charlie’s own journey every looming in the background. So you get that familiar case of the week thing, which in itself tends to be clever, a little tense, and funny, while also having a bit of a ticking clock silently going in the background. Makes the story/ies of this procedural constantly engaging, even if some episodes of course stand above others.

The characters in this are wonderful, layered and written with a slightly self-aware edge without it ever feeling snide or smug. Our protagonist herself is such a good example, often leaning into classic procedural hero tropes while also successfully subverting them and even commenting on them without it feeling too much like a wink. But she’s also kind, supportive, funny as fuck, and can instantly sniff out a liar, so she’s just a delight in the writing department. And Natasha Lyonne is excellent in the role. As for the supporting cast, we don’t *really* get much in terms of recurring, as the show focuses more on a cavalcade of guest stars. What a list though. Benjamin Bratt, Adrien Brody, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Hong Chau, Ellen Barkin, Lil Rel Howery, just to name a few. It’s a colorful list of character actors, and everyone brings their A-game, marvelously playing interesting characters.

The score for the show was composed by Nathan Johnson and Judson Crane and it was solid. A nice mix of classic thriller stings and droning, with a few minor western and bluegrass influences. Charlie’s theme in particular is this jaunty, yet also melancholy banjo tune that really leans on those things I mentioned, and it’s arguably the best bit of music in the show. There’s also a few licensed songs used throughout and they work pretty well in their respective scenes.

“Poker Face” was developed by Rian Johnson, with writing and directing by him and various other cool people. And I love how this show is crafted, just perfectly balancing serenity, suspense, and snappiness. Each and every person directing the show manages to perfectly deliver whatever mood is needed, while never letting any moment overstay its welcome. And as this is a bit of a mystery show, they do such a brilliant job with what to show/hide and how to reveal it. It’s just beautifully crafted.

This show/season has been quite well received. On Rotten Tomatoes it has a 98% positive rating and a “Fresh” certification. On Metacritic it has a score of 84/100. And on imdb.com it has a score of 7.9/10.

Season 1 of “Poker Face” makes what’s familiar feel new and delivers on 10 episodes of procedural goodness. It has a great story, great characters, fantastic performances, really good music, and great directing/writing. Time for my final score. *Ahem*. My final score for season 1 of “Poker Face” is a 9.45/10. So it gets the “SEAL OF APPROVAL!”.

My review of “Poker Face” season 1 is now completed.

Puh puh puh Poker Face, puh puh Poker Face.

Movie Review: Project Wolf Hunting (2022)

Last few years we’ve managed to get at least one South Korean movie into the Month of Spooks pipeline. So why let this year be any different?

Ladies, gents, and non-binaries… “Project Wolf Hunting”.

A group of dangerous criminals are being transported from the Philippines to South Korea via cargo ship. The seemingly simple journey is however made a hell of a lot more difficult when said criminals manage to break free and begin violently slaughtering anyone they find on board. But the violent criminals aren’t the only threat on board, as there’s something sinister lurking below deck. Part “Overlord”, part “Con Air”, part mind numbing monotony. I don’t mind the premise behind this movie, and there are a few decent ideas going on throughout, but instead of using it to build a really tense, claustrophobic thriller, it resorts to nigh non-stop violent carnage. If you know me, then you know I don’t mind a bit of gory violence, and at first I found the rampaging a bit interesting in this, but after a while of it going on with little to no change in pace or style, it sort of just ends up kinda dull. And even when it threatens to bring out some interesting plot developments, its interest lasts maybe five minutes, or it’s too little too late. It’s not horrible, and its fast pace does keep it from dragging, but I found the narrative too monotonous and undercooked to fully thrill.

The characters in this are… I guess that’s it, they just kind of are. A few of them have glimpses of being interesting, but much like the plot, there’s not enough development put to them for me to really care. I’m not even asking for them to be the greatest, most nuanced characters ever, but I’d like to at least have SOMETHING more to them. Something to make me care, something to make the violence perpetrated by or against them interesting. At least I can safely say that the entire cast is great, all delivering damn solid work. Seo In-Guk, Jang Dong-Yoon, Jung So-Min, Choi Gwi-hwa, Sung Dong-il, and more all deliver good work.

The score for the movie was composed by Kim Jun-sung and Jo Ran and as I write this sentence, I can’t recall it at all. It just sort melts into the the background as the sound of screaming, gun shots, and hammers cracking skulls drowns out anything else. It didn’t leave any real impression for me.

“Project Wolf Hunting” was written and directed by Kim Hong Sun, and while I’ve made it clear that I found his script a bit on the underwhelming side, I do have to give some kudos to his skills as a director. The way he frames the hallways of the ship, or how he shows the carnage going on is genuinely quite good. All the violence and action is shot and edited really well, which does keep the blood-soaked carnage somewhat interesting, even as its constant barrage does reduce a fair bit of impact. Speaking of violence, if you don’t like blood, then this isn’t for you. I read somewhere that the director claims they used like two and a half tons of blood during production, which I fully believe. Hell, if they had to redo a take, then he may as well be selling it short. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen this much crimson liquid spraying in a movie, it’s honestly kind of impressive. Almost makes me want to see an excel document of how the budget was used in the movie, just to see what percentage was spent on blood.

This movie’s gotten some mixed reception. On Rotten Tomatoes it has an 88% positive rating and a “Fresh” certification. On Metacritic it has a score of 53/100. And on imdb.com it has a score of 6.1/10.

While it’s a bit too repetitive to give a glowing recommendation, I’d still say that “Project Wolf Hunting” is pretty good. It has a fine story, meh characters, great performances, forgettable music, and great direction. Time for my final score. *Ahem*. My final score for “Project Wolf Hunting” is a 6.23/10. So while quite flawed, I would still say it can be worth a rental.

My review of “Project Wolf Hunting” is now completed.

Row, row, row your boat, look at all this blood.

Movie Review: Halloween 2 (1981)

Friends, it has once again become time to talk about a spooky movie. I know, I’m as shocked as you, but it’s the truth. So let’s ge- oh, and spoilers for the end of the first movie, as that leads into what happens here. So if you’ve somehow not seen the 1978 original and rather not be spoiled, you know what needs to be done.

Ladies, gents, and non-binaries… “Halloween 2”.

While Laurie (Jamie Lee Curtis) gets brought to a hospital so she can be treated for the injuries that were given to her by Michael Myers, a frantic Dr. Loomis (Donald Pleasence) must go on a chase across Haddonfield in order to find Myers, who seemingly survived the Doctor’s ballistic intervention at the end of the previous movie. I found the story here to be pretty enjoyable, a decently tense horror romp that builds on the ideas set up in Carpenter’s original, though also not without its own set of flaws. While the main thrust of the narrative, the hunt for Michael Myers and Myers’ hunt for Laurie, is a fun, intense ride, some of the specifics surrounding certain plot beats and reveals that just feels like it undermines some of the creepiness and suspense that made the first film’s plot so good. The way they craft some of the set pieces I really like, and they roll into each other quite nicely, but some specific details in story evolution and in some of the kills just keeps it from being as solid of a narrative as it could be. Fun and tense, but also a bit contrived.

The characters in this are fine, you get the gist of them all fairly quickly, but most of them feel a bit underdeveloped. Though you also have the returning Dr. Loomis, a man hellbent on stopping Michael, but who also seems to harbor some regret behind his eyes, about how he couldn’t help Myers. And Donald Pleasence is stellar in the role. Laurie doesn’t do much here, but when she does get shit to do, Jamie Lee Curtis is really good in the role. Charles Cyphers, Jeffrey Kramer, Lance Guest, and a bunch of the other supporting actors are good too. Then you have Dick Warlock as Mikey My-My. He does bring a pretty good physicality to it, though I do miss the eerily cold and efficient movement of the first movie’s Shape. All in all, solid cast.

The score for the movie was composed by John Carpenter and Alan Howarth, and it’s fantastic. Takes the motifs and musical ideas from the first film and builds on them marvelously. From the remixed main theme to some of the new, creepy tracks, it’s an absolute feast for my ears and I loved every second of it.

“Halloween 2” was written by John Carpenter and Debra Hill, with directing duties now being handled by Rick Rosenthal, who I think did a really good job. His direction brings a similar creepiness as Carpenter did, crafting some really awesome and intense wide shots that uses shadow and negative space in really unsettling ways. Doesn’t hurt that Dean Cundey’s cinematography looks spectacular as well, marrying with Rosenthal’s direction beautifully to create a really visually rich movie that also manages to maintain the grimy, low-fi aesthetic of the first one.

This movie’s gotten some mixed reception. On Rotten Tomatoes it has a 33% positive rating. On Metacritic it has a score of 40/100. And on imdb.com it has a score of 6.5/10.

While the writing is a little bit of a letdown at times, I very much enjoyed “Halloween 2”. It has a fun plot, okay characters, great performances, fantastic music, and great directing/cinematography. Time for my final score. *Creepy breath*. My final score for “Halloween 2” is an 8.44/10. So while flawed, I’d say it’s worth buying.

My review of “Halloween 2” is now completed.

Hospitals really make for a good horror setting.

Movie Review: Child’s Play (1988)

Heeeey, how ya doin’? Ready for more Month of Spooks ramblings? Ready for me to talk about what quite a few people consider a slasher classic? Well, ready or not, here I go.

Ladies, gents, and non-binaries… “Child’s Play”.

Karen Barclay (Catherine Hicks) is a struggling single mother who on her son’s (Alex Vincent) manages to get him the one thing he wants, a Good Guy doll. What Karen didn’t know however is that this doll is inhabited by the soul of a vicious serial killer. So we follow the family as they deal with strange, violent events around them, not really having any clue about the truth surrounding them. I found this story to have a bit more than I anticipated, as it blends in elements of a whodunnit and a bit of a gaslighting aspect to proceedings, and doing it in quite the effective way. It adds weight to the slasher shenanigans, which made me care about the characters’ struggles. But it also helps that there’s a bit of dark humor to it all, adding to the emotional spectrum and overall fun of the story. It’s a script that balances fun, thrills, and drama well. Did I find it amazing? No, but I did really like it and I found it to have a bit more nuance than anticipated.

I liked the characters in this, they’re charming and believable and I did find myself caring about them, the writing does a good job of making them people I want to be on the side of. What also helps are the performances, all of them killing it. Catherine Hicks brings a beautiful blend of vulnerability and determination, Alex Vincent does really well, the ever reliable Chris Sarandon plays the main detective looking into the Barclays and he’s stellar, Dinah Manoff is good, and Brad god damn Dourif is just perfect. Not a weak link in this cast.

The score for the movie was composed by Joe Renzetti and I thought it was fun. It mixes some typical slasher stings with a certain playfulness befitting of the toy/child angle, and I think it works well in setting the mood for this movie. Fun, creepy, a little emotional, it’s good stuff.

“Child’s Play” was co-written by Don Mancini, John Lafia, and Tom Holland (no, not Spider-Man, you youngins), with Holland serving as director. And I think the craft here is solid, it does a good job of making every scene feel a bit claustrophobic, even if we’re out in the open air. It really sells how the threat is always sort of lingering around, even if it just looks like a dead bit of plastic at times. Holland and his team really sell that element wonderfully and it gives the film such a fun vibe. And some of the effects in this are great, just wonderfully constructed and implemented.

This movie’s been decently well received. On Rotten Tomatoes it has a 73% positive rating. On Metacritic it has a score of 58/100. And on imdb.com it has a score of 6.7/10.

I very much dug “Child’s Play”, it’s a fun and surprisingly nuanced little horror flick. It has a really good story, good characters, great performances, good music, and great directing. Time for my final score. *Ahem*. My final score for “Child’s Play” is an 8.80/10. So I’d say it’s certainly worth buying.

My review of “Child’s Play” is now completed.

How much does a Good Guy cost? A Doll-ar.

Movie Review: Bloodline (2019)

More Month of Spooks content comin’ your way. So what’s on the menu today? *checks notes* Murder? Can’t be more specific? Serial murder? Well that sure clears it up, let’s see if the movie itself can make more sense.

Ladies, gents, and non-binaries… “Bloodline”.

Evan Cole (Seann William Scott) seems like your everyday guy. Loving husband and father, caring and deeply liked high school counselor. But what is not known to the public around him is that he harbors a deeply violent bloodlust within him, which starts erupting when he finds out about some of the horrific things that happen to his young patients. I found the story here pretty interesting, a psychological horror-thriller that never really tells you how to feel about the violence or people you witness. This does bring a certain hypnotic tension to it, which keeps it somewhat engaging. I say somewhat though, because it’s not flawless. The pacing here is really strange. Now, if you’ve followed me for a while, then you know I like a slow burn, but “Bloodline” can feel outright sluggish at times, but at times it feels like some things can be too quick and underdeveloped. Generally I do think it’s an interesting chain of events and I do think its turns and big swings are enjoyable, but that pacing keeps the story from greatness.

The characters in this are… fine, nothing really special. Our protagonist, Evan, is arguably the most interesting, and I did find him interesting to follow. The rest though feel like they could use a bit more development. Now, obviously this is mainly intended as a character study for Evan, but the others get enough play that I started to feel like we could’ve gotten to know them a little better. Where I can give complete praise here however is for the cast, all of which are solid. Seann William Scott has been great in the comedies I’ve seen him in, but this is the best I’ve seen from him. An understated, nuanced, complex performance that I couldn’t stop watching, the guy was fantastic. Mariela Garriga is good, Dale Dickey is great as always, Raymond Cham Jr is really good, Kevin Carroll’s solid. Not a bad performance in this cast.

The score for the movie was composed by Trevor Gureckis and it is great. What we get are a series of driving synth tracks that add to the strangely hypnotic vibe of the movie, almost adding a bit of a weird dreamlike feeling that works really well to keep me engaged. It’s just great.

“Bloodline” was directed and co-written by Henry Jacobson, and I think he did a great job. His direction is very clearly inspired by De Palma, a lot of interesting angles, split diopter shots, and even a pretty cool split screen sequence are used throughout. There’s also a lot of stark colors, which is a bit akin to the works of Argento. Jacobson, along with cinematographer Isaac Bauman, wear these influences on their sleeve without making it feel like they’re just ripping them off or not doing anything of their own with it, because they do use these influences in interesting, gorgeously shot ways that don’t just feel like they don’t have their own vision. Add on top of that some stellar moment to moment editing by Nigel Galt, along with some gore that actually took me aback a few times, and you get some really good craft on behalf of the crew.

This movie’s gotten some mixed reception. On Rotten Tomatoes it has a 50% positive rating. On Metacritic it has a score of 50/10. And on imdb.com it has a score of 6.0/10.

While it is flawed, I still think “Bloodline” is solid and makes for an interesting debut from director Jacobson. It has an alright story, okay-ish characters, great performances, great music, and fantastic directing/cinematography/editing. Time for my final score. *Ahem*. My final score for “Bloodline” is a 7.66/10. So while flawed, I’d still say that it’s worth renting.

My review of “Bloodline” is now completed.

Seann William Scott in… Dude, Where’s My Murder?

Series Review: Guilt – Season 3 (2023)

Over the past few years I’ve been covering this show. And earlier this year it came to an end with a third and final season. So let’s see if it’s a solid bookend to the complex cavalcade of the McCalls.

Ladies, gents, and non-binaries… “Guilt” season 3.

After heading to Chicago to get away from a bad situation, brothers Max and Jake (Mark Bonnar and Jamie Sives) find themselves having to head back to Scotland to deal with everything that’s been causing them trouble, hopefully finding a solution to them once and for all. Add conspiracy, the Scottish underworld, and old wounds getting opened back up, and you get a recipe for the events that unfold this season. And I found the story here to be really engaging, presenting a really intense, nuanced, and funny path to a really satisfying end. It is a bit hurt however by its episode count. 4×60 minutes is not optimal for such a big story, it makes it feel a bit stuffy, causing the pacing of each episode to drag. The story itself is great, so it is ultimately a satisfying narrative, but I do wish it’d been split across maybe five 45 minute episodes instead. It’s a bit polarizing in that sense. Great story, poor pacing.

The characters (both old and new) remain as colorful, complex, flawed, and insanely entertaining as we’ve come to expect from this show. And what this season solidifies most is that Max McCall remains one of the most interesting protagonists of recent years. As shady, spiteful, and slimy as always, his journey here is so engaging and Bonnar is as spectacular as ever. Jamie Sives is also great once again, making for a warm, fun counterpoint that works really well against Bonnar’s Max. The rest of the cast, containing people like Emun Elliott, Greg McHugh, Phyllis Logan, Anders Hayward, Isaura Barbé-Brown, and many more, all absolutely killing it.

Arthur Sharpe returned to compose the score for this final season and he killed it as ever. A fun mix of inspirations (typical thriller score, a little rocky, a little jazzy infusion), it really fits the colorful world of the show. There’s also a decent amount of licensed tracks used throughout, most pertaining to older rock music, and it fits each respective scene in such a fun way.

As with the previous two season of “Guilt”, each episode was written by series creator Neil Forsyth, with season 2’s Patrick Harkins returning to direct all four episodes. And the craft here is just great. Nicely shot, edited in a tense and fun way, holding just long enough on each shot, it’s just each member of the crew bringing their A-game to make this the best possible end to this series.

The show/season has been pretty well received. On Rotten Tomatoes it has a 100% positive rating. On Metacritic it exists without any real score. And on imdb.com it has a score of 7.4/10.

While its rough pacing does bring it down a bit, the final season of “Guilt” is a satisfying end to the McCall brothers’ journey. The story is great, the characters are great, the performances are fantastic, the music’s really good, and the directing is great. Time for my final score. *Ahem*. My final score for “Guilt” season 3 is an 8.45/10. So while flawed, I’d say it’s definitely worth watching.

My review of “Guilt” season 3 is now completed.

Gonna miss looking forward to new episodes of this.

Movie Review: Scream VI (2023)

So last year I watched and reviewed the entirety of this franchise leading up to the fifth installment. I had fun going through the series and was intrigued when a sixth one got announced. It then came out in cinemas and I missed it because my local cinema has really given horror movies the short end of the proverbial stick when it comes to showtimes this year. Anyhow, I finally saw it on Netflix last night and am ready to talk about it. So let’s go.

Ladies, gents, and non-binaries… “Scream VI”.

Following the traumatic events in Woodsboro one year ago, Sam (Melissa Barrera), Tara (Jenna Ortega), and the other surviving youngsters have moved to New York City to try and get a fresh start. This peace doesn’t last however as a new Ghostface seems to emerge, stalking and creating another gruesome nightmare for our heroes. Cue murder, mayhem, whodunnit, and further commentary on the state on not just horror, but film franchises as a whole. I thoroughly enjoyed the story of “Scream VI”, it manages to evolve the familiar beats of the franchise in interesting ways, increasing the scale of set pieces and its approach to its legacy, all without straying too far from what people generally enjoys about these movies. I don’t necessarily think it’s as strong or packs the same punch as last year’s “Scream 5” (which I’ll keep calling it), and the longer runtime does make the pacing feel a tiny bit sluggish at points, but it’s not so bad that I’d call it a drag. It’s still an engaging, decently clever, intense, and solidly enjoyable slasher story that thrills, chills, and brings some very good laughs in equal measure.

The characters in this are as colorful and interesting as ever, with most of them getting some decent development throughout. From Sam dealing with the fallout of what happened last year, to Tara trying to come into her own with an overprotective sister around, to the twins getting some time to shine as well. Everyone has their moments and not one member of the cast is weak. Melissa Barrera, Jenna Ortega, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Mason Gooding, Roger Jackson, Dermot Mulroney, Samara Weaving, Tony Revolori, Liana Liberato, Hayden Panettiere, Courteney Cox, Josh Segarra, and more all kill it.

The score for the movie was composed by Sven Faulconer and Brian Tyler, and I think this score is great. It takes a lot of the traditions of earlier movies, along with the bolder orchestrations that Brian Tyler brought with “Scream 5”, and develops it further to creative this really fun, surprisingly varied score that I think marvelously sets the mood whenever needed, be it for intense chases or for some of the more quiet character moments we get throughout. It’s possibly my favorite score in the series, or at least it’s around the level of the original. There are also a bunch of licensed tracks used throughout (including the returning “Red Right Hand”) and they work quite well for their respective scenes too. So yeah, the music here is really good.

Following on from their success with the fifth movie, “Scream VI” was directed by the returning Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett (AKA Radio Silence), with script duties once again falling on James Vanderbilt and Guy Busick. And I think this movie is really well directed. They just have this flair and energy to their style that makes them perfect for this series. Whether it’s two characters talking, or Ghostface stalking someone in a convenience store, they absolutely brought their A-game. Their direction brings a really riveting intensity to the action scenes, and when the more intimate character moments show up they do a beautiful job in bringing us into those as well. And holy moly, the violence in this is something else. With “Scream 5”, they brought a new level of savagery to the violence of the series and its spooky-mugged killer, and they didn’t skimp on that here. In a lot of ways it’s even nastier, gorier, and very much made me squirm once or twice… so good on them for that.

This movie has been decently well received. On Rotten Tomatoes it has a 76% positive rating and a “Fresh” certification. On Metacritic it has a score of 61/100. And on imdb.com it has a score of 6.6/10.

So while I wouldn’t put it at the top of my franchise ranking, I still thoroughly enjoyed “Scream VI”. It has a good story, really good characters, great performances, great music, and great directing. Time for my final score. *Ahem*.. My final score for “Scream VI” is an 8.43/10. So I’d say it’s worth buying.

My review of “Scream VI” is now completed.

New York, New Rules. Even the tagline’s really fucking good.

Series Review: Black Bird (2022)

Don’t do crime. Or do, I’m not your mom, you face the consequences of the legal system if you wish. I’d recommend you don’t, but I can’t make ya.

Disclaimer: I know this thing is based on a true story, but I will not base my review on how perfectly accurate to the real situation it may or may not be, but I will instead judge it as a show… which it is. Disclaimer over.

Ladies, gents, and non-binaries… “Black Bird”.

After getting sent to prison to serve a ten year sentence, drug dealer Jimmy Keene (Taron Egerton) makes a deal with the FBI to befriend a suspected serial killer (Paul Walter Hauser) in order to hopefully get information on the locations of the victims. And so we follow Jimmy taking a dive into murky water as he works to befriend the suspect, along with trying to stay alive within the prison system. All the while a detective (Greg Kinnear) tries to solve the case on the outside. “Black Bird” is a slow burn drama, a believably gritty and unsettling descent into darkness, exploring the depths of human depravity and what that can do to seemingly normal people who get drawn into it. It’s a compelling six episode run, a little too slow in moments, but for the most part it’s well paced and quite riveting and got so deep in the murky waters that it made me feel like I needed to scrub myself off on multiple occasions. It’s dark, it’s nuanced, it’s haunting, it’s a great story.

The characters in this are all quite interesting, believably flawed and written with enough layers to make them feel real. Taron Egerton plays Jimmy Keene, a cocky, womanizing drug dealer who has to eat a bit of humble pie when he’s arrested. I like having him as a protagonist because he’s a charming asshat, a twat that has enough charisma to keep me from totally hating him. It makes for some compelling drama, as he is a bit unlikable at times. And Egerton is great in the role, especially in the last two episodes where he truly gets to flex his chops. Next is Paul Walter Hauser as Larry Hall, a seemingly timid, kind of odd man who’s the suspect that Jimmy has to befriend. He’s a really fascinating character in ways that are hard to explain without giving away things, but they do some really interesting stuff with his development and I always found engaging. And Hauser is great in the role. The rest of the cast is great too, containing people like Ray Liotta (R.I.P), Greg Kinnear, Sepideh Moafi, Robert Wisdom, Tony Amendola, Robyn Malcolm, and more.

The score for the show was composed by ambient rock band Mogwai, and hoooooo I loved what they did here. Utilizing some piano, synths, and guitars, they create this unsettling and emotionally rich atmosphere that really added so much to the show, along with being pure ear candy. There are also a handful of licensed songs used throughout and I think they work quite well in their respective scenes.

Based on a book by James Keene and Hillel Levin called “In With the Devil”, “Black Bird” was developed for Apple TV+ by Dennis Lehane (my favorite author), with writing by him and a few others, and directing divided between Michaël Roskam, Joe Chappelle, and Jim McKay. I really dug the way this was crafted, giving the show a grimy, borderline claustrophobic feel, even in scenes set outside of the prison. The crew somehow find ways of making sure no scenes ever really feels safe, bringing an oppressive atmosphere that really brought me into the darkness in a really eerie and strong way.

This show has been well received. On Rotten Tomatoes it has a 97% positive rating and a “Fresh” certification. On Metacritic it has a score of 80/100. And on imdb.com it has a score of 8.1/10.

“Black Bird” is an unsettling, really compelling drama series that I can highly recommend. It has a great story, great characters, fantastic performances, great music, and great directing. Time for my final score. *Ahem*. My final score for “Black Bird” is a 9.56/10. Which means it gets a “SEAL OF APPROVAL!”.

My review of “Black Bird” is now completed.

Blackbird singing in the dead of niiiiight…

Movie Review: John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023)

So I actually saw this a little over a week ago, but I wanted to give it some time to marinate before I talked about it. You wouldn’t think an action movie would require one to think, but this one had my mind in a whirl. But now I’m ready to ramble about the latest entry in this franchise.

Ladies, gents, and non-binaries… “John Wick: Chapter 4”.

Continuing in his globetrotting defiance against the enigmatic High Table, world’s greatest headshotter John Wick (Keanu Reeves) finds himself in his most difficult quest yet, as he has to face off with powerful foes both new and old around every corner, all hindering his journey to try and be free of the assassin life. Cue then the shootouts, fisticuffs, sword fights, and existential musings on the futility of their lifestyle, the consequences of John’s actions, and the longing for something else beyond the carnage. For as much as the action tends to be the focus of these movies, I found myself caught off guard by and also adoring the more quiet moments, letting the characters breathe, adding this somber and surprisingly beautiful tragic drama to proceedings. Of course it’s not necessarily the most profound drama out there, but there’s a depth here that we haven’t really seen from this series before, and it makes this story hit a bit more, especially as certain narrative escalations occur throughout. It gives things weight, it made me care about everything in a way that I haven’t really felt since the first movie. It makes the bombastic shenanigans feel like they have action heft and stakes. ’tis a great god damn story.

One thing these films have always been good at is giving us colorful characters that really feel lived in and like they have an actual presence in this world, and “Chapter 4” is no different, and even does a great job of making them way more interesting than before. Again, they’re not necessarily THE deepest out there, but there is an amount of depth here that makes them stick out way more. Keanu Reeves returns as John Wick, assassin extraordinaire, a man fighting the current of destiny, wanting an out from the violence. He’s always been a compelling protagonist and here he continues to really be a good character, with Keanu giving a good performance. The next one I want to talk about is Caine, an old acquaintance of John’s. He’s a skilled fighter, swordsman, gunman, and a loving father. He’s been reluctantly drawn into this fight and they use this for a good dramatic arc. Caine’s played by Donnie Yen, who is absolutely fantastic in the role. From the physicality to the drama to the comedy, Yen is electrifying. And then finally we have the man in charge of the villainy, Marquis, played by Bill Skarsgård. An arrogant, slimy cunt of a man. He’s such a bastard and I think he works well for the movie, with Skarsgård giving a delightfully punch-worthy performance. We also get supporting work from people new and old, such as Laurence Fishburne, Ian McShane, Shamier Anderson, Hiroyuki Sanada, Rina Sawayama, Lance Reddick (R.I.P.), Marko Zaror, Scott Adkins (who is fun as hell in this), Clancy Brown, and many more, all delivering really solid work.

As with the first three movies, the score here was composed by Tyler Bates and Joel J. Richard, and once again it is fucking spectacular. A kinetic, operatic cacophony of strings, distorted guitars, acoustics, synths and percussion, creating a symphony of carnage that drives the action marvelously. But it also knows when to go more quiet, leading to some emotionally resonant bits. But we also see DJ Le Castle Vania returning to create some thumping club tracks and they rule. Hell, I’ve had “Blood Code” on fairly frequent rotation since seeing the movie. Then there are a few licensed songs used throughout and they work very well too. This movie just has one hell of a fantastic soundtrack.

“John Wick: Chapter 4” was, as with the previous ones, directed by Chad Stahelski who just continues to kill it, developing his stylish style of stylishness even further here. Wide, stunningly blocked shots of guns firing, punches hitting, and dudes dropping, with kinetic movements from actors, stunt team, and camera alike. Combine it with Dan Laustsen’s breathtaking cinematography and you get one of, if not the best looking action movie I’ve ever had the pleasure of laying my eyes on. But it’s not just eye candy for eye candy’s sake, every shot feels deliberate in telling story both immediate and in the background. It’s just crafted in a way that is awe-inspiring to see. And I can’t speak enough of how amazing the action scenes are. They’re brutal, kinetic, slick, mesmerizing, a little unhinged, and creative as hell. There was a part of me that was a little worried that maybe they were running out of tricks after the third one… but holy god damn mother of mercy, am I glad to have been proven wrong. It’s ludicrously good.

This movie has been very well received. On Rotten Tomatoes it has a 94% positive rating and a “Fresh” certification. On Metacritic it has a score of 78/100. And on imdb.com it has a score of 8.3/10 and is ranked #155 on the “Top 250 Films” list.

The more I think about it, the more I absolutely adore “John Wick: Chapter 4”. It has a great story, great characters, great performances, fantastic music, and fantastic directing/cinematography/action. Time for my final score. *Ahem*. My final score for “John Wick: Chapter 4” is a 9.91/10. So it gets the “SEAL OF APPROVAL!”.

My review of “John Wick: Chapter 4” is now completed.

Not often does a nearly three hour movie fly by this fast.