Category: Movie

The Monkey

Posted on by Mikey

TV show or Movie: Movie

Where to watch: In theaters 

Genre: Horror, comedy

What It Reminds Me Of: Final Destination, Annabelle, Twilight Zone

Writer: Oz Perkins, based on a short story by Stephen King

Director: Oz Perkins

Premise: When twin brothers Bill and Hal find their father’s old monkey toy in the attic, a series of gruesome deaths start. The siblings decide to throw the toy away and move on with their lives, growing apart over the years.

My Premise: Three couples reunite at a billionaires secluded lake house and true identities come to light as people

Cast: Theo James, Tatiana Maslany, Elijah Wood, Christian Converg, Colin O’Brien, Rohan Campbell, Sarah Levy

I was all in from the moment I saw this trailer. A Stephen King short story. Produced by James Wan. Theo James—and also Theo James. I wasn’t as sold on Oz Perkins after Longlegs left me wildly disappointed, but now? Fully on board with him as a writer/director.

Apparently, I was the only one who didn’t pick up on the comedy in the trailer. It looked so violent and gruesome that I must have missed it. But let me tell you—this movie is hilarious. From start to finish. And not just because of the deaths. The way the characters talk about death, the dynamic between the brothers—there’s even a funeral scene with the mom and two sons that has some of the funniest dialogue in the movie.

It also kicks off with a totally unexpected cameo—one I never saw coming but was so hyped to see. The opening sets up The Monkey and wastes no time with a strong first kill. The second act slows down a bit, but it makes sense for the story and leads up to a wild third act. The movie is basically a sandwich where the meat is on the outsides—the first and third acts are loaded with over-the-top, violent, gruesome deaths. The whole theater was in uproar during the kill scenes, where you either see it coming a mile away or have no clue what’s about to happen. And the body parts? They really fly in this movie.

This year seems to be big for horror, but also big for actors playing multiple roles. Theo James plays twins in The Monkey, Robert Pattinson is tackling at least 17 versions of himself in Mickey 17, and Robert De Niro is pulling double duty as Frank Costello and Vito Genovese in The Alto Knights. I’ve become a huge Theo James fan—just finished watching him in Guy Ritchie’s The Gentleman series, and of course, he was great in The White Lotus and The Time Traveler’s Wife. He nails the contrast between the two brothers here.

Elijah Wood has been popping up in a lot of horror lately—he’s in Yellowjackets opposite Christina Ricci’s insane Misty, he’s starring in the long-awaited Toxic Avenger reboot, and he has a small but fun part in this movie. Also, seeing Sarah Levy in this? Unexpected but great. She plays a funky, fun character.

The whole thing feels like a Twilight Zone movie with a big budget and zero PG-13 restrictions. When I first saw the trailer, I immediately thought about how it could prime people for Final Destination 6—another movie loaded with random, violent, Rube Goldbergian deaths. Can audiences handle two movies like that in one year? At least there’s a few months between them.

Trivia time: I just learned that Os Perkins was Dorky David in Legally Blonde!

Companion

Posted on by Mikey

TV show or Movie: Movie

Where to watch: In theaters

Genre: Horror, comedy, sci-fi

What It Reminds Me Of: Black Mirror, Ex-Machina, M3ghan.

Writer: Drew Hancock

Director: Drew Hancock

Premise: A weekend getaway with friends at a remote cabin turns into chaos after it’s revealed that one of the guests is not what they seem.

My Premise: Three couples reunite at a billionaires secluded lake house and true identities come to light as people

Cast: Sophie Thatcher, Jack Quaid, Lukas Gage, Megan Suri, Harvey Guillén, Rupert Friend.

Review:

This movie has been on every horror fans radar since the first trailer dropped. Sophie Thatcher has become quite a scream queen with her roles in things like Yellowjackets and Heretic. Jack Quaid has starred in horror films like Scream and The Boys. The Boys might not be known as a horror show, damn, it really is. Lukas Gage stuck out as the creepiest part of the Smile 2 trailer, as he bashed himself in the face with a weight. Harvey Guillén starred in the horror comedies What We Do in the Shadows and Cursed Friends. All of these actors under one roof made me feel sure this movie would be a hit.

But more things sold me on it early on. Zach Cregger, behind last years hit Barbarian, produced this movie. And just the general plot: What happens when a robot goes too far?

Now a lot of early reviews of this movie said that they wish they never saw the trailer. Or that the trailer didn’t give away that Thatcher was a robot. But don’t worry. The movie will keep you guessing. There are twists and turns. There is a whole lot of blood, a whole lot of laughs, and action up until the very end.

I don’t want to say much more about this movie.

The Art of the Awkward Sprint: Revisiting Josh Hartnett’s Run in The Faculty

Posted on by Mikey

Last night, my girlfriend and I sat down to watch a horror movie. I’m always torn between wanting to show her a classic that I have seen that I feel she needs to or watching a newer one than neither of us either of us have seen.

After watching some trailers for movies, like the haunting, a classic starring Liam Neeson, Owen, Wilson, and Catherine Zeta-Jones, the 1998 horror sci-fi film the faculty arrived in my head.

This movie has every actor in it. Josh Hartnett, Elijah Wood, Jordana Brewster, Clea DuVall, Laura Harris, Famke Janssen, Salma Hayek, Robert Patrick, Jon Stewart, Bebe Neuwirth, Shawn Hatosy, Usher Raymond, Piper Laurie, Daniel von Bargen, Christopher McDonald.

And it is directed by Robert Rodriguez, who is mostly known for directing an extremely violent movie and a kids movie the next. Although I guess horror was his earlier thing because he also did From Dusk Til Dawn.

Anyway, it’s a great movie for so many reasons. Besides Big Daddy, I think it’s one of the only other movies that John Stewart ever did. It is very reminiscent of films like the bodysnatcher and the thing. Some they actually referenced in the movie which I love when a television show or movie recognizes another famous piece of media within their universe.

I think the film holds up. The monster is pretty bad ass. The jump scares and creepiness are good. But there was one thing that just irked me re-watching this film. How Josh Hartnett runs.

Heartland character Zeke it’s a two time senior in high school. He lives by himself while his parents traveled the world. And while he is one of the more intelligent people, he spends his time dealing his own, created drugs to students and starting shit with teachers.

But the way he runs.

I surprisingly couldn’t find any clips online. I recorded this one. I’ll try to do another one but just go back and watch it because the movie still holds up and it is awesome.

Carry-On

Posted on by Mikey

TV show or Movie: Movie

Where to watch: Netflix

Genre: Action, thriller

What It Reminds Me Of: Speed, Phone Booth

Writer: T.J. Fixman

Director: Jaume Collet-Serra

Premise: A mysterious traveler blackmails a young TSA agent into letting a dangerous package slip through security and onto a Christmas Eve flight.

My Premise: A cat and mouse game between a TSA agent and a mysterious man on Christmas Eve.

Cast: Taron Egerton, Sofia Carson, Danielle Deadwyler, Jason Bateman.

Review: Jason Bateman is one of the best comedic actors of our time. And is you listen to his podcast, Smartless, with Will Arnett and Sean you will know he’s also hilarious in real life. But damn is he a good serious actor.

I just started watching Ozark. I had seen a lot of it before but never finished it. It had been too long so I wanted to restart it. Bateman’s directorial debut was also in a film called The Gift which is one of the most disturbing movies that I have seen.

Bateman plays the antagonist in Carry On, playing against Taron Egerton, an extremely nice and easy going TSA agent who just found out he is expecting. The two of them play very well together in this movie.

While a lot of the movie plays out like Phone Booth, mostly with tension done over the phone, the second half of the movie includes a lot of action.

Werewolves

Posted on by Mikey

TV show or Movie: Movie

Where to watch: In theaters, streaming

Genre: Horror

What It Reminds Me Of:

Writer: Matthew Kennedy

Director: 
Steven C. Miller

Premise: Two scientists try to stop a mutation that turns people into werewolves after being touched by a super-moon the year before.

My Premise: A a year after a super moon, turned millions into werewolves for the night who killed off a lot of of the world’s population, scientist try to figure out how to stop this mutation once and for all.

Cast: Frank Grillo, Katrina Law, Ilfenesh Hadera, James Michael Cummings, Lou Diamond Phillips
James Kyson.

Review: I believe that this movie knew it it was doing. I think I’m honestly not sure. Whether or not it did I don’t know if that made this a good movie or not.

The director and Frank Grillo, both from the start dubbed this movie The Purge meets werewolves and this was exactly that. I will watch anything with Frank Grillo. He is a great action star and one that I wish got his due in the Marvel universe. But he has still gone on to be in great movies like two of the The Purge films and the Groundhog’s Day action film, Boss Level.

I think my biggest issue with this film is it revolves around the night of the second super moon and a few known werewolves are being studied to find the cure and they are using a spray on them to keep the werewolf at bay and guess what it’s called? Moonblock. Yup. I just hope this was something that the cast and crew all laughed at while writing it and making the movie.

I will say this is a fun action horror movie. And, like many movies this year, the movie substitutes CGI for mostly practical effects. Which that is worth it in its own way, in my opinion.

Wicked

Posted on by Mikey

TV show or Movie: Movie

Where to watch: In theaters

Genre: Comedy, drama, musical

What It Reminds Me Of: The Wizard of Oz (Because it’s a prequel!)

Writer: Winnie Holzman and Dana Fox. Based on the novel by Gregory Maguire.

Director: John M. Chu

Premise: Elphaba, a misunderstood young woman because of her green skin, and Glinda, a popular girl, become friends at Shiz University in the Land of Oz. After an encounter with the Wonderful Wizard of Oz, their friendship reaches a crossroads.

My Premise: A group of quiet high schools girls learn to stand out.

Cast: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande-Butera, Jonathan Bailey, Ethan Slater, Bowen Yang, Marissa Bode, Peter Dinklage, Michelle Yeoh, Jeff Goldblum.

Review: Here is the review that I texted to a few family members:

“I really liked it! I fell asleep during parts because I can’t stay awake during in theaters movies anymore. I thought Ariana was fantastic and this was the role she was born to play. I thought it was the most Jeff Goldblum role that Jeff Goldblum has ever played. I really liked the music and the scenery. It was very funny. It really makes you think about The Wizard of Oz which I know is the point of this and the origin story. I don’t think I’ll be rooting for Dorthy next time I watch it.”

In longer terms: I am not a big fan of musicals or musical movies, but, man, I loved this musical movie. I will admit that I feel asleep, briefly, in parts of the movie. But that is not due to the content of the film. That is do to me not sleeping enough at home and movie theaters being way too dark and way too comfortable these days.

Anyway, the music in this movie was so catchy. “The Wizard and I,” “Popular,” and obviously “Defying Gravity. The

The movie is pretty long at two and a half hours. Which might not seem long, except there is a part two coming out next year. But the way this one ended was a perfect ending sure to set up the next one to really be even more powerful.

Ariana Grande is perfect for this role. She has shined as an actress in things like Don’t Look Up and on SNL and was really great in this.

It’s super impressive that the people sang live for this movie. The set design and CGI are both impressive. The Set Designer actually planted 9 million tulips for the movie! Nathan Crowley, who did this movie, also did the set design for Interstellar and all of the crops you see in that movie are real.

Empire Waist

Posted on by Mikey

TV show or Movie: Movie

Where to watch: Theaters, On demand

Genre: Comedy, drama

What It Reminds Me Of: Mean Girls

Writer: Claire Ayoub

Director: Claire Ayoub

Premise: Follows a group of teens learning to love their bodies through inclusive fashion design and friendship.

My Premise: A group of quiet high schools girls learn to stand out.

Cast: Rainn Wilson, Missi Pyle and Mia Kaplan, Jemima Yevu, Jolene Purdy

Review: I went to see a screening of this at Capital Theater in Arlington. Writer-director, Claire Ayoub, was there in attendance. Ayoub is a graduate of Wellesley college where my girlfriend, Sarah, went to college. Sarah has been following Ayoub’s career and got us tickets for the show.

The theater was packed with proud alumni there to see Ayoub’s debut film. The movie is funny. Like, really really funny. Rainn Wilson and Missi Pyle are the big names in the movie, and while they certainly shine, the whole cast stands out. The movie definitely has many serious moments to it. I would call this movie a dramedy, but you will really laugh your ass out throughout this movie. The main cast of six girls are all so funny and work so well together. I love a movie where an ensemble of kids or teens work so well together on camera you would think they have been friends forever.

After the film ended, Ayoub did a Q&A with the audience. She talked about how long it had been since the movie was first written. How she toured the screenplay around the country to get buy-in, the audition process for the teen stars, and how much research and resources when into making an inclusive and powerful movie like this one. I want a director’s cut!

Trailer:

We Live in Time

Posted on by Mikey

TV show or Movie: Movie

Where to watch: Theaters

Genre: Romantic drama

What It Reminds Me Of: One Day, Live Crazy

Writer: Nick Payne

Director: John Crowley

Premise: An up-and-coming chef and a recent divorcée find their lives forever changed when a chance encounter brings them together, in a decade-spanning, deeply moving romance.

My Premise: A love story told non-linear through the years.

Cast: Florence Pugh, Andrew Garfield

Review: I really wanted to love this movie. I adore Andrew Garfield and Florence Pugh—two of my biggest celebrity crushes in one film. Plus, when I first saw the trailer, it reminded me of One Day and Like Crazy, two movies I truly enjoyed.

One thing that didn’t work for me was the non-linear storytelling. It was hard to build up to that emotional, tear-jerking ending when the film kept jumping around. I just finished watching This Is Us for the second time and loved how that show jumps through time. I cried plenty of times watching it, but you never fully feel the weight of missing Jack because you know you’ll keep seeing him in future episodes. Maybe this storytelling style works for television, but in film, it can be harder to pull off.

The third act of this movie also left me disappointed. There were choices made that I didn’t fully understand or agree with, and one big moment didn’t really land as intended.

As much as I wanted to love this movie—I love dramedies, I love love stories, and I enjoy getting emotional from a show or film—I didn’t quite get that feeling from this one.

That said, the acting is fantastic. It’s worth seeing for that alone. And the press surrounding this movie is definitely worth exploring. Garfield brought a cardboard cutout of Florence Pugh to a screening, which was hilarious. His interview on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert and his segment with Elmo on Sesame Street are both beautiful, as he talks about channeling his grief over his mother’s recent passing into his performance for the film. And his appearance on Chicken Shop Date is one for the books!

Trailer:

Stopmotion

Posted on by Mikey

TV show or Movie: Movie

Where to watch: Shudder, Prime

Genre: Live-action/adult animated psychological horror-thriller film 

What It Reminds Me Of:

Writer: Robert Morgan, Robin King

Director: Robert Morgan

Premise: A stop-motion animator struggles to control her demons after the loss of her overbearing mother.

My Premise: An artist’s work starts to come to life. Is it to help cope with her trauma from her abusive mother or is everything truly coming alive?

Cast: Aisling Franciosi

Review: I put off watching this movie because of how creepy it looked. And wow, was it creepy. It feels like every movie I’ve reviewed lately is about someone’s ‘descent into madness,’ and this one fits right in.

This film would have been plenty scary without the stop motion, but adding that element makes it downright chilling.

The art design is incredibly impressive, and the way it feels like you’re watching two movies in one adds a unique twist. It starts a bit slow, but really picks up, and the third act is wild.

I won’t spoil anything—just go watch it with the lights on, and be prepared to lose some sleep.

Trailer:

Oddity

Posted on by Mikey

TV show or Movie: Movie

Where to watch: Shudder (Included), Rent it across other streaming platforms

Genre: Horror movie

What It Reminds Me Of: I don’t want to say, haha! It reminds me of a movie that I loved in the early 2,000s. But mentioning it could give it away.

Writer: Damian McCarthy

Director: Damian McCarthy

Premise: A psychic medium attempts to uncover the truth behind her sister’s murder at the site of the crime.

My Premise: A blind woman enters the home of her dead sister to find out the answers behind her murder.

Cast: Gwilym Lee, Carolyn Bracken, Tadhg Murphy, Caroline Menton, Jonathan French, Steve Wall

Review: This month, I have been watching one horror movie a day. I started watching classic horror movies that I had never seen before. Then, I moved into newer horror movies. I have been watching them late at night after my girlfriend falls asleep. A lot of the movies that I have watched were too old or too cheesy to provide any really scares. This was the first movie I watched this month to really scare me. Honestly, this was the first movie in a while to scare the hell out of me.

This movie introduces a new character, the Wooden Man. Who is very, very creepy. I wish that people would dress up as him for Halloween or put him out on their lawn.

I don’t want to give much away on this movie. I just want people to watch it. It is original, it is genre-crossing, it is scary and it will have you guessing until the end.

Damien McCarthy has another recent movie out called Caveat that I plan to watch soon. After watching this movie, I want to watch whatever else he puts out.

Trailer: