Category: Reviews

V/H/S/Beyond

Posted on by Mikey

TV show or Movie: Movie

Where to watch: Shudder/AMC/Prime

Writer: 

  • Jordan Downey and Kevin Stewart (“Stork”)
  • Christian Long and Justin Long (“Fur Babies”)
  • Justin Martinez and Ben Turner (“Live and Let Dive”)
  • Virat Pal and Evan Dickson (“Dream Girl”)
  • Mike Flanagan(“Stowaway”)
  • Jay Cheel (“Abduction/Adduction”)

Director: 

Premise: 
Six bloodcurdling tapes unleash horror in a sci-fi-inspired hellscape, pushing the boundaries of fear and suspense.

Cast: 

Review: These movies play a big part in my love for horror. I saw the first one when it premiered at the Independent Film Festival Boston in 2012. My friend used to work for a film rental company, and we would get free passes to the festival. I remember how much I loved the first V/H/S movie. Some people found it too disturbing, and some found it to be too much of a shaky cam, found-footage movie.

Since the release of the first film in the franchise, there have been seven anthology films, two spinoffs, and a miniseries:

1. V/H/S (2012)

2. V/H/S/2 (2013)

3. V/H/S: Viral (2014)

4. SiREN (2016) – Spinoff film

5. V/H/S: Video Horror Shorts (2018) – Miniseries

6. V/H/S/94 (2021)

7. V/H/S/99 (2022)

8. Kids vs. Aliens (2023) – Spinoff film

9. V/H/S/85 (2023)

10. V/H/S/Beyond (2024)

The only film I didn’t like in the franchise was V/H/S: Viral. I felt it tried too hard to be a political statement, and it didn’t really have any scare factors. SiREN was also decent, but I feel it worked better as a short.

Anyway, V/H/S/Beyond is a great installment. It is a little different, as they went more in the direction of sci-fi versus horror. But that doesn’t mean the movie isn’t filled with disturbing and terrifying things. Just like the ones before it, it features a bunch of new concepts and stories by new creators in the V/H/S franchise.

I didn’t know what score to give this movie. I don’t like when people compare and contrast things and give the follow-up an unfair chance. A lot of people, including myself, didn’t like Us as much as Get Out. Was that because it wasn’t as good, or because we were challenging Peele to make the same type of movie and avoid a sophomore slump? The first time I watched Us, I said, “It wasn’t Get Out.” And it wasn’t—it was its own movie. The second time I watched Us, I loved it. Anyway, what I’m trying to say is that I didn’t love V/H/S/Beyond as much as the first movie, but that’s fine. It’s its own movie—its own series of shorts made by completely different people. While this one focused more on sci-fi vs. horror, I still really enjoyed it. All horror fans love sci-fi, right?

I went into V/H/S/Beyond without watching a trailer. I didn’t want to know anything going in. However, right before watching, I did read that Justin Long, Mike Flanagan, and Katie Siegel were behind a few of the shorts, and that got me pumped.

Without giving away spoilers, Justin Long and his brother co-wrote and co-directed one of the shorts, and it is very reminiscent of a previous Long movie. This shouldn’t give anything away, as the scream king has a long list of horror films he’s been in.

The last short in the film is the one that will stick with me. It was pretty interesting throughout, but the ending was absolute chaos, leaving the protagonist in the worst-case scenario. It was pure terror.

Trailer:

The Substance

Posted on by Mikey

TV show or Movie: Movie

Where to watch: Theaters

Writer: Coralie Fargeat

Director: Coralie Fargeat

Premise: A fading celebrity decides to use a black-market drug, a cell-replicating substance that temporarily creates a younger, better version of herself.

Cast: Demi Moore, Margaret Qualley, Dennis Quaid.

Review: Holy crap! This movie was such a ride. I feel like it was this year’s Barbarian.

It seems rare that a body horror movie makes it to the theaters. And even more that it has such a worldwide release and gets such great reception. There was The Thing, The Fly, The Human Centipede, Tusk. Of, course others. Now, there is The Substance.

I was excited for this one because I feel there aren’t a lot of female directors who make body horror films. And also because I love horror. And body horror.

I haven’t seen Demi Moore in something in a while and she was fantastic in this movie. Some people want her to win an Oscar, but horror never gets the awards it should. A nomination would be nice. Her descent into madness throughout this movie was, well, madness.

Margaret Qualley was also fantastic in this movie. She’s in pretty much every movie right now and now I can see why. Playing a younger, more spry version of Moore, she did a great job

Dennis Quaid was awful in this movie. In the best way. Although the second and third act are filled with some of the most disgusting things I’ve seen in some time, I will tell you the two things I found the most disgusting. The first being Dennis Quaid eating prawn on screen. Quaid plays the head of the network that produces Moore’s workout show and he plays a hyperbolic version of what this person is like in real life. At least, I hope it is hyperbolic. Maybe not. I mean, isn’t that kind of the whole point of this movie? How do people in Hollywood keep up with Hollywood standards? The other part I found to be the grossest was a scene with puss. It reminded me of the end of Requiem for a Dream.

The opening shot and last shot are the movie are beautiful and twisted and perfect. They are artsy and experimental and symmetrical. And they make a perfect sandwich out of the film. With everything in between being the meat. And there is a lot of it.

I wanted the film to go in a slightly different direction in the third act. It still did pretty much just what I wanted it to do, but slightly different. Regardless, the brief but powerful third act is wild. My girlfriend had to leave the theater right before it started into the absolutely descent into madness. Let’s just say, I think that Fargeat was trying to beat Fede Alvarez’s record for amount of blood used in a film.

Go see this in theaters!

Trailer:

Bowling for Soup – House of Blues

Posted on by Mikey

Tour: A Hangover You Don’t Deserve 20th Anniversary Tour

Venue: House of Blues

Date: Saturday, September 21st

Set list: https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/bowling-for-soup/2024/citizens-house-of-blues-boston-boston-ma-4b573fe6.html

Opener: Don’t Panic, Wheatus

Band Members: Jaret Reddick – lead vocals, guitars, Chris Burney – guitars, backing vocals, Gary Wiseman – drums, percussion, occasional studio backing vocals, Rob Felicetti – bass, backing vocals.

Review: I have been to a lot of concerts and checked a lot of bands off of my list, but Bowling for Soup is one of the bands that has been on my list forever and I had never seen them. That all changed on Saturday when I not only got to see them live, but I got to see them on an anniversary tour. I love anniversary tours.

I qhave been a fan of them for over 20 years and they have been a band for 30. I will never forget hearing “Girl All the Bad Guys Like” in 8th grade and really digging their sound. I have always read about how fun they were to see live, and even with a band member down, they put on a great show full of the hits, a full album, jokes, a wheel to select a random a song, conversations about how old we have all gotten, and more.

Upcoming Tour Dates: https://www.bowlingforsoup.com/tour-dates

https://www.bowlingforsoup.com/uk2025

Pictures and Videos:

City and Colour and Band of Horses – Tree House Brewing Company

Posted on by Mikey

Tour: Summer 2024 tour

Venue: Treehouse Brewing in Deerfield, MA

Date: Saturday, September 7th

Set list: https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/city-and-colour/2024/tree-house-brewing-company-deerfield-south-deerfield-ma-6b539eee.html

https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/band-of-horses/2024/treehouse-brewing-co-south-deerfield-ma-73539ee9.html

Opener: Noah Taylor

Band Members:  

City and Colour City and Colour

City and Colour:• Dallas Green – Vocals, Guitar • Jack Lawrence – Bass • Dylan Green – Drums • Matt Kelly – Pedal Steel, Keys, Guitar • Doug MacGregor – Drums

Band of Horses:• Ben Bridwell – Vocals, Guitar • Ryan Monroe – Keyboards, Vocals • Creighton Barrett – Drums • Matt Gentling – Bass • Brett Nash – Guitar

Review: I had never been to this venue before. Probably because I don’t really drink beer, but also because it is so far away. The drive wasn’t bad and the parking wasn’t either. We parked around the corner at the Yankee Candle store and a shuttle took us to and from the event. The shuttle was a school bus full of people ready for a great night of music.

What I like about this venue is that they encourage you to bring chairs and blankets. And they don’t question you with the size of them when you get there. I thought I had a big chair until I saw some of the others around me.

When we got to the venue, we walked through the brewery and outside. A few of the walls are decorated in organized and aesthetic cans from releases of the brewery. There was someone giving out free samples of their vodka. There was a line for their pizza that you can get quickly and bring outside. With a two-piece maximum. There’s also also a bar and bathrooms inside.

The outside of the venue is beautiful. For some reason, I pictured a very, very large far away field. Everything is in close proximity, which made me happy there a porta potties outside, food trucks, and a fast moving beer line. And if you would like to go inside for the pizza, indoor bathrooms or more options of alcohol, it is a short walk.

For those that get there early enough, you might not even need to bring a chair. The outside has a large section of Adirondack chairs that you can watch the show from.

My friend and I set up our chairs in the back when we got there. We felt very comfortable, leaving our chairs where they were and walking around.

I had seen City and Colour before at a festival in Denver. Because it was a festival, he didn’t play any of his sadder, slower songs. I was hoping to hear more of these tonight, but the set list was a lot more full band, upbeat, rock songs. That being said, I love Dallas and will see him regardless, and really enjoyed watching his whole band play together.

I really enjoyed hearing “The Love Still Held Me Near,” “Lover Come Back,” “Sleeping Sickness,” and “Sometimes (I Wish).

In between co-headliners, my friend, and I sat in our lawn chairs and chatted. Everyone at the venue was very chill from attendees to staff.

I only knew three or four songs by Band of Horses, but I knew that I was going to stick around for them. I wanted to go up for one of their first few songs that I recognized and my friend and I wound up staying up front for the rest of the show.

Band of Horses put on a fantastic show. Not only did the band sound the same as they did on album, but the singer sounds the same and is great.

I was, of course, very excited to hear “The Funeral” live, but they played my other favorites, “Is There a Ghost,” “No One’s Gonna Love You,” and “The General Specific,” which they ended the set with. “The Great Salt Lake” was a song that I wasn’t familiar with, but it quickly became a new favorite.

Upcoming Tour Dates: https://cityandcolour.com/tour/

https://www.bandofhorses.com/tour

Pictures and Videos:

Wild Rivers – Paradise Rock Club

Posted on by Mikey

Tour: Everywhere We Go World Tour

Venue: Paradise Rock Club in Boston

Date: Saturday, September 7th

Set list:  

Opener: Jade Bird

Band Members:  Devan Glover – Guitar, keys, lead vocals, Khalid Yassein – Guitar, lead vocals, Andrew Oliver – Lead guitar

Review: This was my second time seeing these guys live. They quickly became one of me and my girlfriend’s favorite bands after I discover them on an Instagram ad. They were playing “Amsterdam” on the ad and I instantly fell in love with their music. The song was relatable as I visited this magical city in my early 20’s.

We saw them last year at The Royale, which is a better venue. The Paradise is a classic venue and I have seen many shows there, but sold out shows are a little too packed. There is a piece of tape that runs along the venue and you can’t cross it. There are also podiums and wires across the venue that can block the views.

This all being said Paradise is in a beautiful location, with accessible parking, shows there are actually affordable, and the staff is nice. There is plenty of access to water at the bars for those who aren’t drinkers or those who could use a little water before the end of the show.

Wild Rivers put on such a fun show. For a band that only makes break up, sad songs they really know how to have a fun time on stage. They introduced their songs talking about the background behind them and tell funny stories and anecdotes around them. That makes them a little more entertaining before playing them.M

They played all of the songs that I want to hear from their discography and then mentioned that they already have a new album coming out. They just realized “Never Better,” but recorded so many songs that they liked, that are now releasing a follow up, “Better Now” within the next week.

Upcoming Tour Dates: https://www.wildriversmusic.com/tour

Pictures and Videos:

Trap

Posted on by Mikey

Ray Liotta score of:

TV show or Movie: Movie

Where to watch: Theaters, On Demand

Writer: M. Night Shyamalan

Director: M. Night Shyamalan

Premise: A father and his teen daughter attend a pop concert only to realize they’ve entered the center of a dark and sinister event.

Cast: Josh Hartnett, Ariel Donoghue, Saleka Night Shyamalan, Hayley Mills, Alison Pill.

Review: The Happening, Old, a few others. I stood by M. Night’s side. I have always loved this man even though the horrible movies he makes are so horrible. But I don’t know if I can do it after this movie. What a terrible, terrible movie.

What is this Dr. Grant supposed to be like Clarice? The whole movie they talk about how successful she was at taking down 10 serial killers before. Has she taken all 10 down before by trapping them inside of a concert arena that was a fake show put on just to catch a killer? How oddly specific. And she still couldn’t catch him.

And a pop singer that somehow only had a limo driver but no manager, agent, security, or anyone else with her? What person would be that courageous? And the scene in the limo and bathroom with M. Night’s daughter using her eyebrows only to display emotion. I mean, a few days of acting school classes not have hurt. What an awful, awful, truly awful film.

And even M. Night’s cameo was too long. The whole two hour movie was almost worth it for the end scene with the merch guy.

I feel there has been a rollercoaster of his movies over the many years. Everyone loves a movie he puts out, everyone hates the next one. It took me about a year to laugh about how bad Old was. The movie was one of the first I had scene aftrr not going to movies for over a year due to the pandemic. I was so excited. The premise was great. The execution was not.

M. Night’s other daughter, Ishana Night Shyamalan, made a better movie called The Watchers this year. Go watch that instead.

Trailer:

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice

Posted on by Mikey

TV show or Movie: Movie

Where to watch: Theaters

Writer: Alfred Gough, Miles Millar

Director: Tim Burton

Premise: After a family tragedy, three generations of the Deetz family return home to Winter River. Still haunted by Beetlejuice, Lydia’s life is turned upside down when her teenage daughter, Astrid, accidentally opens the portal to the Afterlife.

Cast: Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder, Catherine O’Hara, Justin Theroux, Monica Bellucci, Jenna Ortega, Willem Dafoe.

Review: This movie was a lot of fun. It has the original cast and has new cast members that really add to it. Jenna Ortega couldn’t have been a better choice to play Lydia’s daughter. Justin Theroux was insufferable, in a good way. Willem Dafoe played a dead action star turned detective and it was, somehow, his most sane role.

The film uses practical effects, props, and sets to make the movie feel just like the original. Even the sandworms weren’t updated, which I loved. The writing felt a little off, at times, but the movie came in under two hours, didn’t drag on, and was a great movie to see in theaters.

Trailer:

Porter Robinson – MGM Music Hall

Posted on by Mikey

Tour: Smile! 😀 World Tour

Venue: MGM Music Hall in Boston

Date: Thursday, August 29th

Set list:  https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/porter-robinson/2024/mgm-music-hall-at-fenway-boston-ma-63a80203.html

Opener: Ericdoa

Band Members:  Margot Liotta on bass and vocals, Carrick McCullough – keys, Rafa – Guitar, Wojtek Deregowski – Drums.

Review: I wound up going to this concert myself. I got tickets for $25 during National Concert Week. I showed up right after the first song. I had seen Porter before, years back. During his tour with Madeon. That show was an absolute blast. However, as someone who plays some instruments, I really enjoy seeing a full live band. I was so excited to see what these songs were like done with a live band and I was not dissapointed.

The first act of the set was the new album, Smile :D. This whole album is filled with instruments, including a lot of acoustic guitar. The album is pretty emo, and not in a bad way. Hell, I just saw New Found Glory and Something Corproate. The album is filled with very emotional songs, including one about coming out of a depression slump and all of the things to live for.

It was really cool to see Porter sing and play guitar. And his band is unreal. Margot Liotta is unbelievably talented. She played bass, backup vocals, and even lead vocals. And you could tell how much fun she was having up there. Carrick McCullough played keys and it was cool watching him switch between the keyboard, supplying piano and keyboard sounds, and his other keyboard which supplied the heavier bass and beats to the songs played later in the setlist. Rafa on guitar was really fun to see, as you get to hear songs from “Nurture” and “Worlds” now on guitar. And the drummer, Wojetek Deregowsi, provided great percussion throughout the set.

The set design was super cool. There was a massive cat on stage and a billboard that Porter played guitar and sang from every few songs. And during the later set, we got to see a lot of cool anime on the billboard and screen behind it.

As much as I loved hearing all of the songs from “Smile :D,” which I can’t stop listening to in my car, hearing “Worlds” was my favorite part of the set. This is the album that got me into Porter. I am not huge into DJ/electronic music. But I fell in love with his music the first time I heard it. Probably because I love ambient music, including making some on my own, and to hear it mixed with electronic was something new and innovative.

The whole third act of songs from “Future” was especially cool because it felt like one continuous songs. The songs flowed together and it felt like one, giant encore.

I am very excited to have gone to the opening night of this world tour. And, if I wasn’t busy the next night, I would have easily seen him again.

MGM at Fenway is a fantastic venue. Go for floor seats, if that is your thing. Hit up the merch during the opener or during a song of the headliner’s that you are alright with missing. I ducked out during a Porter song and got a poster in about 3 minutes.

Don’t miss this tour.

Upcoming Tour Dates: https://smile.porterrobinson.com/tour

Pictures and Videos:

Something Corporate – Roadrunner

Posted on by Mikey

Tour: Out of Office

Venue: Roadrunner in Boston

Date: Saturday, August 24th

Set list:  – https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/something-corporate/2024/roadrunner-boston-ma-3bab80c8.html

Opener: Hidden in Plain View

Band Members: Andrew McMahon, Kevin Page, Brian Ireland, Josh Partington, and William Tell.

Review: 

Upcoming Tour Dates: https://andrewmcmahon.com/pages/something-corporate

Pictures and Videos:

Alien: Romulus

Posted on by Mikey

Posted on by Mikey

Rating: 

TV show or Movie: Movie

Where to watch: Theaters

Writer: Fede Álvarez, Rodo Sayagues

Director: Fede Álvarez

Premise: While scavenging the deep ends of a derelict space station, a group of young space colonizers come face to face with the most terrifying life form in the universe.

Cast: Cailee Spaeny, David Jonsson, Archie Renaux, Isabela Merced, Spike Fearn, Aileen Wu.

Review: This was one of my most anticipated films of the year and boy did it hold up. It also lead me down a deep nerd rabbit hole. One I haven’t been on in years. Since maybe even the Cloverfield days. I watched Alien I-IV, Promethesus, Alien: Covenant, and both Alien vs. Predator films prepring for this movie. I also started playing Alien: Isolation, a game I bought years ago and had been sitting on my shelf. And I spent a good amount of time on Reddit learning more about Wayland enterprises, the comics, the novels and so on.

I went opening night, on Thursday. I was able to get the popcorn bucket with the facehugger on it. The employee asked if I wanted the popcorn in the bucket or not. I didn’t even know that I had that option!

A lot of the reviews that I read about the movie said that it felt like a video game. And I guess it did, in a way. Because I had just played the game and the movies took place inbetween Alien and Aliens. I also read a lot of reviews that said the movie just felt like it rehashed from previous movies. While it did pay homage to previous movies it also

Fede Alvarez must have had a good time working on this film because he would like to make an Alien vs. Predator sequel and split directorial duties with Dan Tratchenberg who directed Prey, the most recent Predator film.

Also, an Alien television series is headed to FX for Hulu next year. It is called Alien: Earth and you can learn more about it here: https://www.space.com/everything-we-know-about-the-alien-tv-series

Trailer: