The Last Duel

POSITIVES…

  • With the story being told in three chapters, it’s fascinating to see the differences between them. Obvious differences and nuanced ones. Due to the fact this movie is told via this narrative technique, the 153 minutes runtime felt like you were just binging through three episodes of an engrossing TV drama. 

  • Themes in this story that involve the patriarchy, female agency, marginalized people, religious morality, sexual ethics, and politics during the Middle Ages, are all important topics to think about. 

  • The duel between Jean de Carrouges and Jacques Le Gris itself was as violent and engaging as you hope it would be. 

  • Medieval era battle sequences were gloriously chaotic and bloody to watch. 

  • Fantastic performance by the cast. Matt Damon was good, Adam Driver was excellent, Jodie Comer was phenomenal, and Ben Affleck was a good kick of energetic levity to an otherwise super serious film.

NEGATIVES…

  • Some odd quick edits and cuts to the narrative that made me think that I should have just waited to watch the eventual Ridley Scott Director’s Cut edition of the film. 

  • There is that particular sequence that might be triggering for some people. Use caution. 

  • Honestly, I would have preferred more screen time for Jodie Comer. Bring on that 360 minutes cut!  

  • I can already see some of the biased people crying that the overall narrative is controversially unfair. 

  • Helmets that only armors half of the face? WTF?!

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The Last Duel - watched in IN THEATERS

Halloween Kills

POSITIVES…

  • Best parts of this movie are obvious. It's the ones with Michael Myers in them. 

  • So many gruesome bloody deaths in this one to please the die hard fans. 

  • I can appreciate the idea of deconstructing the "idea" of who and what Michael Myers is, that further expands the mythology of the character.  

  • “You F***ing Sheep It’s Not Him!!!” The commentary about mob mentality is a thematic plot point that I suppose I could get behind. 

  • The last 15 minutes of this movie is really what you want to see, especially when coming from the 2018 Halloween film.

NEGATIVES…

  • Alright, are they just wasting time on purpose for the eventual next movie, because this feels like it’s just spinning its wheels going round and round with the same old shtick. 

  • There is some really cringey dialogue in this one. Hey writers, what are you doing? 

  • Stupid frustrating as heck characters who continue to do really dumb things, getting into some idiotic situations.  

  • Anthony Michael Hall, this movie isn't doing you any favors. 

  • Those expecting to see a lot of Jamie Lee Curtis in this will probably be disappointed.

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Halloween Kills - watched it on PEACOCK

V/H/S/94

POSITIVES…

  • While the anthology stories found here may seem familiar, they still manage to legitimately give us some good plot surprises to grab your attention. 

  • As much as you could get tired of the genre, the found footage style really does add to the creepy factor. 

  • Solid bloody gore effects and nightmarish creature work. 

  • The fact it looks like I'm watching an old VHS tape on a VCR, low resolution with tracking issues and all, continues to be a nice touch for this movie. 

  • Gotta enjoy that 1990s setting, which adds to the whole appeal of watching these weird and old tapes.

NEGATIVES…

  • Some stories are just simply better than others. 

  • How is the weakest installment of this movie the primary story that frames the anthology? 

  • Dumbassery. Dumbass characters can be annoying to put up with. 

  • There is cringey dialogue in this that sounded just bad. Just bad. 

  • Sometimes the switches between aspect ratios, the editing, and the overall changes in visual quality can take you out of the movie’s VHS gimmick.

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V/H/S/94 - watch it on SHUDDER

Lamb

POSITIVES…

  • As far as bizarre WTF premises goes, this one is a little out there. It will keep you a little guarded jumping into this creepy narrative, not knowing if you should be scared of what’s going to happen, or delighted by the family dynamic presented on screen. 

  • Has a whole fascinating relationship between Noomi Rapace, Hilmir Snær Guðnason, Björn Hlynur Haraldsson, and Ada. It’s really what carries this film. 

  • Visually solid. The beautiful location, plus the look of Ada, will definitely grab your attention. 

  • That whole captivating third act, starting with an entertaining sequence involving watching a sports game on TV, all the way to that final shot before it cuts to credits. 

  • Thematically has a damningly poignant warning that we should pay heed to.

NEGATIVES…

  • Has a slow pace. Meanders a bit. Seemingly pointless mundane scenes. Boring at times. Basically not for everybody. 

  • Story’s conclusion might be frustrating for some people. 

  • Hope you’re cool with lambs, because bbaaaa bbaaaa bbaaaa 

  • Speaking of which. I really really felt sorry for one particular lamb. 

  • doesthedogdie.com

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Lamb - watched it IN THEATERS

No Time To Die

POSITIVES…

  • It absolutely has the espionage intrigue, cheeky humor, cool vehicles, big action-adventure set pieces, and save the world thrills that you expect and want from a James Bond movie. 

  • Daniel Craig really gives it his all as Bond in this, and handedly carries this movie. Which is good since this is the last film in his tenure as the iconic character. 

  • I know this half a century long franchise has shown us lots of fun entertaining chase sequences before, but this installment in particular really does have some fun entertaining chase sequences that I thoroughly enjoyed watching. 

  • For a film that’s 163 minutes long, I really did not want it to end. I thought it was never boring, it has an engaging story, and the drama among the characters is quite compelling.

  • Ana de Armas as Paloma! She is stunningly fantastic in her role.

NEGATIVES…

  • Specific story details aside, it’s pretty much your familiar plot about saving the world from this evil conniving villain.

  • There are several plot turns and reveals that might upset some people. You can take your pick as to which one/s will be triggering. 

  • It’s understandable that this is primarily a Daniel Craig James Bond movie, but I feel like it allowed him to completely overshadow the characters played by Lashana Lynch, Léa Seydoux, and Rami Malek, who all technically have significantly important featured roles in this story. 

  • I really wanted more of Ana de Armas as Paloma! Hey Amazon, create a Prime Video series on her character. 

  • Product placements! I know we expect to see them, but still…

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No Time To Die - watched it IN THEATERS

The Guilty

POSITIVES…

  • It’s the Jake Gyllenhaal showcase of what a dynamically great actor he is! Truly carries this movie. 

  • Love how the movie is able to generate excitement, tension, and action, just from the exchanges between Gyllenhaal and the people he is talking to on the phone. 

  • Kudos to Riley Keough, Peter Sarsgaard, Da'Vine Joy Randolph, Ethan Hawke, Christiana Montoya, and Gillian Zinser, for essentially doing some solid voice acting work. 

  • Captivating narrative with some good social commentaries, that really compels you to want to see how it concludes. 

  • Fascinating take on 911 dispatchers. They’re still only humans. Even incredibly flawed ones. It can be a frustrating job to have, with similarities to other frustrating jobs you are familiar with.

NEGATIVES…

  • It’s really hard to sympathize with the Joe Baylor character. Kinda might just kill your interest in the movie. 

  • “Do your job and I’ll do mine.” Yes! Thank you! Probably the most frustrating thing about this movie. 

  • How?! How does Emily Lighton still have a phone in her situation?!! 

  • There are some supporting side stories that are meant to build more character for Baylor, but they only distract from the main story. 

  • It’s like a bottle episode of a movie, so it’s not exactly the most visually captivating thing to watch.

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The Guilty (2021) - watched it on NETFLIX

Venom : Let there be Carnage

POSITIVES…

  • The best thing about the first Venom movie is Tom Hardy as Eddie Brock and Tom Hardy as Venom interacting with each other. That’s absolutely the same for this sequel. 

  • This without a doubt is a wild and outrageously silly movie that will keep you on your toes with how bonkers it can get. 

  • Gotta give credit to the fine talented actors here who were not afraid to ham it up with their over the top performances, because that’s exactly what makes this movie tick. 

  • I could watch a whole stage play, set in one location, of Eddie Brock arguing, bantering, and fighting with Venom. It’s like a comedy routine unlike anything you’ve ever seen in the cinema. 

  • Just the comedic comebacks and constant commentary by Venom alone is entertaining enough. 

  • Woody Harrelson has that ideal manic persona to bring Cletus Kasady and Carnage to life. 

  • Kudos to both Naomie Harris and Michelle Williams for being game to what this movie requires of them in their roles. 

  • Shout out to Peggy Lu for being part of the supporting cast again. We need more Mrs Chen! 

  • From Carnage’s introduction to the big CGI fight with Venom in the final act, I thought this movie produced some big solid set pieces. 

  • Some destruction that’s worthy of a monster movie. 

  • There’s actually an animated sequence that cleverly goes around that PG-13 rating. 

  • Sonny & Cher are friends. 

  • Appreciated the fact that this movie managed to keep it’s running time at about 90 minutes. 

  • That mid-credits sequence!

NEGATIVES…

  • That PG-13 Rating is a hindrance to the actual carnage they should be showing on screen. 

  • The insanely wacky tone and narrative is absolutely not going to be for everybody. 

  • Is this story kinda just dumb? 

  • Plot conveniences! Gotta keep the story moving I guess. 

  • No shade to Naomie Harris, but her character of Frances Barrison AKA Shriek is just not written that well. 

  • Same to Stephen Graham as Detective Mulligan. Just an undercooked character. 

  • Those looking for several epic fight sequences between Venom and Carnage will probably be disappointed. 

  • Speaking of wanting more, there will be those who will think that the movie should have been longer.

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Venom : Let there be Carnage - watched it IN THEATERS

The Eyes of Tammy Faye

POSITIVES…

  • Interesting drama about the fascinating life and character of Tammy Faye Bakker. 

  • While the plot progress of the lead character is a captivating one, this movie is primarily a vehicle to show how incredible Jessica Chastain is as Tammy Faye. Absolutely brilliant performance, easily getting our sympathy to her character, and actually has a wonderful singing voice when she sings the songs featured in this film. 

  • Of course Chastain gets to also showcase a dynamic chemistry with Andrew Garfield who is fantastic as the rather despicable Jim Bakker. 

  • A scene stealer in her own right is Cherry Jones, who is absolutely excellent as Tammy’s Mom Rachel Grover. 

  • Has a solid supporting cast, which includes Vincent D'Onofrio, Mark Wystrach, Fredric Lehne, and of course the Susie Moppet Doll. 

  • As a biopic, it handles the transitions between story arcs rather well, by its effective use of montage sequences to bridge those gaps. 

  • There are some good scenes to watch for, like the unusual meet cute of Jim and Tammy, the Steve Pieters interview sequence, the pitch meeting for Heritage USA, that Battle Hymn of the Republic scene, to the moments she talks to God. 

  • Kudos to the movie for how it handled sexual innuendos and sexually suggestive material, without actually showing sex. Considering these are Christian characters and all.

  • Has a cleverly wicked sense of humor in terms of directing and editing particular sequences. 

  • It’s got some sweet quotable lines like “God does not want us to be poor,” “Jesus ain’t political,” “Can we talk about Satan later,” or “You follow blindly, in the end all you are is blind.” 

  • One of the best elements about this film is how it handles the topic of religion, showing the contrasting perspectives to the quotable passages in the Bible. 

  • If there is one lesson to learn from this movie, it is that you should be wary of Religious leaders who get huge monetary gains by invoking the word of God.

NEGATIVES…

  • It’s still a biopic with most of the narrative problems that come with that film genre. 

  • Due to the focus of this story, it tends to neglect expanding on certain supporting characters (like her kids!). 

  • There are plot elements that could have also used some more elaborating. 

  • Opens with a particular character reveal, that doesn’t really get a pay off to explain that reveal. 

  • Not entirely sure I’m satisfied with how the movie concluded. 

  • Although it is based on real life, it’s hard to deny the predictably familiar plot progression. 

  • Some might get triggered by the movie’s criticism of certain religious figures. 

  • Others will complain that this movie looks too favorably towards Tammy Faye.

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The Eyes of Tammy Faye - watched it IN THEATERS

Dear Evan Hansen

POSITIVES…

  • Awkward teenager. Premise about a huge misunderstanding. Heavy subject matters. It's a musical too! If that's up your alley, have at it. 

  • Speaking of being a musical, the songs are good and catchy. The scenes that go with them are great as well, and are several of the highlights. 

  • "Waving through a window," "Sincerely, Me," "The Anonymous Ones," "You Will Be Found," "So Big / So Small," are just some of my favorites from the movie. 

  • Effective directorial choices in how the musical numbers are visualized. This is definitely not just a camera placed in front of the stage musical. 

  • Considering the premise, it is like a rabbit hole of curiosity to see where the plot is taking you to next. 

  • Despite the simplicity of the narrative, this definitely shouldn't be accused of being boring. 

  • Movie has some good heartwarming, heartbreaking, and emotionally resonant moments. 

  • Loved the contrasts between the Mother characters. 

  • Appreciated how the story reached its conclusion. I feel it's important that the final act played out the way it did. 

  • Ben Platt is fantastic as Evan Hansen. It's like he was born to play the role. Either that or he had a lot of practice playing the character. HeHe 

  • Ensemble cast is excellent and have their own moments to really shine. From Kaitlyn Dever, Amandla Stenberg, Amy Adams, Julianne Moore, Danny Pino, Nik Dodani, and Colton Ryan. 

  • Ultimately the thematic lessons and social commentaries that this story brings up are absolutely worth addressing.

NEGATIVES…

  • You might have an issue with the general premise and plot progression of this story that could ruin your enjoyment of this movie.

  • I know it's hard to be completely original, but there is one big plot cliché I would have really preferred didn't happen. 

  • There's a bit of unwelcomed awkwardly tense frustration about a story involving lies. 

  • Angst. Hope you are okay with angst.

  • Some of the plot threads move either too fast or too slow. Can’t quite get that proper balance.

  • Then there are the plot threads that aren’t expanded enough for my taste. 

  • Production value seems a little too simple at times. Limits of filming during a pandemic perhaps? 

  • Fans of the musical might complain about the movie not having all the songs from the Broadway show. 

  • Those gay and sex jokes are not as funny as they think, nor where they really necessary. 

  • Sorry Ben Platt, but compared to the other adult actors playing High School kids in this movie, you really do look way too old for the role now.

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Dear Evan Hansen - watch in IN THEATERS

Prisoners of the Ghostland

POSITIVES…

  • Surreal mash-up of cowboy western, feudal Japan motifs, Escape From LA, and Mad Max fantasies. 

  • Very much a unique fever dream or nightmare of a movie. 

  • It stars Nicolas Cage and this is Nic Cage being very Nic Cage. 

  • Here’s an example of a line Nic Cage had to say… “Impossible? Ha! If you had told me three days ago, I’d be standing here with one arm and one testiccllleeee!!!!! Trying to reason with you bitches, I would have said impossible too,...” 

  • Tak Sakaguchi is fun to watch as Yasujiro. 

  • Bill Moseley, Sofia Boutella, and Nick Cassavetes are in this too. 

  • The outlandishly bizarre sequence that introduces the Governor character and the introduction to the premise is probably the best part of this movie. . 

  • Movie does have a very distinct visually striking and colorful look to it. 

  • Definitely has its own mythology that I can imagine might just fascinate some people. 

  • Weeaboo’s will probably really dig this movie.

NEGATIVES…

  • The eccentric and random nature of this movie definitely might not be for everyone. 

  • 20 mins in, you might just go "What is this strangely weird movie, and maybe I should just stop watching." 

  • It’s hard to believe how seemingly lazy the production and direction can be when it comes to some attempts with the special effects. 

  • Even the action sequences feel half-heartedly choreographed for some reason. 

  • Plot progression is just a series of nonsensical moments and out of whack logic. 

  • Dialogue is as ridiculous as this movie 

  • Did the Director just tell everybody to overact and do whatever they felt like doing at any given moment? 

  • I swear, it's like they were making things up as it goes. 

  • I’m inclined to just accuse this movie for being haphazardly stylistic and unconventional, just because…

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Prisoners of the Ghostland - watched it on VIDEO ON DEMAND