I Kill Giants

This totally wasn't the film i was expecting. I had not read the comic and the trailer i had seen didn't reveal much, but damn, this is a touching film akin to A Monster Calls. A Monster Calls is more powerful, but this here is a worthy companion.

Suspiria

Luca Guadagnino's Call Me By Your Name was one of the best films of 2017, when it was announced he was doing Suspiria....i was unsure what tot think because Call Me By Your Name had not been released yet. I was weary of David Gordon Green directing it but wound up loving his Halloween. Luca's version is more Ken Russell than Dario Argento, atleast in the final act(well 6th act according to this film). It is more grounded than Argento's, a film that he elevated with visuals. This film here is visual but it isn't an experience, it is is more of someone trying to make art. The original was art, this here is pretentious at times, well alot of the time. It is a striking film that could have used a bit of trimming here or there, but it looks beautiful, stars some beautiful women, Dakota Johnson is HOT in this, eat your heart out 50 Shades, and it is beautifully scored. It feels like someone said, i'll make an art house version of an art house film, the whole serious and artsy horror such as AHS or It Comes at Night. That isn't to say this is a bad film, not at all, not by any means, it is great, and it is a great companion to the original, totally different films, a remake done right.

AHS Apocalypse

It's no secret my preferred seasons of AHS are Murder House and Coven, so naturally i was stoked for Apocalypse. When the first episode aired i didn't know what to think. I liked that it was different but where is the connection of seasons? Enter Michael Langdon the satanic son of Tate. Okay. Few episodes go by, all the characters die. Okay. Enter the witches. Yay! From this point we see flashbacks showing the events after Coven that lead up to the apocalypse including a stop at the hotel. The final episode ties quite a bit together but there are still alot of unanswered questions. I've said before i'm done with the show, but this crossover brought me back. I liked this more than Cult, i actually finished this, it wasn't a chore like Roanoak, it was more consistent than Hotel and Freak Show . It is no where as good as Coven but still better than Asylum, the episodes featuring the Murder House were easily my favorites, but that was easily my favorite season.

Hot Summer Nights

Hot Summer Nights is yet another awesome 2018 coming of age film. One part Adventureland, one part Rules of Attraction. Moments of innocence followed by moments of violence. Pretty stylish debut feature film and it has an awesome soundtrack.

The Last Movie Star

While Detroit Rock City will probably always be my favorite Adam Rifkin film, The Last Movie Star might be his best. A touching tribute to Burt Reynolds which is more powerful with his passing. Also some of Reynold's best acting. Would be a great double bill with Kodachrome.

The Girl In the Spiders Web

Years ago i blindly saw THe Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, the original, i thought it was great, so i began to read the books and eventually saw the other two in the series, the Girl That Played with Fire and the Girl That Kicked the Hornets Nest. When it was announced David Fincher was directing a remake of Tattoo, i was stoked. The film was great, but the translation into US made it feel more like a by the numbers espionage flick. The newest, which skips Fire and Nest and instead adapts the fourth book, is more of the same. It goes for more of a Mission Impossible vibe with action and the pacing is actually pretty fast but the action in question is a bit choppy and the story is a bit contrived.

The Grinch

Since i was about 13, i've waited for a Scott Mosier film.This weekend, we finally got one! It isn't the film i wanted, it isn't the film he deserves, but it was fine. I'm not a big fan of alot of CGI cartoons but i like the old Grinch, plus it is Mosier, so fuck it, why not? It was enjoyable, i didn't really laugh, but it is what i expected from Illumination. The plot is your basic Grinch story, one alot of us can relate to that get bummed during the holidays, it is better than the Ron Howard version i'll say that. It was charming, but i saw it, if i want the Grinch, i'll stick with the OG.It hit me though, in this universe, Santa doesn't exist. If he did, he would have been caught in Cindy's trap, or restored Christmas after the Grinch stole. So Whoville is just like the rest of the world, only more jolly, i get it, i like it, they got rid of Trump! It's 2021 in Whoville, the Grinch just has anxiety and wants to be left alone with his dvd collection!