Knives Out

Knives Out has dethroned The Brothers Bloom as my favorite film of Rian Johnson's. This is a delightfully entertaining whounit. It is nearly impossible to discuss this without spoilers, but try to go in blind. The scenes with the questionings is played out perfectly, and hearing/seeing different versions of the same story was a nice touch. The entire cast is great and while i don't want a sequel, i'd gladly watch Daniel Craig play this role again.

The End of the Fucking World Season 2

I loved the first season of the End of the Fucking World. It ended perfectly, i didn't want or need a second season. It has been about a month since it dropped with no trailer or fanfare but i binged the season tonight. It starts off odd, with a new character in a prequel with the man that got killed last season. Episode 2 we catch up with our leads and episode 3 all the players meet. From that point on it is truly awesome. We question motives & morale, we see depth and growth and remember that toxic relationships suck. There are some dastardly things done on this show but in some odd way, being fucked up or knowing people way more fucked up makes you care for these people. I don't want or need a third season, please....but i will still watch it.

Lady & the Tramp

I got Disney Plus for the Mandalorian, but i figured i'd take advantage of the month(plan of quitting once Mandalorian ends) so i watched Lady & the Tramp. I wish this had gone to theatres, this was far more entertaining than Dumbo, Aladdin & Lion King. It was super cute, and even sad at times, so it had the heart & spirit of the animated picture. If Disney Plus films keep this up then i will gladly watch once i resubscribe in the summer for Falcon & Winter Soldier.

The Irishman

Martin Scorsese delivers another mobster epic with the Irishman. It has been too long since he has given us one of these but it is worth the wait. If it takes even longer til the next then so be it, and if this is the last then it is a great last mob hurrah. This is the best role for Robert DeNiro, Al Pacino, and Joe Pesci in years. At the 3 & 1/2 hour run time it moves by super fast. I have to think of my rankings and time will tell but this might be top 5 Scorsese material, the fifth spot is between this and Wolf of Wall Street.

Daniel Isn't Real

Adam Egypt Mortimer's follow up to Some Kind of Hate, is a vast improvement. When i saw that film i was turned off by the mean spirited nature and found the film to lack a sense of fun. Daniel Isn't Real is still super bleak but not mean spirited, and while this isn't a fun laugh a minute, it is still light enough to have an aura of fun. This is highly inspired by the Davids, Lynch & Cronenberg, and the plot is a full on Cronenberg film that feels like something his son would have directed. It is surreal and times and disturbing but it falls apart in the last act. It is still a film that i could see gaining a cult following in upcoming years.

The Kid

Vincent D'Onofrio's take on the Billy The Kid and Pat Garrett tale, The Kid, is an uneven yet well made, well acted and pretty fast paced western. Chris Pratt chews the scenery, Dane DeHaan brings the charm but the real meat & potatoes is the shoot outs and blood. While the shoot outs are simple it still leaves an impact. There is quite a bit of blood in this and it makes for an entertaining, if even flawed film.

Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood is a solid film with moments of brilliance. I loved the use of toy cars & model sets throughout the film in terms of story telling and Tom Hanks as usual does a great job. The film itself is quite depressing at times yet highly optimistic. It was  story i didn't know, but it truly captured the magic of Mr. Rogers.

Her Smell

Did you ever watch VH1? When they used to play music? Or music docs? Remember behind the music? Remember watching episodes about bands you didn't know but wound up gaining an interest in? How about the flip side, when you'd watch one and you just didn't give a shit? Atleast they were a real band right? Right? Well Her Smell is a boring ass film about a shitty grunge band that has despicable members. I hated the time spent with these characters, it might be different if it was a real band where i'd see their pain. It would be different and acceptable to have such characters if this was better crafted, but alas the film i had been wanting to see for months was like going to a live concert and having it sound like crap. With the 2 hour and 15 minute run time tread carefully. 

Riot Girls

Riot Girls, Jovanka Vuckovic's post apocalyptic take on Lord of the Flies, is one of the most fun & quickest watches you can find this year. . I feared this would be one that had a sweet trailer but wound up looking cheap as fuck, but this film looks slick. A punk rock fueled tale of rich jocks vs the underground is full of charm, humor & blood with a likable cast and a great soundtrack.

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia

It's Always Sunny season 14 might be one of their funniest and most depraved. I think that every season, and in hindsight many of those seasons probably still rank higher. I think my favorite episode of the season is the premier, but upon looking at the list i'd rank em all super high except for The Janitor Always Mops Twice, their noir episode.

The Man Who Killed Don Quixote

Terry Gilliam's version of Don Quixote is a long time coming, decades. In his version it is about a failed Don Quixote film where the actor went mad and thought he himself was Quixote. From there it gets bonkers, and it is awesome, but for every awesome moment there is plenty of mind numbing around it. This is a mess of a film, but not Gilliam's biggest mess. This is an enjoyable & funny film, but super flawed, and alot of the flaws outweigh the good.

Under The Silver Lake

It took me long enough to see Under The Silver Lake, David Robert Mitchell's follow up to It Follows but it was worth the wait. Even with the two & a half hour run time this film has such a fast pace. It dissects plenty of hipster culture, has plenty of film nods & a great musical history. Seeing the various underground art shows/musical festivals really hit home and the total love of Alfred Hitchcock, both in references such as posters, ways actors are positioned(ala Rear Window) and just the overall tone is enough to make a cinephile squirt. On top of Hitchcock it has  plenty of film noir love too, with alot of love to horror as well, including some fine gore. This actually feels like it could have been a Shane Black film had the script had a few tweaks in tone. The film has a great cast, great music(score goes to Disasterpiece yet again) and the right amount of weirdness. This truly feels like cult cinema!

The Death of Dick Long

In 2016 i fell in love with Swiss Army Man. It was one of the most beautiful films i had seen and it spoke volumes to me. Daniel Scheinert, one half of the directors, is now back with the Death of Dick Long. This is another odd film but with out the whimsy. It again is well acted but the plot did nothing for me. It is a film that seemed better geared toward the Coen Bros but i respect the oddity i witnessed regardless.

Wonder Woman Bloodlines

Wonder Woman Bloodlines not only is the worst Wonder Women film, but it might be the worst DC film, animated or not. This is the most boring, mind  numbingly stupid film i have seen from the DC Animated Movies. I have been luke warm on most non Batman titles but after this i am off Wonder Woman animation for sure.

Ford vs Ferrari

James Mangold has always been a solid director so much in  fact that his name sold me on Ford vs Ferrari. The trailer looked fine but a film about a race could have been super boring, luckily with Mangold at the helm, a witty script and some fantastic acting it turned out to be a great film. The most fantastic of all the acting is Christian Bale. He takes what could have been a wooden role and adds so much depth that he captivates you in a performance that might go down as one of his very best. 

AHS 84

American Horror Story 84 is my favorite season since Murder House. It had a more fresh batch of actors & actresses, a full on love of horror setting, a fantastic soundtrack, and some of the shows best kills. I wanted just a flat out slasher but what we got, was classic AHS. Over layered plots, heel turns, swerves and double crosses along with multiple killers. When all of this happened i wasn't sure how i was going to like it, but the ride was great. Then once we had our final girl go to jail, how did they continue? It became a ghost show, but some how the ghosts became babyfaces. We had time jumps and flashbacks, we had killers making packs and survivors learning to forgive. At the end we had the happiest ending of the series. Besides all of that Billie Lourd was a smoking hot bombshell of a babe!

The Fanatic

Okay, it might not be The Room levels of so bad it is awesome, but the Fanatic is an experience. The tone of all over the place, the story is a jumbled, John Travolta is awful(the rest of the cast is actually okay) but this is a bad movie that i was not bored by. I'd rather watch an entertaining piece of shit from Fred Durst doing a vanity project where they discuss Limp Bizkit than watch a well crafted but boring ass film from PT Anderson(note, i actually am a fan of his i just found Phantom Thread boring as fuck). Travolta's portrayal of a cinephile is cringe worthy but that is the point, his character is all so fucking nuts that it makes you say what the fuck(not in a good way) that you begin to enjoy the film for the (unintentional?)weirdness. 

Charlie Says

I usually pass up on films made about Manson, cause most are fly by night and by the numbers. Once i found out Mary Harron was directing a Manson film i was stoked. Granted the only film of hers i love is American Psycho, i still admire her work. Maybe if this didn't come out the same year as Once Upon a Time in Hollywood i would have felt different but this is a boring take. I like the part prison life, part Manson Family life but that is it. Matt Smith is quite wooden in the role and the rest of the cast feels as if they are in a early 00s film that wanted to be Jim Van Beber's Manson Family, seriously the early 00s was a boring time for True Crime cinema. This here isn't any better, it might look better but i'll stick with Van Beber or QT.

Tolkien

I need to stop watching shit for having a passing interest. I'm a Lord of the Rings fan, films & novels, so i had a desire to see Tolkien. It didn't look great but i figured fuck it, watch it. Ugh, what a dull & boring film. It has smart dialogue and some decent acting but this didn't seem like a story that needed to be told.

The Girl on the Third Floor

The Girl on the Third Floor i mainly watched cause of CM Punk. I'm glad i did, while it is nothing great, it is atmospheric. Punk does a good job and the mystery surrounding his house, his mistress and the town keeps you wanting more. For a cheap ass film it is well crafted and a quick watch. I loved when Punk got sick of all of the ghosts and put on his Steve Austin shirt then cut tha promo about how he is better than the ghost that keeps getting pushed to do all the hauntings, Hi Colt Cabana!

Jacob's Ladder

Well, this was awful. A remake no one asked for, a remake with no budget and no stars that didn't go to theatres, a remake that wasn't in it for the money like say Nightmare on Elm Street, and a remake with zero artistic prowess like say Maniac. Take away everything odd and creepy about the original and add in fast edits of freak outs and ultra boring dialogue with paper thin characters. This might be the worst remake ever made.

Living with Yourself

Living With Yourself is a super quick watch. It is bizarre, funny, and heart felt. Paul Rudd is great playing two versions of the same person yet making them feel different. I was afraid they were going to try to add in too much plot about the spa but they gave just enough. If we get a second season then i'm all for it, if not then it ended in a perfect open ended sort of way.

The Kitchen

The Kitchen is a film that had a decent trailer, but even with AMC A List i still was weary of it due to the reviews. It being a DC film i still sought it out today and gave it a rent. This is an uneven and a mess of a film that so badly wants to be a Martin Scorsese picture. It has seem decent moments of violence and a killer soundtrack but the script is a mess, the acting is uninspired and the film itself just feels like a giant missed opportunity.

Madness in the Method

Madness in the Method is a film for Askewniverse die hards. Jason Mewes directs a damn fine yet very flawed film. Mewes plays a fictional version of himself, as does Kevin Smith, Vinnie Jones, Danny Trejo, Stan Lee among others. Mewes wants to get serious and become a method actor yet things go too far and a killing spree occurs. There are some hilarious moments, some shocking moments and some very flat & WtF moments. Mewes impressed in the directors chair, and i'd love to see him do it again.

Jojo Rabbit

Taika Waititi is a director i've always enjoyed but never truly loved. I've seen most of his films in theatres and all have been great but none ever left me feeling the need to rewatch, closest was Thor and that is in part to rewatching the MCU. Now however he has his masterpiece, not just for him but for modern satirical cinema. Jojo Rabbit is brilliant, from the moment the German version of I Want to Hold Your Hand kicked on i knew i was going to love this. This is not just the funniest film of the year, but one of the years best films in general. The brilliant satire helps make it hilarious but on top of that it is just an overall great piece of cinema. Sam Rockwell, Scarlett Johansson, Waititi himself are all great, Stephen Merchant has a great little role but Roman Davis, Thomasin McKenzie(she was also great in Leave No Trace last year) and even Jojo's best friend Archie Yeates are the real stars. The soundtrack is fucking fantastic, and the Wes Anderson inspiration is felt throughout. Through the comedy the film has alot of heart too, there is a scene involving a butterfly & a pair of shoes(to avoid spoilers) that is pretty heart wrenching.

The Furies

While the plot is light the style & execution is pretty fucking sweet in The Furies. If you're looking for alot of depth in the characters, well they try, but if all you want is a fast paced film with tons of sweet ass kills, then this is the film for you!  I was gonna give up on Shudder until this.

Doctor Sleep

A near 40 year later sequel should not be this good. Nay, a near 40 year later sequel should not be this great. Some might argue it isn't a sequel just an adaptation of the sequel but if you're a Kubrick mark then you'll think otherwise. From the retro WB logo on i had a smile on my face, from the Shinning pattern forward i was loving it. This is an atmospheric masterpiece which totally matches the tone of Kubrick. Not just the tone but the style, this is stylish as fuck, it is fucking gorgeous. I thought perhaps the script would lack, but honestly besides one moment at the Overlook  i found it near flawless. This might be the best film of the year. Even the acting is great, even from minor characters. If you're not a fan of the Shining, this might not be the film for you. In a year and a half time the Shining has marked me out twice in cinemas, Ready Player One did it last year and now again here.

The King

David Michod won me with the Rover, one of Robert Patinsons' best roles. I went back to watch his other films, all solid, watched War Machine, decent enough, but figured Rover might just be the only film of his i'd want to revisit, and after seeing the King, that is true. It is a good film but a boring film, it is a post modern Game of Thrones film but a dull film, a bloody film but did i mention a boring & dull film?

Isn't It Romantic

When i saw the trailer for Isn't It Romantic i thought it had a good premise but that it looked like crap. When i found out Todd Strauss-Schulson was directing i made sure to squeeze it in. There were plenty of moments i rolled my eyes in the comedy department but the parody of Rom Coms and the message in the film were spot on. As bad as some of the comedy was, mainly from Rebel Wilson, whom i am not a fan of, i actually enjoyed it quite a bit. It was a charming and light film that actually made me like Rebel. Strauss does great in these films where characters get sucked into films, his previous  picture, The Final Girls, is one of my favorites of the decade.

Polaroid

After years of anticipation i finally saw Polaroid. Lars Klevberg moved on to direct the Child's Play remake and knocked it out of the park, but this, well hats off. This is by no means a great film, but it is a solid horror film with a fun concept. I love conceptual horror and this one is pretty well made. Acting is decent, characters are developed, jump scares might not be the best but it has a great atmosphere to it. I can't wait to see what Lars does next.

Candy Corn

Casting horror icons in slashers is a dime a dozen these days but setting a film around Halloween always gains my interest. After a suggestion from a friend i decided to check out Candy Corn, and much like the candy it self it is okay, if someone has it i will eat it/watch it, but i wouldn't want to spend money on it. Usually in slashers we can somewhat enjoy seeing douche bags die, but here every one is so despicable and mean spirited that it sucks all enjoyment out, and for a film with the greatest holiday of the year it truly should have had a funner vibe, and if not atleast be an excellent film, this is neither. It is good, i liked it but this film doesn't have the love that i give October 31st. 

I Spit on Your Grave Deja VU

The award for biggest piece of shit on 2019 goes to. The award for stinkiest wad of jizz of the 10s goes to. The award for worst case of projectile vomit of a "long awaited sequel" goes to. I Spit on Your Grave Deja Vu. No not a sequel to the remake, a sequel to the original, with the original director & actress. Guess what? The remake is better than the original, guess what else? The two sequels to the remake are better than this. This is a 2 and a half hour film with terrible acting, boring dialogue, meaningless padding, fucking awful effects and a mean spirited vibe that never clicks because of such an awful script. 150 minutes of my life i will never get back.

Satanic Panic

Satanic Panic is a fun film. A likable lead with a shitty job stumbles upon a satanic orgy, then death ensues. This would play perfectly with The Babysitter and Ready or Not. Super fast paced, funny, bloody and sharp script, the only downfall is the ending, the final 10 minutes feels jumbled and rushed but i'll let it slide with how fun the rest was.

Eli

So about a month ago i heard of a film called Eli. Generally i'm on top of films coming out, but it was produced by Paramount so good chance that it didn't get much attention during production and if i had read about it it probably sounded quite cookie cutter, which it truly is. After getting dumped by Paramount it was picked up by Netflix, big shocker it got lost in their shuffle. Now i don't hate Netflix, i love alot of their film, hell before this i watched Dolemite is My Name and loved it. This film is good on paper, a boy with an illness goes to see a doctor in a haunted hospital, but are the ghosts evil or trying to help Eli against a wicked Doctor? Well it unfolds and the twist is okay but other than that it is contrived, poorly acted and a film i truly wanted to turn off. Sadie Sink is the one bright spot of this film, a film i wouldn't have even bothered with if it wasn't for reports of people seeing ghosts after watching it. If they are that freaked by this film then i truly pity them. I also pity myself for watching it.

Dolemite Is My Name

Craig Brewer has crafted his best film with Dolemite is My Name. Not only that but for Eddie Murphy it is his best role in decades. If you're a fan of blaxploitation, if you're a filmmaker or interested in stand up then there is alot to love in this film. If you haven't seen the Dolemite films then go check em out after viewing this, if you have then well you probably already plan on seeing it.

Motherless Brooklyn

Edward Norton's second directorial feature, Motherless Brooklyn, is pretty fucking great. A film noir with perfect I Am Jack's Narration, a slick score a damn fine cast. Set in the 50s it carries alot of social & political commentary that is arguably even more meaningful in today's climate. At almost 2 & a half hours the film has a great pace, it helps that the film is stylish, but it also has a sense of humor without ruining dramatic moments.

Haunt

With the trend in Haunted House Attraction horror films in recent years i figured Haunt might be a good version of Hell Fest, which i found to be the theatrical and crap version of Funhouse Massacre, which in turn was a far better version of the Shadows Edge. Well Haunt isn't as bad as Shadows Edge, but it is not quite...better(?) than Hell Fest. This film is crap, crap acting, crap effects, crap set up, every thing is fucking awful except the cover of Dragula in the credits. Seriously, go watch Funhouse Massacre instead.

Nightmare Cinema

What in the fuck? This is the film i wish i had seen in theatres? I loved the premise, people going into a cinema only to see their nightmares unfold on screen, but dear fuck. The first segment is a muddled mess that tries to atleast do a twist on the slasher genre, but fails. The second segment feels like a rejected episode of Creepshow. The third segment was just bottom of the barrel screener garbage. The fourth segment atleast has some surreal moments but it is as if Rob Zombie tried to make a surreal Halloween 2, oh wait that didn't work either. The final segment, another slasher, this time set in a hospital where you can see the dead, is easily the best, flawed, but from what the first 90 minutes made you endure it is a welcome surprise, but it winds up making zero sense at the end. The wrap around with Mickey Rourke is interesting yet it doesn't give the viewer enough to sink their teeth into.

Match of October

1. Roderick Strong vs Keith Lee vs Dominik Daijakovic: North American title: NXT TV
2. Matt Riddle vs Cameron Grimes: NXT TV
3. ReDragon vs Keith Lee & Matt Riddle 
4. Tyler Bat vs Cameron Grimes: NXT TV
5. Roman Reigns & Daniel Bryan vs Bludgeon Bros: Hell in a Cell
6. Adam Cole vs Matt Riddle: NXT Title: NXT TV
7. Kabuki Warriors vs Dakota Kai & Tegan Nox" Womens Tag Titles: NXT TV
8. ReDragon vs  Street Profits: NXT TV
9. Shayna Baszler vs Candice LeRae: Womens Title: NXT TV
10 Io Shirair vs Candice LeRae: NXT TV
11. Pete Dunne vs Danny Burch: NXT TV
12. Kevin Owens vs Shane MCMahon: Ladder match: SMackdown
13. Gallus vs Flash Morgan Webster & Mark Andrews: NXT UK tag titles
14. Bronson Reed vs SHane Thorn : NXT TV
15. Mansoor vs Cesaro: Crown Jewel

Parasite

Bong Joon-Ho continues to be one of the most interesting film makers going today. With Parasite he crafts his own Brian De Palma film with dark humor, tight tension & brutal violence. Every character is developed even through every lie that is told, and every lie begins to mean something up until the final frame.

Terminator: Dark Fate

So as many know i love the Terminator franchise and can discuss the aspects of time travel, paradoxes and timelines in great detail, i legit dive into this series. Going in to Dark Fate i knew that it ignored every film after T2 and i was okay with that. After seeing the film, this is truly a flick you can't discuss without spoilers. I loved the change they made but it also opened a can of worms for discussions and debate. With all that said the film itself it my favorite since T2. I'd love to get more detailed but the spoiler is major.