No One Will Save You

 In 2020 Brian Duffield impressed me with the gory & sweet Spontaneous. Now he is back with another high concept, this time is an experience of aliens. Not your typical extraterrestrial fare, this here has hardly any dialogue, follows just Kaitlyn Dever, and is disorienting as fuck. It's a trip of a film and one that plays with reality & time. This is not quite experimental or groundbreaking, but it is the type of cinema that 2023 is giving us and another fine addition to a year forgoing the norms and giving us films with depth. I have love most of Duffield's scripts and with the 1 2 punch of his directorial efforts i am now excited for his future projects. 

Match of September

Ilja Dragunov vs Carmelo Hayes: NXT Title : No Mercy 

Gunther vs Chad Gable: IC title: Raw 

Becky Lynch vs Tiffany Stratton: NXT Womens Title: No Mercy 

Judgement Day vs Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn: Tag Titles: Payback 

Becky Lynch vs Tiffany Stratton: NXT Womens Title 

Outlaw Johnny Black

 I absolutely LOVE Black Dynamite.....Dynamite, when it was released i watched it multiple times. It is a great send up and tribute to grindhouse cinema. It felt authentic enough to work on its own, but it also had jokes like boom mics and whatnot. I wanted more of the same from Outlaw Johnny Black, and while it is enjoyable, and has the tribute down perfectly, it just didn't pack the same punch. It had some funny moments for sure but i feel the length bogged it down. Still worth seeing for fans of blacksploitation and/or westerns. 

The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar

 I wish The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar was a feature instead of a short. It has Wes Anderson's visuals, his aesthetic, sets, wardrobe & dialogue but something just feels like it is missing. I respect that Netflix let Wes make a Wes film without holding him back but i just wish Wes let Wes make a Wes film. 

Saw X

 The Saw franchise is a mixed bag, most are forgettable, some are downright awful, i haven't really been huge on the series since part 2, and didn't really have an interest in Saw X after Spiral, but i am glad i checked it out. This is easily the best since the first and has some of the more tense kills and the story oddly has alot of heart, doing a prequel should make the plot feel like there are no risks but the story is tight enough that it does. Is an eleventh needed? No, but there will be, but until then atleast the franchise can go out on top.

God is a Bullet

 As a teen i loved John Cassavetes, both in front and behind the camera. His son directed spottier films but i absolutely loved Alpha Dog, so him returning to crime films got me stoked. Along comes God is a Bullet....what a fucking mess. I love Maika Monroe, she is one of my favorite actresses but even her being solid here, did nothing. Overly long, dull, lacking style, it was the total opposite of Alpha Dog for me and another miss for Nick Cassavetes.  

The Angry Black Girl & Her Monster

 The Angry Black Girl and Her Monster is a unique twist on the Frankenstein tale. A girl's brother is murdered, she becomes fascinated with death and begins stealing bodies to bring her brother back but the monster goes on a killing spree, you know how it goes, but there is so much more to it. It tackles issues and has layers, you feel the atmosphere and admire the tension & acting. Probably Shudder's best film of the year. 

It Lives Inside

 It Lives Inside is one of the more effective horror films in recent memory. I don't know much about Indian folk lore or traditions so maybe it is the unknown, perhaps it is my own grief coming in to play but i found this film atmospheric, chilling and an all around tightly made. The end was a bit cliche but it still ended in a way that felt ominous. 

Pinball: The Man Who Saved the Game

 Pinball: The Man Who Saved the Game is a light & fun watch. It is overly glamorized and cliched....on purpose, it is told as an interview but with a "hollywood" touch to fabricate events....and honestly it makes the film quite critic proof. The entire cast does a great job, there is alot of heart here and it truly seems to be passionate about pinball. Video game movies are killing it in 2023! 

The Wrestlers

 Growing up with wrestling magazines i was aware of OVW, but i didn't keep tabs on them until about 2001. I was reading about The Prototype, Levithan, The Minnesota Stretching Crew, Randy Orton, and guess what, 4 of them are some of the biggest stars in wrestling history. Al Snow i was a huge fan of growing up, he had a unique style, look and was bonkers as fuck, then 2001 yet again comes around and he is the flip side of OVW, he is the lead trainer of Tough Enough. Fate happens and he winds up buying a portion of OVW and becomes the CEO, he practices Jim Cornette's process of  doing TV, and later PPV. I watched some of OVW but it was at the time when wrestling was(and still is) over saturated. Now after watching one of the most riveting wrestling docs(series) i am wanting to start watching OVW once again. 

A Haunting In Venice

 I loved Murder on the Orient Express, Death on the Nile was quite underwhelming but A Haunting in Venice returns Kenneth Branagh to his Hercule Poirot glory. It has a great cast, oozes atmosphere and if it was in black & white it'd feel at home with haunted house films of the 60s. Whodunit films are killing it right now with these and the Knives Out series, and i am all for more of this genre to be explored especially when they genre bend it like this! 

Landscape With the Invisible Hand

 Cory Finley knocked it out with Thoroughbreds, he impressed again with Bad Education, now he is back with Landscape With the Invisible Hand. A film that essentially is Kang & Kodos taking over Springfield. There is alot of social commentary here, some solid filmmaking and a sharp script with genuine performances. It feels like indie sci fi  the way i love to see it, smart, simple, subtle & effective. 

Heels Season 2

 The second season of Heels still has some of the same nitpicks of season one from an industry standpoint but it continues to have one of the more compelling cast of characters on TV and cuts even deeper into personal lives and the passion for this business. The "worked" aspects suck you in and the "worked shoots" show how things should play out if egos are put aside. It ends on a note that leaves you wanting more.

Elevator Game

 Shudder's latest, The Elevator Game, feels so much like an early 00s film it's ridiculous. Annoying characters, thin plot, lame kills. Production looks slicker than alot of films Shudder releases but it feels so Tik Tok that it makes you feel as if you are watching one of those videos....and this here isn't found footage, it just feels like you are stuck with TikTokers and "content creators". Create better horror! 

Paint

 I love Bob Ross, i find him comforting, when i saw Owen Wilson was going to be in a film about a painter inspired by Ross i was in. Then the trailer came out and i wasn't sure the vibe....now i have seen it and i am still unsure. Parts of it feel like it wants to be a zany film in the mold of Wet Hot American Summer other times it wants to be a bit more grounded. It feels as if it was going for a modern Wes Anderson vibe but missed the goal. There was one sight gag with painted trees on a porch that i cracked up at. It's a fun time but a mess. 

Wrong Reasons

 As a massive Kevin Smith fan i always watch his youtube series, especially his behind the scenes and his roadshow videos. Upon the Clerks 3 videos i stumbled upon his assistant Liv Roush. Found out she produced a film her husband wrote & directed that Kevin Smith had a bit part in. The film is Wrong Reasons. It's a mess but it is a lot of fun, the script needs to be tighter, the directing is sharp, it reminds me of a 90s film, a bit QT inspired in the crime realm....mixed in with the low budget Kevin Smith produced comedies of the 00s. The acting is pretty Troma for the most part but James Parks runs with it. The plot is all over the place but that is part of the charm. 

Natty Knocks

 Natty Knocks is a horror film with some great horror actors in it....that isn't always a great recipe. It falls on Halloween.....that it what truly drew me in....again not always a great recipe. Atleast be full of the Halloween spirit, this here lacked it, it could have been any random night dealing with urban legends but atleast it threw in a haunted house. It starts off with some unlikable characters and just drags but it picks up alot towards the end, the characters develop more and the plot thickens.....but then it quicky falls apart again. Give me Scary Stories To Tell in the Dark anyday! 

1982: Greatest Geek Year Ever

 1982 is a well known year among cinephiles, not just geeks, but cinephiles. I say that cause today many think geek with Star Wars, Marvel, DC, Star Trek etc but not stuff like The Thing, Halloween 3, and whatnot. 1982 we didn't have over saturated SW & Marvel, hell we had no Marvel...DC was just Superman and we were not super that year, thankfully. 5 years before my birth was the year of Blade Runner, Tron, Poltergeist, ET, Fast Times, it was an excellent year and one that has deserved the books, convention panels and TV series such as this celebrating that year. We get people in the know and fans truly reflecting on the fantastic 12 month period. 

Mom N Pop: The Indie Video Store Boom of the 80s & 90s

 There have been some awesome docs the past year or two, mainly about wrestlers & bands, but alot of the docs about film have been good but didn't feel like they were passion projects. Mom N Pop: The Indie Video Store Boom of the 80s & 90s is that film. We hear from peoples experiences in the stores, their discovery of various tapes and the rise & fall of this paradise. 

Wrath of Becky

 Three years ago Becky was one of those perfect pandemic films, low budget, gory, clever and well acted it was Home Alone vs Nazis. Now we get Becky taking down the proud boys led by Seann Willian Scott. Here is is more like Hit Girl meets John Wick and Lulu Wilson runs with it. Wish i had seen this one in theatres but hoping with the possible third film that i can atleast see the finale in the cinema. 

Final Cut

One Cut of the Dead is one of the best zombie films and filmmaking motion pictures of the past few years, when a remake was announced many groaned assuming it was the US. Sure one of ours could be disastrous but we instead get the French film Final Cut. It follows the plot but changes a few things here and there, i was half expecting a shot for shot remake, but was surprised.  I will take the original over this any day though, characters, effects and plot were better and the film just looked more pristine. 

The Covenant

 It is official, Guy Ritchie only works well in crime films. Now an argument could be made that The Covenant is a crime film, but c'mon it is a war film. And war films are tricky as any more they are hit & miss. Sadly like most Ritchie films, this here is a miss. It is not a bad film, just dull & wooden. It felt like there could be alot more done with the plot as the flashbacks were quite intriguing. 

Blood Flower

 Films on Shudder have been super miss this year, and films about exorcisms are even more miss, but we have Blood Flower and you know what, it is not half bad. The bar is low for the streamer and the sub genre but this film kept my interest for the most part even if the plot didn't really click and the effects were to be desired. Go in with low expectations and you can wind up enjoying almost anything. 

The Nun 2

 The Conjuring Universe needs to stop. The first Conjuring is a masterpiece, the sequel, was underwhelming but good, the third i barely remember, but didn't hate. The spin offs however, the Annabelle films are quite unmemorable, as was the Nun, which i rewatched earlier this year, but i don't if anything in the Conjuring Universe is as scary as the Nun 2....and i don't mean that thematically. This is a torturous film and beyond bland, i love Taissa Farmiga but even she doesn't do much here. Like many recent films it picks up in the last act but at what cost? What did it prove? Why did any of this need to happen? End this series, let the original film be known for its greatness. 

Strays

 Strays is a brilliant idea, a live action pixar film of sorts but hard R....and yes i know it is not Pixar, just the whole animals that talk, day in the life deal. I feared alot of the jokes were in the trailer, and they were, and i feared that it might rely on shock and not be as funny for future watches....well it does have some shock, but it lacks alot of humor. Plenty of times i sat stone face, but when i did laugh, it was truly funny. It has alot of heart and at the core, that is what i want in alot of comedies. It picks up alot in the final act and really goes for it. 

Perpetrator

 Perpetrator, like most Shudder films, is not just underwhelming but dull. Upon reading about this for months i thought 2023 Shudder finally has a win, but this was dull as fuck. It thought it was satirical but it was your basic 2023 film, everything has a message now, and rightfully so, but this film had good aim but missed the mark. Choose a lane, serious or camp, it was overly serious, or maybe just boring, until the final scene where it embraced camp, camp that was sprinkled in and you could tell was on the tip of the tongue, and it would have worked way better. There is a film to love in here, it is just asleep.  

Fool's Paradise

 I love Charlie Day, i love It's Always Sunny, i love his bit roles and i was excited for his directorial debut, Fool's Paradise. All star cast, a irreverent plot, an unhinged vibe, what is not to love? Well most of the film. It is dull and feels beyond choppy. Jason Sudeikis as usual is the saving grace along with Common. It finally picks up in the last act and truly embraces the bonkers nature. It still ultimately feels like a missed opportunity. 

The Little Mermaid

 I don't have a deep love of Disney the way many do, but i admire their animation. I own most but only love a few, Jungle Book, Lion King, etc. The Little Mermaid is a great film but nothing is untouchable, and live action remakes are a welcome part of film for me. Then again only Jungle Book and Cruella are the only strong pictures. I thought the new Little Mermaid looked bad, but i couldn't say that, i'd be tossed in with all the people hating it cause of race....and their hate made me want to see it. I finally did on Disney Plus and well.....this was a mess. I found the film to be ugly, the musical numbers to be tedious and the acting was laughable. But that is modern Disney for ya. 

Beau is Afraid

 Ari Aster burst on the scene with Hereditary, an unnerving film but one i found overrated, same thing happened with Midsommar, oddly it is more overrated yet more unnerving. Now he has Beau Is Afraid, a film that isn't quite as hyped up and not quite as unnerving. It started off bonkers like an artsy Fried Barry. Then once he gets in his car accident it goes downhill. It becomes a serious chore both in themes and plot, with the only saving grace being Joaquin Phoenix. 

The Last Voyage of Demeter

 The Last Voyage of Demeter, based on a sole chapter of Dracula, is the second Universal Dracula of 2023. First we had the fun as fuck Renfield, so we get this....and this here feels more akin to Hammer than Universal. It is a slow burn but hella atmospheric. It is pure gothic horror but on a boat instead of a castle, and much like Alien, gothic horror on a space ship, it works wonders. 

Haunted Mansion

 I never cared for the original Haunted Mansion, i have never been to Disney World or Land so i have no attachment to the ride, it seems more like a Hocus Pocus/Nightmare Before Christmas type of property where more love it because they see others love it and they love the aesthetic of "spooky season". Now i love Nightmare, so it is not an attack. but people were buying up Haunted Mansion merch alot the past few years, but the film had little fanfare. The trailer wasn't bad but i still had no real interest. Upon seeing it it lacks atmosphere, seems to lack knowledge of horror and just feels all over the place. The shining light was LaKeith Stanfield, the dude owned every scene he was in, as he usually does. 

Gran Turismo

 I loved Gran Turismo back in the day, i even had the PS2 steering wheel. It was a blast and an easy way to relax. I fell off in recent years and actually did not know about the events of the film. Basically the Last Starfighter but for driving games. Neil Blomkamp directing didn't excite me as i am not a huge fan, but nostalgia for the games drove me to see this. I question why anyone, especially Neil, would want to make this. It is very by the numbers, bland, wooden and at times sappy, with super painful humor. It didn't make me want to replay the games like Mario did.....actually now i want to play Mario Kart......

Boogeyman

Boogeyman feels like a Shudder film, i wish that was a compliment. I wish Shudder films were better than theatrical films, some are, but most have a tired feel to them....as does Boogeyman. Stephen King adaptations are more miss than hit and this is no different. Very bland plot, wooden acting, it feels like a early/mid 00s horror film in all the worse ways. 

The Adults

 The Adults i feel i would have absolutely loved in my teens or 20s, i still should now, especially if i saw it at the Dundee or Film Steams, an art house, but for everyone that hates Michael Cera, this is a film that points out all there is to hate. I didn't hate him or the film but the characters while quirky, are rather bland, as is the film.  The characters are going through shit, as am i at the moment, so maybe i didn't relate...or related too much, to the film. 

Angle

 Angle, the Kurt Angle doc on Peacock, is a heartfelt and tough watch but something felt off. It felt like it glossed over certain aspects of his career, had some facts wrong and didn't feel as slick or epic as WWE usually does, then i found out why. It was independently produced and WWE bought it. I wanted it to feel as epic as Cody's doc but i am still glad WWE & Peacock are atleast once again giving us monthly non PPV content that is worth a damn....*sigh* I miss the network.  

Match of August

Roman Reigns vs Jey Uso: WWE Title: SummerSlam

Seth Rollins vs Finn Balor: Raw Title: SummerSlam

Cody Rhodes vs Brock Lesnar: SummerSlam

Bianca Belair vs Charlotte vs Asuka  : Womens Title: SummerSlam

Gunther vs Drew McIntyre : Intercontinental Title: SummerSlam 

They Cloned Tyrone

 They Cloned Tyrone had alot of buzz going for it, alot were comparing it to Sorry To Bother You, but i feel it is in a superficial sense. It starts off kinda slow but there is an aura to it that fully kicks into gear in the second act. From there we get great acting from Jamie Foxx, John Boyega, Teyonah Parris & Kiefer Sutherland hamming it up. It is drenched in style & satire. It loses a bit of steam towards the end but once you feel it fumble it rebounds greatly. 

Zom 100

 Zom 100 is a batty and bonkers zombie film that adds in sharksploitation. It's fast paced and fun, and i wish i was in a better mind set to enjoy it. I have alot going on in life at the moment and i feel it tampered me from loving this romp. It feels like a film i would have ate up as a teen or even a few years ago. But my mind kept going elsewhere.