How To Train Your Dragon

 

Lilo & Stitch and How to Train Your Dragon I have both become massive fans of this year. I watched all the films and the Dragon series is a strong contender for best animated saga ever. All three are heart warming and touching. Did we need a remake? No, but it is from the same director so let it ride. This is a worthy adaptation. It is not quite shot for shot but feels close, it is more mature but doesn't force it. The cgi is great, the battles, while not as epic as the original still look impressive, the acting is top notch and the score is fantastic. Bring on part 2, bring on part 3. 

Snow White

 

Most live action adaptations of Disney animation has been less than stellar. Jungle Book and Cruela being the exceptions. Snow White didn't particularly look good but I wanted to see just to kinda piss off those that were so enraged with it. I agree with not doing dated angles for women so I was intrigued how this story would work.....and it didn't.  The acting, sets, musical numbers, costuming,  and cgi were all God awful with Rachel Ziegler being the stand out. She is solid here and has a presence,  just a damn shame the film wasn't what she deserved. The actress had a great stance unfortunately the film failed to meet what she wanted or we needed. 

Ballerina

Spin offs need to stop. Ballerina isn't a bad film, but it is unneeded. The John Wick saga is the best crafted action series of all time.  They are stylish, which this also is, have great action, which this also has great choreography....which this lacks. The stories had heart, this one doesn't.  It's a shoe horned attempt to milk a series with a forced fi al act thst logically makes no sense in the greater universe. I was not bored by this but I didn't particularly care for it. 

Match of May

 

Jey Uso vs Seth Rollins: World Title: Raw

Iyo Skye vs Roxanne Perez: Raw

Sheamus vs Austin Theory 

Mission Impossible Final Reckoning

 

Stop me if you have heard this, there is a new Mission Impossible film out....and it tops the previous one. Holy fuck what a film, this is how you do a blockbuster series that doesn't feel mass produced, this is a highly thought out and well crafted saga that feels like cinema. Every actor is great, all the stunts are fantastic,  the plot is a thrill ride, the kills can be shocking and there is plenty of emotion to pull the heart strings. Thank you for churning these out only when needed and not every 2 years, thanks for taking time and creating the second best pure action franchise of all time in my opinion  

Phoenician Scheme

 

Wes Anderson has fully evolved. He started small with Bottle Rocket, found his voice with Rushmore, perfected it with the Royal Tenenbaums,  got ambitious with Life Aquatic,  took a step back with Darjeeling Limited, tried animation with Fantastic Mr. Fox, tried ambitious live action once more with Moonrise Kingdom, basically was his own genre with Grand Budapest Hotel. He returned to animation with Isle of Dogs was post modern with French Dispatch and then had Asteroid City, a film I loved but no one talked about. He is one of my top 5 filmmakers of all time, and his films will always be events. Phoenician Scheme is his darkest film yet. Typical Wes plot and humor only amped. The best Benico Del Toro and Michael Cera have been in years, the rest of the cast is outstanding especially Mia Threapleton. Bonkers, heartfelt and stylish, what more do you want from Wes Anderson?

Fear Street Prom Queen

 

The new Fear Street is a stand alone film that still has elements to tie it to the others. The town is the same and the post credits gives us a glimpse at the curse but otherwise this is just a pure slasher. It's fun, has a body count with some gnarly kills and gore, and like the others in the series has a great soundtrack.  

Hearts of Darkness: The Making of The Final Friday

 

I love Jason Goes to Hell, i've always enjoyed Adam Marcus....atleast hearing him on interviews. The doc about the making of Jason Goes to Hell is fascinating and one of the most fun docs you can find. Insightful, doesn't hold back from fans that hate it and ultimately the doc much like the film itself is a work of passion.  

Damsel of the Doomed

 Last year at Texas Frightmare i saw The Black Quarry, a decent yet flawed little indie film. This year the same director had Damsel of the Doomed. I was more stoked for this one as it was about a horror host, one i forgot was in The Black Quarry. This one, while it has some questionable acting by some of the cultist, it is way faster paced, funnier and has an overall better story. Scarah is a legit horror host in real life, and has quite the presence. She carries this film and i would be down for more of her adventures. 

The Simpsons

 

The Simpsons season 36, as usual is a mixed bag, it is probably the weakest in a decade but at the same time it also has some real bangers that old fans should love. 

Yellowjackets

 When Yellowjackets debuted, i was interested but i didn't watch since it was on the same time as The Wilds, which had a similar plot. By time it hit season 2 i wanted to watch it as i had read so much good shit but i didn't have access to Showtime and didn't want to stream it on a boot site. I figured it'd be a show i heard was great but never watched like the Wire, or a show i heard was great and went back to watch like when i was a teen or in my 20s such as Twin Peaks. I finally watched it this year and holy fuck....this show is brilliant. Fantastic acting, gore, soundtrack, high tension, writing, directing, everything is damn near perfect. Even if the characters, while flawed, are almost so unlikable at times that you don't want to watch.....*coughs* Shauna *coughs*. Each season makes the characters have more depth, makes them more fucked up, takes you down one path and kicks you to another. I can't wait for season 4. 

Clown in a Cornfield

 I was on the fence with Clown in a Cornfield,  Eli Craig isn't exactly a director I love. I'm not big on Tucker & Dale and I found Little Evil to be quite forgettable but this one had some buzz to it. I'm glad we checked it out cause this is alot of fun. A dumb, fast paced and gory slasher with some good characters and gnarly kills. The ending is a tad weak but this is definitely one of the more enjoyable Shudder films. 

Match of April

 Street Profits vs DIY vs MCMG: Tag Titles: TLC: Smackdown

Seth Rollings vs Roman Reigns vs CM Punk: WrestleMania 

Iyo Sky vs Rhea Ripley vs Bianca Belair: World Title: WrestleMania

Oba Femi vs Trick Williams vs Je'Von Evans: NXT Title: Stand & Deliver 

Stephanie Vaquer vs Iyo Sky: Raw 

Thunderbolts*

 

When Thunderbolts* was announced I rolled my eyes. It felt like another MCU conveyor belt cashgrab, the first trailer did nothing for me either. Over time though with marketing I began to be drawn into it(that "A24" trailer). The film itself.....is pretty fucking great. We get characters with depth, and actors giving great performances. A tight, fun, and fast paced plot, with some unique ideas. Some of the best MCU action and actually feels fresh.  A villain that isn't cookie cutter and feels like an actual threat. This is easily my favorite MCU since Guardians 3, but that is my favorite MCU film, and it is possibly the best "debut" film in a franchise since the first Guardians, which is my second favorite MCU film. Fantastic 4 was my most anticipated of this saga this year, but this just made me that much more excited and this finally got me hooked for Avengers: Doomsday.

Until Dawn

 I love The Quarry but have never played Until Dawn. I have been meaning to, and now after the film I need to. The film takes the choose your own adventure aspect and flips it into a time loop and it works. The acting is to be desired at times but the jump scares and gore are quite plentiful and effective.  If you want high art then see Sinners,  it's great, but if you have already seen it or you just want some fun horror, then check this out. 

Sinners

Ryan Coogler continues to be an eclectic filmmaker. He put alot of heart into Black Panther, made the Creed series stand on their own, now he is back once again with Michael B Jordan for sinners. A horror crime western that has every shot and every bit of sound having meaning. He has crafted a film much like From Dusk Til Dawn, where you get one story the first half, and a different genre the next. It's about history, it's about culture,  it's topical and it is great.  

Wrestlemania: Becoming a Spectacle

 Growing up,  as a kid i loved Wrestlemania 9 from Las Vegas as it was one of my first, as a teen it was one of my least favorite match wise but i loved the vibe. And vibe is what Mania is all about, the new doc on Peackock, Becoming a Spectacle truly shows what went in to crafting the entrances that have now become part of the fabric of Mania season. You can tell some punches were pulled in the interviews but it felt refreshing to watch stars reflect on "the new generation".  I'm not going this year, but it has returned to Vegas and for all those going, have a blast! 

Match of March

 Je'von Evans vs Ethan Page

Seth Rollins vs CM Punk steel Cage

Oba Femi vs Moose

Hell of a Summer

           

Hell of a Summer works best as a satire of gen z more so than a slasher. While not hysterical it does have its moments to chuckle at. The characters are designed to be annoying yet also have likeable aspects. The plot is that of your basic slasher, and the kills.....not a total gore fest or the most creative but it works for the story.  While I didn't love this flick, it's still a fun time. 

Death of a Unicorn

         

Death of a Unicorn takes a while to find itself but midway through the second act it finally clicks. It's a fun and gory satire with solid acting from Will Poulter and Jenna Ortega, the script is a but jumbled but let's face it, here you just want to see unicorn carnage and you get it. 

Novocaine

            

Dan Berk and Robert Olsen do it again. Their films are so we'll thought out and endlessly entertaining.  Novocaine is no exception.  This might be the best action film since John Wick 4, and carries alot of heart. This has well timed humor that doesn't derail the plot, is action packed nearly the entire time, and when it isn't it is developing the characters, the acting is solid across the board. It's a bloody good time with some fresh ideas!

Match of Feb

 

Mens MITB

KO vs Sami Zayn

Women's MITB

Queen of the Ring

         

Like most wrestling bio pics, Queen of the Ribg takes liberties, but much like the current batch of wrestling films, it's pretty fucking great.  The story unravels perfectly and is even more telling for today's world, the acting is great,  the cameos are fun and the film seems to truly come from the heart.  

Mickey 17

 I love Bong Joo Ho, hos work is magnificent. I. 2014 he crafted his masterpiece in Snowpiercer, a Sci fi film wrapped in pulp. Now he tried to recreate 6hst with Mickey 17. Here there are things to admire, beautiful shots, a couple of chuckles(not as many as the audience let you believe with their non stop laughter), some heartfelt moments,  Steven Yeun chewing scenery and a great performance by Roberrt Patinson,the best portion though were the aliens, great ark and design. The rest of the film....not so much. The plot had great ideas but the story was boring,  the dialogue was cringey, Mark Ruffalo while I respect the take on Trump, was too over the top, distracting and made me tune out whenever he was on. It was overly long and dragged many times. I will still tell people to check it out for it's weirdness but for me this was a chore. 

Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider Man

 Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider Man  is a fun show. It takes place in an alternate MCU, so it is different enough with adding familiarity. The episodes have wit and humor along with some great animated action. It's not a kiddie show, it isn't an adult show, it's just a well rounded comic book series. 

Section 31

 

There are alot of films fans will call the worst Star Trek movie. For some it is the Motion Picture, which I liked the artsy take on. For some it is Nemesis which I liked the take on aswell. Many say the new trilogy. Which while not pure still feels like Trek. Section 31 gets my vote. Michelle Yeoh does some solid acting with the terrible script and dialogue that pauses for comedy more than the mcu. The action is choppy, the plot feels very made for Netflix. It ws content for contents sake and truly went as bad as no Trek has gone before. 

The Monkey

 

Osgood Perkins finally won me over with Longlegs, his follow up, The Monkey is totally different then the rest of his work and it is refreshing to see. Here he embraces full insanity and crafts a bonkers and deranged tale. The story is to be desired but the acting is solid, but what truly carries this film is the kills. There are some gnarly moments and that is key in the Monkey. 

Cobra Kai

 

The Karate Kid is great, the sequels were fun but did we need a TV series based on it? No but this would be fun fiction became one of the best, most heart felt, over the top, and fun series of all time. Every season had great acting, characters and emotion, every season  had fantastic fights, build ups and blow offs. Every season got more over the top too, but here it works wonders. The final season had more of the same, inner fighting, heels and face turns, but it set characters off on their final angles. Moments pull heart strings, some bring things full circle and the finale is the cherry on top. The show embraced cheese and the finale went all in for the first half,  then giving us more heart and farewells that tied up our main cast and gave a glimpse to their future. 

Captain America Brave New World

 

With the troubles production, Captain America: Brave New World was said to almost be unreleasable. The trailers came and went and it felt like it was coming with no fan fare. Upon seeing it, it does take a lil while to get going and there are some unintentionally cringey moments but after the plot finally gets going it turns into a fun flick to shut your mind off to. It's a bit convoluted but don't take it seriously, it's a fun ride. MCU scaled back on the jokes this time and focused on action, and it worked. There is a lot of groundwork between this and the next Avengers so it's interesting to see how we get there. 

Heart Eyes

 Along with the X trilogy,  Heart Eyes is breathing fresh life into theatrical slashers. Unlike X which is more Italian and exploitation driven, Heart Eyes is more 80s...or dare I say 90s esque. Where as Josh Rubens did anti romance with Scare Me, this one he flips the script and goes full on romcom at times in a brilliant way. Speaking of script Christopher Landon's finger prints are all over this and in a great way. The cast is having fun, the gore is great and a mew Halloween mask has been created. 

Love Hurts

 Love Hurts is dumb fun. The plot is convoluted,  the acting is solid, the jokes usually fall flat, but there are a few winners, and the action is pretty damn good. Is it deserving of all the hate? Hell no. Is it perfect? Hell no. It feels like a flick from 07-12, and usually I don't care for those as they feel soulless but this one packed some inspiration of martial arts and blaxploitation.  

Match of Jan

Punk vs Seth

 Roman vs Solo 

Penta vs Gable

Rhea vs Liv 

Santana vs Alexander 

Creature Commandos

 Creature Commandos is the lunch of James Gunn's DC, well soft launch....hard launch? Peacemaker & Blue Beetle have elements that will carry over but this is the legit first portion, as for a campy cartoon it is quite fun & action packed but as far as the grand DC goes, this almost feels like a more pulpy sub label. I don't really see this canon and the upcoming Superman being in the same universe, yet they are and i am excited to see the connections. 

Companion

Companion is a totally welcome surprise. The trailer looked interesting but it honestly and smartly leaves alot out. Go into this blind and have a delightful time. A witty plot with social commentary, solid acting, and gnarly kills, January is definitely  no longer a dump month. 

Presence

Modern Steven Soderbergh might be the best yet. Unsane, Kimi, and now Presence. Presence is a stripped down take on ghost films and has some creative ideas mixed in. Small cast, short run time, this is Soderbergh once again experimenting. 

Wolf Man

               

Wolf Man might not have nards but it is fine. After Invisible Man I expected more from this but Leigh Whannell still adds in a bit of a vision even if these moments made little sense. The pacing was the main issue, it's not quite a slow burn as much as it feels odd. The acting is pretty damn good as you really feel the connection of father and daughter here, other than that it feels like a generic werewolf flick. 

Favorite Films of 2024

Maxxxine

Late Night With the Devil

Abigail 

The 4:30 Movie

Y2K

The Substance 

Saturday Night 

Wicked 

Heretic

Big Shark(it's awful)

Lisa Frankenstein 

Quiet Place Day One

Civil War

Blink Twice

A Complete Unknown 

I Saw the TV Glow

Fall Guy 

Nosferatu 

Furiosa 

Joker 2

Deadpool and Wolverine

Yule Log 2

Slay

If

Longlegs

Top albums of 2024

I would have included Scene Queen on my top albums of the year but it was mainly stuff from previous EPs. 

The Cure

Dog Party

Delilah Bon

Packs

Destroy Boys

Amyl & the Sniffers

Poppy

Mandy

La Luz

Ashnikko

King Hannah

Rain On Fridays

Vial

Oozes

Bnny

Drahla 

Mijo

Molly Lewis

Sophie Hunter

Billie Eilish

ThelmA

Ministry 

Bat For Lashes

Surfajjetes

Pearl Jam

Melvins

The Last Dinner Party

Dying Wish 

Waxahathee

The Warning

David Lynch

Jessica Pratt

Of Montreal

Plush

Sprints

Green Day

Static X 

Zombi

Nick Cave

Ace Frehley

Match of the Year

Cody Rhodes vs Roman Reigns. WWE Title: WrestleMania 

Punk vs Drew McIntyre Hell In A Cell Bad Blood 

Sami Zayn vs Gunther: IC Title: WrestleMania

Cody Rhodes vs AJ Styles: WWE Title: Backlash

Josh Alexander vs Will Ospreay: Impact 

Sonic 3

Sonic 3 was alot of fun, is it peak cinema? No but it wasn't meant to be. I still prefer the first but this was an improvement over the second one with good teases for the future of the series.