Candyman

 

I was never a mark for the Candyman franchise. I remember them being on as a kid but i never dove into it like Halloween or Phantasm. I sought them out myself as a teen and thought they were good but it was good a good franchise nothing i needed to hype up or show people. I revisited the films about a decade ago and honestly enjoyed them all alot more. In my prep for the new one i rewatched the first, which is all you really need. Much like Halloween 2018, this is a sequel to the original that happens to have the same title. It feels a bit like IT 2017 for me cause that is a film where i enjoyed the original but the newer one blew me away(legit top 10 for me), and this here is the best of the Candyman franchise. It is tense from the start. The studio logos set the mood and the flashbacks give us the real horror in social commentary. From there the score sets in and we are introduced to characters that we see develop. The camera captures the moments in  way that is artful, gripping and disturbing. The gore and kills are fantastic and in your face. This is a perfect example of how to do a horror sequel/remake. It is a quick watch yet tells a tight story. It has heavy subject matter yet it is not long in tooth. I also love horror films set in the art world as it is a world i know well.  Much like a piece of art that speaks of injustice, as does this film, and if you don't want to take in the commentary just sit back and enjoy a well crafted slice of horror. 

Reminiscence

 

Reminiscence is a contrived and convoluted film. It is a flick that layers up supposed depth with twists and turns thinking it is smarter than it is. Usually that recipe is a bad one, but here is lucks out with great cinematography and scenery, a solid cast and a film noir vibe. The trailer didn't do too much for me neither did the Tomato Meter but this is actually a enjoyable film once you get by the contrivedly of it all. 

Brand New Cherry Flavor

 Brand New Cherry Flavor is the most surreal and one of the most in your face Netflix series in a long time if not ever. This series is pure cinematic with a great acting, a fantastic score and soundtrack, beautiful cinematography and set pieces, and plenty of in your face what the fuckery with kittens, gore, puke and fingerbanging. It's part Neon Demon, part Videodrome, part Breaking Bad, and part Requiem For a Dream, with a dash of David Lynch, A fast ass watch that leaves you wanting more yet satisfied. Netflix has been getting a stigma lately for producing too much content, so i wish this had the seal of HBO, but fuck all of that and enjoy the theatre of absurd an grotesque. 

American Horror Stories

 AHS has always been a mixed bag, a show that is great yet oozes padding and exposition. Many seasons start great and end great but have a middle portion that drags. American Horror Stories takes the seasonal anthology approach but makes each episode it's own tale thus hopefully ending the speed bumps. The first two episodes are great for Murder House fans yet feels like alot of the kills happen just for the fuck of it. Drive In for me is the best of the season and the least Ryan Murphy esque of the bunch...until the end. Naughty List has a great last act once it goes full slasher yet features some of the most annoying characters(on purpose) on TV. Billie Lourde stars in a very Lifetime esque episode(in a good way). Last weeks was a bit of a bore, but this weeks finale is meta on top of meta on top of meta and is very cluttered yet satisfying. This was a great appetizer for the main entree hitting next week. 

Jakob's Wife

 Jakob's Wife is Travis Steven's follow up to the Girl on the Third Floor, and while that was a decent watch, this here is great. Fresh tale for a vampire flick, a little bit of the Revenant(the vampire flick not the Leo vehicle) but with more of a traditional horror stance. Fantastic score, solid acting, Barbara Crampton best work in years, Larry Fessenden's best since probably Body, an excessive amount of not just blood but various viscera and fluids, think human pez dispensers plus sprinkle dark humor in throughout and this is one of Shudder's best this year. 

The Bad Batch

 So it is no secret i love Star Wars. I love the films, the shows, the comics, the books, the games, the figures. I just recently got into the cartoons, the Clone Wars & Rebels, and i had a blast with them, so i was stoked for the Bad Batch. I was wishing for something a bit darker in tone, but i know it is a kids series so it is no big deal, just a bit too much "MCU humor" thrown in. I feel the show would have worked better with fewer episodes but this was a damn good show for a Star Wars fan and their kid to watch. 

No Sudden Move

 No Sudden Move is Steven Soderbergh at his best. He uses wider lenses, crafts his shots and disorients his viewers. It feels like a 1996 crime film, even alot of the cast feels like they would have fit in back then. Parts remind me of Fargo the TV series, even down to dark humor. The cast is excellent, damn near every role has a moment to shine. The plot unravels so we are learning the twists and turns as the characters do, even when it feels convoluted the next scene makes everything make sense and it makes that disoriented feeling that much stronger. This is an ensemble crime film set in Detroit so of course there will be shoot outs and violence, and they quick and impactful. Soderbergh's best since Unsane!