PLOT: A teenager who stops off to see his dealer to test a new drug before heading off for a night of partying. On the way home, he picks up an injured woman and the night takes a surreal turn.

REVIEW: The gimmick of the one-take scene has gotten pretty out of control in recent years with varied success. Netflix’s Extraction action series utilizes various techniques to accomplish long, seemingly unbroken takes. And with the many setups that action movies require, the unbroken takes are all the more impressive. But it’s been diminished as less and less effort is made towards execution. Often digitally stitched together, the one-take-shot no longer has that same sense of wonder it did when Henry Hill walked through the back of the restaurant and finally reached his table. But if there’s anyone that can make something interesting again: it’s the French.

The story of MadS is pretty simple: Eighteen-year-old, Romain just wants to party and takes a mysterious new pill. But his trippy night takes a bad turn when he comes across an injured woman on the road. Romain has to figure out what is happening, while his mental faculties aren’t entirely present. MadS is a zombie film and like many from that subgenre, witnessing the zombie outbreak is a common occurrence. What this does so well is by following individual people during the chaos, we can see the outbreak at a more surface level. This feels like a much more personal story than the zombie films we’re used to, while still putting up a wall between the characters and the viewer that never truly allows them to feel real.

Since the story plays out in real-time, we can see this chaos unroll at the same time as our lead’s bad trip. I’m sure there’s some digital stitching going on with the edits, which is understandable given its nearly 90-minute runtime. This is a very dark movie, and I’m sure that really helped aid in some of the camera cuts. But it can be a bit nauseating with so much of the movie being visually indistinguishable. I could hardly even tell what was happening in some scenes. There were times when I desperately wanted the film to break from its one-take gimmick and just expand upon this interesting world. I’d love to see more of what’s happening, but it’s all so constrained by the storytelling method.

Right around an hour in, things start to get sloppy. To maintain the mystery of the events, despite being in real-time, MadS requires some ridiculously stupid character moments. I often struggle in movies when people ignore the obvious happening in front of them. There are some really dumb character moments like when Julia takes Ana on the motorcycle despite her clearly being messed up. It’s one of those idiotic movie moments where 99% of people would have stopped driving and pulled over. But we have a movie to finish so there’s no logic or reason allowed here.

MadS plays out like a bad trip. The one-take approach allows you to go down the journey into madness while still never quite understanding the parameters of the world shown. The zombies here are more like Evil Dead Demons than the typical shambling flesh-eaters. This makes them a bit more intriguing and allows a bit more personality to shine through. However, sometimes I wonder if the main direction given to the “zombie actors” was simply to act like Isabelle Adjani in Possession. Not that I’m complaining. It worked for Nell Tiger Free in The First Omen.

Like most gimmicky films, MadS isn’t going to be for everyone. While I found interest in even the mundane moments due to the journey of the characters, not everyone will be down for the ride. This is presented in a very different way than most audiences are used to and will therefore have a tough hill to climb. I found the narrative (or lack thereof) to be a bit frustrating as the film went on. Like any gimmick film, once that main draw starts to become tired, there sure better be other elements for the audience to attach themselves to. And sadly, MadS never really gets past the gimmick of the one-take-shot.

MADS IS STREAMING ON SHUDDER ON OCTOBER 18TH, 2024.

MadS

AVERAGE

6

The post MadS Review: Shudder’s One Take Zombie Film appeared first on JoBlo.

PLOT: Skye Riley (Naomi Scott), one of the world’s biggest pop stars, becomes haunted by a familiar curse on the eve of her new world tour, sending her life spiralling out of control.

REVIEW: 2022’s Smile was quietly one of the most profitable studio movies of the last few years. Originally designed as a low-budget movie for Paramount Plus, a round of excellent test screenings resulted in Paramount Pictures opting to give it a theatrical release. The result was a movie that grossed over $217 million worldwide on a $17 million budget. It immediately established writer/director Parker Finn, who adapted the movie from his own short (Laura Hasn’t Slept) as a horror phenom, and the release of his ambitious sequel is one of the bigger horror events of the year.

So, how does Smile 2 stack up to its sleeper-hit predecessor? Amazingly well, it turns out. Boasting a bigger budget, Parker Finn’s taken what could have been a run-of-the-mill sequel and elevated it to truly dazzling heights. I liked the first movie well enough, but I wasn’t prepared for how much fun the sequel was right off the bat.

Smile 2 begins with a full-on action sequence. Kyle Gallner’s Joel, who ended the first film cursed, tries to pass on his affliction in the most altruistic way, which ends up climaxing in a surprisingly potent shoot-out. Things don’t go as planned, with him unwittingly passing the curse on to someone who doesn’t deserve it. From there, Finn can use his bigger platform in a way that truly pushes the envelope from what we expect from a movie like this. It’s the rare A-level studio horror film, and Finn uses the pop aspect to stage some bravura quasi-musical sequences. This is perhaps the only movie you’ll see that feels equally inspired by Hideo Nakata and Bob Fosse.

He also has an amazing lead in Naomi Scott, who gives the performance of her life as Riley. Riley was already badly unmoored before even being cursed following drug addiction and a nearly life-ending accident. Scott embraces the camp aspect, playing Riley to the hilt as she becomes increasingly demented as the film goes on. It’s the kind of performance you’d expect from someone like Nicolas Cage, in that it’s unapologetically maximalist… and delicious.

She’s ably supported by Rosemarie DeWitt, who grounds things a bit as her opportunistic mother, and Dylan Gelula as her ride-or-die BFF. Lukas Gage also pops up and has a knockout sequence early on in the film, where he gets to chew some scenery. Jack Nicholson’s lookalike son, Ray Nicholson, also shows up as a character in Riley’s orbit and purposely channels his father in his big moment.

My only question about Smile 2 is what its reception by horror fans will be like- the film is so unapologetically camp that I wonder if some fans of the lower-key original might be put off. For me, it was the opposite, as Smile 2 dwarfed its predecessor, but it could rub people the wrong way with its heavy doses of pitch-black comedy. However, Finn also doesn’t skimp on the gore, with it being more gruesome than the original and having a big payoff, which is an all-timer for me as far as these things go. Indeed, I was shocked at how much I loved Smile 2. For me, it’s one of the more entertaining films I’ve seen this year, with the two-hour-plus running time racing by. It’s an all-out gore-soaked blast. 

Smile 2

AMAZING

9

-

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PLOT: Art the Clown is set to unleash chaos on the unsuspecting residents of Miles County as they peacefully drift off to sleep on Christmas Eve.

REVIEW: When you think Terrifier, you usually think Art the Clown and a whole lot of murder. And if there’s one thing he’s good at, it’s the red stuff. The one issue I’ve always had with the Terrifier series is that it’s always been lacking in narrative. It mostly felt like moving from kill to kill and trying to soak in the trauma of it all. The second one introduces more background but it still doesn’t feel like a cohesive story. Finally, Terrifier 3 feels like what the series was always meant to be.

Terrifier 3 picks up five years after the events of 2, with the survivors just trying to live their lives. Sienna (Lauren LaVera) still has a lot of PTSD. And it only gets worse when she starts seeing Art the Clown yet again, and townsfolk start getting violently murdered. Her brother Jonathan is much more of a side character this time around (thank god) and we get a whole Christmas theme. Despite this, it doesn’t feel overly holiday-themed, giving enough of its own identity to not solely be grouped as Christmas horror. This can definitely be watched at any time of the year.

The entire opening sequence is ridiculously impressive. It’s pretty much what you would expect from a slasher but it ramps things up so quickly and heads firmly into: “Did they just do that?” territory. It’s one of many iconic scenes that puts shocking kills at the forefront but makes sure not to skimp on the tension. There are great shots that fully utilize the Christmas atmosphere. The acting is much better this time around, with nearly everyone that returns improving their performances. There are some really funny cameos from the world of horror like Clint Howard, Tom Savini, Daniel Roebuck, and Jason Patric.

I was skeptical about Art the Clown being touted as being a “legendary horror villain” with so many limited appearances. But I’m finally starting to see it. David Howard Thornton brings some maniacal joy to Art that can’t be matched. When Art isn’t murdering, I love how much more lore is added to the series. They add just enough to give more of a clear image of his evil, without going overboard with origin. Art becomes more and more intriguing with every entry because there’s still a layer of mystery surrounding him.

One element I loved was the introduction of a girl obsessed with Art and his killings. There’s a great moment where she talks all about Art’s exploits as he gets giddy out in the hallway, hearing all of his achievements. Moments like that help to bring in the fun versus soaking in the traumatic moments. While there is certainly a fair share of brutal scenes, it’s all presented in such an entertaining way. The setup and payoff are expertly handled.

If I had to complain about anything it’s some of the stereotypical story beats. The fact that people still don’t believe Sienna after all she’s gone through results in nothing but frustration and annoyance. But it does make their murders all the more satisfying. There’s also a child character that doesn’t entirely work and I wish was excised completely. And I’d still argue there’s no reason for a film like this to be over 2 hours long. Despite that, Terrifier 3 is a lot of fun. By not selling out to a studio, Damien Leone continues to be absolutely relentless in his pursuit of horrific murder. Art even takes aim at children this time (quite a few times) so this isn’t for the sensitive.  And that’s precisely the kind of franchise the horror world needs right now.

TERRIFIER 3 will release In Theaters Nationwide on October 11, 2024

Terrifier 3

GREAT

8

8

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PLOT: A mother embarks on a perilous quest to rescue her son from a demonic children’s show host who is kidnapping kids.

REVIEW: Hulu has been making a concentrated effort to give the Horror genre it’s due with plenty of low-budget films with interesting concepts releasing every October as part of their Huluween initiative. While not all have landed, I appreciate the fact that they’re trying something different. Shudder can’t do everything for the horror world. And I was intrigued by the idea of a kid’s television host coming out of the television to murder parents and kidnap children. It’s a terrifying idea with so many possibilities to get under your skin. It comes from an episode of Bite Size Halloween which has now been expanded into a full-length feature film. So how exactly does Mr. Crocket fare? Better than you would think.

Mr. Crocket follows a mother (Jerrika Hinton) as she witnesses her son kidnapped by an otherworldly entity. With the cops not believing her, she attempts to find out more about this mysterious kid’s show host that her son was obsessed with prior to his abduction. The idea of someone coming out of our television sets has been done before, with The Ring being the most famous instance. And with nearly every home having its own television, this fear can be universal. The story is set in the year 1993, but that hardly ever really comes into play. It feels like they just really wanted to use CRT televisions and VHS tapes since they’re a great visual. And I can’t blame them.

Jerrika does a fine job but her character is a bit frustrating. She treats her kid poorly and sets the stage for Crocket to take him so it’s hard to find her endearing. But I didn’t mind, as this was one of those films where it was fun to root for the villain. Memorable bad guys are hard to come by but Elvis Nolasco‘s Mr. Crocket scares in just the right way. He’s able to do the Mr. Rogers side well but it’s his evil side that is the most intriguing. There’s a playful almost Freddy Krueger-like quality to him. His smile, happy demeanor, sweater, and bow tie really make for an unsettling image. And there’s just enough that remains unexplained that makes him all the more intriguing. There are times when he switches from good to evil and it’s such a great transition.

Despite the subject matter of children being abducted, the way it’s framed allows the narrative to still be fun. The parents who are being killed are treating their children like crap, so you’re practically rooting Crocket on as he takes them out. And I loved the almost Nightmarescape of Crocket’s world. With plenty of Dutch angles and floaty camera tricks, the visuals really impress. It’s clear that director Brandon Espy wanted to keep things visually interesting, which helps out with some of the stereotypical story beats.

I was a little disappointed that they didn’t fully utilize some of the creative elements throughout the entire runtime. The first set of kills involve Crocket using his Pee Wee’s Playhouse style furniture to murder, yet they seem forgotten about in the second half outside of a moment or two. Because of that, Crocket’s powerset feels a little unbalanced. Why would he not use those in the end when they seem to be the most powerful of his abilities? There’s plenty of sloppiness around the narrative, with coincidence being an all-too-common plot device.

Mr. Crocket feels like a great October movie to watch with friends as its goal is simply to entertain. There are some dumb moments but they weren’t dealbreakers for me as I really loved the concept of Crocket and his world was intriguing. There are plenty of fantastic visuals, fully taking advantage of the Pee Wee’s Playhouse in Hell aesthetic. They leave it open enough that we could get a sequel, which is what I’m most interested in as they could easily build on what works and excise what doesn’t. There’s a lot of potential here and I’m really hoping this isn’t our only run-in with Mr. Crocket.

MR. CROCKET STREAMS TO HULU ON OCTOBER 11TH, 2024.

Mr. Crocket

GOOD

7

The post Mr. Crocket Review: Hulu’s latest horror flick is a gem appeared first on JoBlo.

PLOT: When a vampire uses technologically advanced glasses to live stream his kills, he gains a large online following – and catches the attention of a trio of supernatural investigators who set out to stop him.

REVIEW: Earlier this year, Full Moon founder Charles Band announced that his company was launching a new production label called Pulp Noir, with the focus being on “edgier, weirder, darker horror and dark fantasy films.” They also set up a Patreon account where fans can subscribe and show their support for the company while getting a behind-the-scenes look at the making of these films. The first movie in the Pulp Noir line, a female serial killer story called Quadrant, was released in August, with a black & white release following in September – and now that October is upon us, so is the second movie in the Pulp Noir line-up, the vampire story Death Streamer. Quadrant seemed to get a bit more attention than the average Full Moon movie, with some reviews even calling it artistic and mature… but while Band, who produced and directed both movies, has described Death Streamer as one of the best movies he has made “in a lot of years,” this one isn’t likely to receive those sort of accolades. It’s a fun watch, but comes off as being more low-key and less eventful than its predecessor.

The film begins with the vampire Arturo Valenor (Sean Ohlman) donning a pair of “technologically advanced glasses” that allow him to live stream his point of view onto the internet, making his way through a party and picking a young woman from the crowd. With the help of two assistants, he’s able to spike her drink with some of his blood, putting her in a hypnotic state, and takes her to a bedroom, where he kills her and feeds on her blood while thousands of viewers watch online.

The footage of Arturo’s blood feast catches the attention of Alexander Jarvis (Aaron McDaniel), who hosts a webcast called Church of Chills, which digs into stories of monster sightings and hauntings, among other things, alongside his own two assistants, Emma Massalone as Edwina and Kaitlin Moore as Juniper. Their show is called Church of Chills because they broadcast out of an old, abandoned and decommissioned church that also seems to be their home, as they sleep in tents inside the place. A few years ago, Full Moon purchased a house in Cleveland, Ohio to film several of their productions in (they named the place Full Moon Manor), and recently they also purchased this old church that stands in Cleveland. The plan is to use this place as a studio and warehouse, but here it’s presented as what it really is, an old church – and they got their money’s worth on this production, because once Death Streamer cuts to the Church of Chills folks, it rarely leaves the confines of this church. The majority of the movie involves Alexander, Emma, and Kaitlin investigating and discussing the case of the live streaming vampire, and the movie rarely follows any of them outside of the church.

Occasionally, scenes will drop in on the tech-savvy vampire, and when it’s time for him to feed, he does some more live streaming. As we witness the final moments of Arturo’s victims (one of whom is played by porn star Maddy May) through his live streaming glasses, we also see the constantly changing numbers of his subscribers and viewers at the bottom of the screen, and I would advise trying not to focus on those numbers too much, because they go up and down from shot to shot in a way that doesn’t always make sense. The streaming specs aren’t the only impressive thing about this bloodsucker, as he also has a special way of watching and communicating with people at a long distance that I won’t spoil here because it demands to be seen in the movie. It’s one of the most unique vampire tricks ever shown on screen.

If you sit down for a viewing of Death Streamer, you should be prepared to be looking at the interior of the church location for a good portion of the movie’s 72 minute running time. The small number of locations and the extensive dialogue sequences may be an issue for some viewers, but the script by Full Moon regular Roger Barron (also known as Benjamin Carr, also known as Neal Marshall Stevens) does give Band plenty of time to focus on the characters, and he was able to assemble a strong cast to bring them to life. Sean Ohlman is effectively sleazy and threatening in his scenes, and Aaron McDaniel, Emma Massalone, and Kaitlin Moore do great work as our trio of heroes. None of them have many feature credits to their names at this time, but their performances here indicate they could have great careers ahead of them.

So, as a Pulp Noir release, is Death Streamer edgier, weirder, and/or darker than other movies we’ve seen from Full Moon recently? Not extremely. I think it would fit right in with last year’s Full Moon releases Bring Her to Me and AIMEE: The Visitor, which came before the Pulp Noir launch. But while it doesn’t stand out in that way, it is an entertaining and quick-moving vampire-meets-modern-tech story that features good acting and the necessary bloodshed, finds ways to expose the breasts of nearly every actress in the movie, and even builds its villain up to be an apocalyptic threat (allowing for the awesome line, “This motherf*cker isn’t just looking for blood and tits, he’s trying to destroy the whole f*cking world!”). It’s all in good fun and makes for an entertaining way to spend an hour and change. Having a live streaming vampire as the villain was a cool idea, and Band and Barron put him up against some interesting heroes.

Death Streamer is set to receive a Blu-ray, DVD, limited edition VHS, and streaming release (on Amazon Prime, Full Moon Features, and Tubi, among others) on October 11th.

full moon

AVERAGE

6

The post Death Streamer Review: Full Moon’s Second Pulp Noir Release appeared first on JoBlo.

PLOT: Hellboy and a rookie B.P.R.D. agent in the 1950s are sent to the Appalachians, where they discover a remote community dominated by witches and led by the sinister local demon, the Crooked Man.

REVIEW: The Hellboy series has struggled ever since its inception. It was never financial dynamite for the studio, despite its clear fanbase. So now filmmakers are taking a different approach. Hellboy: The Crooked Man is much more in line with the graphic novels from Mike Mignola than anything we’ve seen before. He’s more of a paranormal detective with the scope being much more street-level. There are still fantastical creatures to fight, but it’s more location shooting and less crazy action set pieces. This is certainly not the Guillermo Del Toro movies, which went for a more large-scale, fantastical world. And it really worked for me!

Having low expectations can often help a movie out and I’m not sure my expectations could be lower after that first trailer. But the film itself really managed to appeal to the indie horror fan in me. Hellboy: The Crooked Man follows Hellboy and his team from the BRPD as they head to the Appalachians. It’s the 1950’s and they find a community of witches, with the mysterious Crooked Man at the forefront. I think most need to go into this with the proper expectations as this is a slow burn. Unlike the other which go further into the action, this leans heavily on folk horror. I watch a lot of indie horror, so I felt properly prepared for the structure at play. But those expecting large action beats and jokes will be disappointed.

Jack Kesy is pretty good as Hellboy. He has that trademark sardonic dry wit and annoyance with the world around him. Unlike the trailers that had a fanfilm look to them, he fits in well with the world here. The makeup grew on me, mostly because his performance just nails the Hellboy spirit. Most of the other characters are pretty bland, with no one really getting a chance to stand out. They are simply pawns in the story between Hellboy and the Crooked Man. A little more characterization would have gone a long way. I couldn’t tell you the name of anyone outside of our hero and villain. I definitely was missing Abe Sapien and Liz.

The Crooked Man takes advantage of the gothic horror aesthetic, complete with large spiders, decrepit buildings, and cemeteries. There are some really cool gags like a witch returning to her body and repopulating her skin, all in-camera. The CGI certainly isn’t Hollywood blockbuster level but it’s completely competent. There are some larger-than-life visuals and mostly shoots around its limitations. The filmmakers do a good job of setting up the Crooked Man as a force to be reckoned with. His presence is felt long before he appears on camera. He’s framed by other characters as evil incarnate and he’s properly creepy. Once we meet him, he falls into more generic territory.

When I think of writer/director Brian Taylor, I think of the high-octane action of the Crank franchise or the utter insanity of Mom and Dad. But he dials things back here, focusing on interesting shots that feel straight out of a comic panel. And despite the low budget, the sets never feel cheap. Everything feels very old and lived in. I was constantly impressed with the beautifully creepy visuals on display. The R Rating is pretty well utilized with some eye gouges, squished heads, and some swear words. But I definitely could have used more.

To be sure, The Crooked Man is going to have a steep hill to climb with general audiences. This is a very different style than the one fans of the Del Toro films will be used to. While it doesn’t entirely come together with some shoddy acting and some cringy dialogue, the gothic horror and atmosphere is fantastic. Despite the simple story, I really enjoyed my time with this. I think you have to go into it with the right mindset because this is very much an indie horror film and not an action blockbuster. Watching it overwhelmed me with the same sense of dread I had when reading the graphic novels. I really appreciated the low-budget approach and think they stretched the dollar well. While I doubt we’ll see more, I’m appreciative that we finally got this version of the character on the screen.

HELLBOY: THE CROOKED MAN IS AVAILABLE TO RENT/BUY DIGITALLY NOW.

Hellboy: The Crooked Man

GOOD

7

The post Hellboy: The Crooked Man Review: Is It Actually Decent? appeared first on JoBlo.

PLOT: Six bloodcurdling tapes unleash horror in a sci-fi inspired hellscape, pushing the boundaries of fear and suspense.

REVIEW: While the last few entries in the V/H/S series have covered specific years like 1999, 1994, and 1985. I’m glad to see the series leaving behind the year-specific branding, and therefore opening the story up to more possibilities. As great as some of those segments were, others felt very constrained by the time. In V/H/S/Beyond, the found VHS tapes claim to prove the existence of extraterrestrial life. But it’s not just aliens, as they take aim at robots and weird taxidermists as well. And it may be my favorite entry yet.

As someone who finds alien stories to be boring and very samey, I wasn’t entirely sold on the concept of Beyond initially. But thankfully there’s enough variety to keep things interesting. The wraparound story does a good job of establishing these mysterious tapes as being the most concrete piece of evidence of alien existence. Being hosted by an actual occult host in Mitch Horowitz certainly helps with the documentary style. And I loved the inclusion of the Corridor Crew to come in and explain fake UFO footage. It’s a fun moment given the irony of those tricks being used in this film.

The first segment “Stork”, is very aesthetically similar to REC (or its American remake Quarantine), with a swat team taking on a building. They’re searching for abducted babies and when they find them, they also find a bunch of zombie-like creatures and a large, Stork-like monster. I loved the visual of the monster, even if the story gets lost in the chaotic visuals. But that’s kind of what I want from an anthology film like this: a story that fits in 20 minutes that would be tough to expand into a feature film.

Another segment follows paparazzi in India; specifically two gentlemen who are trying to get a photo of a famous actress. This had some interesting visuals and mostly just serves to show off some gore gags. Thankfully, that gore is awesome and gets nice and gooey. Sometimes found footage can get a little stale so it’s interesting to see all the different ways that they utilize it here. And I appreciated that most of it made sense. There were past entries where the camera’s presence/editing made no sense but they did a good job of having a steady throughline.

Alanah Pearce is mostly known from the world of video games but she takes center stage in Kate Siegel’s “Stowaway.” Even as a newcomer, Pearce is a natural and delivers a fantastic performance. Written by Mike Flanagan, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that this is a standout. But it’s what first-time director Siegel decides to show us that brings it together beautifully. This was easily my favorite segment as it’s larger than life while still being intimate and personal.

The digital effects work has really taken a step forward, with nearly everything looking great in-camera. I could never imagine this series pulling off a full skydiving segment but “Live and Let Dive” is absolutely expertly handled. Skydiving is already a terrifying activity not to mention all the ways it can go wrong. But having an alien invasion happen during one is maniacal and fantastic. The gore is absolutely top-notch throughout, but this segment gets to show off how far Independent Film has come with digital effects. If there was any segment that I appreciated the concept but didn’t love the execution, it was probably “Fur Babies.” While it’s cool to see Justin Long getting behind the camera after being so prominent in the horror world, this one didn’t work for me.

Like most in the V/H/S series, not every segment hits, making the film feel a bit overlong. But the few moments that do make an impact make the viewing experience more than worth it. While I still don’t consider myself an anthology fan, nor do I tend to like found footage, but I really enjoyed my time with Beyond. Sure, it’s easy to poke holes in even the good segments, but they work well in their contained stories. V/H/S/Beyond brings an intensity that lasts the entire runtime and consistently delivers thrills and chaos.

V/H/S/BEYOND IS NOW STREAMING ON SHUDDER!

V/H/S/Beyond

GREAT

8

The post V/H/S/Beyond Review: A Fantastic New Entry appeared first on JoBlo.

PLOT: Author Ben Mears returns to his childhood home of Jerusalem’s Lot in search of inspiration for his next book only to discover his hometown is being preyed upon by a bloodthirsty vampire.

REVIEW: I need to get it right out of the way that I’m not the biggest fan of the original 1979 Tobe Hooper version of Salem’s Lot. The story is interesting but I find it to be a 3-hour slog with about 15 minutes of cool moments. So I was ecstatic to see it finally get the remake treatment. Or rather, I was glad to see the book adapted another time, to try and get it right (they tried again in 2004 with another so-so miniseries). This would have been the first big-screen adaptation of the novel, but it was delayed for years, with Warner Bros eventually cancelling its theatrical release in favour of streaming release on Max.

For those who have never read the book or seen either prior adaptation, Salem’s Lot follows Ben Mears (Lewis Pullman) as he returns to his hometown. Hoping to find inspiration for his next book, he finds his arrival coincides with that of a dark force descending upon the town: an ancient vampire intent on taking over Jerusalem’s Lot. As more and more townsfolk are converted, it becomes a ticking time bomb. But Ben’s isn’t the only story we follow, as we get an IT-like juvenile plotline with Jordan Preston Carter’s Mark Petrie. Mark has a wisdom beyond his years quality to him, and he’s solid in the role even if the character does often feel like he’s maybe a little too in control of situations for his age (hence the similarities to IT – with the director Gary Dauberman having famously written that two-part film).

After a stellar performance earlier this year in Skincare, Pullman continues to be great in whatever he does and he anchors the movie. His romance with Makenzie Leigh‘s Susan hits the right level of smitten. I was very excited to see Bill Camp get such a featured role as he’s always been so underrated. The other acting is a little stiff throughout, with some stilted performances amongst some people having fun with it. Young Nicholas Crovetti seemed to relish getting to play a bad guy and it was entertaining. King-regular, William Sadler appears as a police officer but it’s a pretty unrewarding role. Alfre Woodard feels more like she’s checking off a box versus contributing to the narrative.

Some of the scares have potential, with some really cool buildup moments but nearly every single one ends on a lame jump scare. And it’s one of those jump scares where the scene just immediately ends. Which means there’s no satisfying payoff to any of these tense moments. It sucks because I was really enjoying the simplicity of the story. The CGI can be a bit distracting, with enhancements on nearly all of the horror elements. Then there’s Kurt Barlow, the head vampire, whose appearance looks like a Halloween mask of the classic Nosferatu-like being. He’s often overlit and the cinematography highlights the very rubbery-looking mask. It’s a big disappointment.

And while there’s potential with the romance between Susan and Ben, it ultimately falls flat in the end. As soon as it starts to blossom, the film switches gears and becomes IT switching over to the B-plot. Every character feels shortchanged and there’s not a good balance in the shuffling of all the storylines. There’s just not enough time to dig into any dramatic elements, proving that maybe a miniseries really is the only way to tackle the material. The changes don’t necessarily ruin the film (the Drive-In Movie Theater sequence was great) but the execution feels sloppy and uninspired.

Ultimately I was really disappointed with Salem’s Lot. There’s clearly a reason that this movie was shelved for years. I was hoping they’d finally be able to crack the code when it comes to adapting this novel. But it still just hasn’t happened, and at this point, I’m afraid it never will. Apparently, a simple story about a vampire taking over a small town is just too much for a feature film. Guess we’ll try again in another twenty years.

SALEM’S LOT IS EXCLUSIVELY PLAYING ON MAX STARTING ON OCTOBER 3RD, 2024.

Salem's Lot (2023)

BELOW AVERAGE

5

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PLOT: When a mysterious force begins to disrupt their big summer fun, Noah and his friends team up with a retired police detective to embark on a monstrous adventure to save their island.

REVIEW: It’s been a longstanding tradition for the horror genre to put kids on a grand adventure to solve a scary problem. Whether it’s The Goonies or The Monster Squad, they’re a fun way to get kids interested in slightly darker fare. Some scary elements to help intrigue and encourage future dalliances into more depraved cinema. Monster Summer does a good job of keeping that spirit alive, but feels so all over the place, that it never settles into a proper goal.

Monster Summer follows Noah (Mason Thames) and his friends as they try to solve the strange happenings in their hometown. Teens are starting to disappear, only to return in an almost catatonic state. Noah quickly finds out that the culprit is a witch, and is determined to stop her. Mel Gibson plays retired police detective, Gene, who everyone thinks is evil. But Noah quickly learns that this isn’t the case, and they team up together to stop the Witch before she finishes off the kids for good.

When it’s Gibson and Thames together, the film becomes a fun two-hander as they play off each other well. Gibson’s little insults are fun and provide a bit of spark to the film. But when it’s trying to go Goonies/Stranger Things, it doesn’t really work. One roadblock I really couldn’t get past was the acting among the teen actors. It ranges from okay to really rough and it really broke my immersion throughout. It doesn’t help that Gibson is so effortless in anything he does, that it just makes the other stick out like a sore thumb.

Everyone is fully aware of Gibson’s issues in the public eye but I’ve always been a fan of the actor, so it’s nice to see him return to such family fare. Hopefully, it just continues from here (but I remember thinking that after the Beaver all those years ago). But I was even more excited to see Patrick Renna in a more featured role. Most will remember him as Ham from The Sandlot, and he’s in a very fun role here. I always love to see child actors do well in adult roles. Kevin James also shows up as a villainous newspaper owner but he’s fairly underutilized. Same with Lorraine Bracco who I was shocked got such placement on the poster, given her small role.

I can always appreciate horror that’s aimed at younger audiences, and there’s an almost Goosebumps feel to Monster Summer. It just feels like there are so many elements missing. There’s not a lot of logic involved as it’s mostly just a feel-good story about a boy trying to defeat a monster. Noah isn’t a very interesting character and the stakes just aren’t there. Very little is changed from the beginning to the end of the film outside of new friendships, so it lacks much impact.

The third act is where Monster Summer stumbles a lot. Obviously I won’t get into too much detail but it really devolves into a cheap TV movie. From really poor Witch effects to a very generic resolution, it’s very frustrating. Which sums up most of this experience. Had they just made it Mel Gibson and Mason Thames solving this mystery, it would have been much more interesting. As is, the “Goonies” part of the story is the worst part, while the buddy cop portion is miles better. This makes for a very uneven experience that I just can’t recommend outside of Gibson.

MONSTER SUMMER IS PLAYING IN THEATERS ON OCTOBER 4TH, 2024.

Monster Summer

AVERAGE

6

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PLOT: A group of college friends reunite for a weekend-long party. When one of the gang shows up with a mysterious suitcase in tow; the group gets to know each other in an unusual  – and perhaps even terrifying – way.

REVIEW: It’s What’s Inside presents anyone reviewing it with a problem. Something that happens early in the film is so unexpected that spoiling it would be a crime. Yet, the problem is that this potential spoiler is the instigating event. How do you discuss the rest of the movie if you can’t even really dig into what it’s about? Indeed, the company repping the film begged us in a follow-up email to our screening not to spoil the premise. As such, this review is going to be vague.

It was one of the most popular genre films to premiere at Sundance this year, and it sparked a bidding war which was eventually won by Netflix, whore releasing the film now – just in time for Halloween. This is the perfect movie to watch with a group of friends, with it a terrific audience movie and an energetic blast from start to finish. However, while it may be marketed as horror, that’s not the genre, as it’s essentially a character-based supernatural thriller with heavy doses of comedy mixed in. It’s similar to Bodies, Bodies, Bodies, in that you won’t sympathize with any of the horrible characters on-screen, so when misfortune sets in on them, you can’t help but enjoy it. It’s THAT kind of movie. 

The directorial debut of writer-director Greg Jardin, the film sports a remarkably photogenic cast of young up-and-comers. Brittany O’Grady, from the first season of The White Lotus, plays the closest thing to a lead, with her character, the insecure Shelby, looking to reignite her failing relationship with her college boyfriend, Cyrus (the Virus – in a nice Con Air nod), played by James Morosini. They get the thrill they wanted when they reunite at the palatial estate belonging to their friend Reuben (Devon Terrell), who’s getting married. Other guests include an insufferable influencer named Nikki (played by producer Colman Domingo’s Fear the Walking Dead co-star Alycia Debnam-Carey), a trust-fund bro, Dennis (Gavin Leatherwood), the stoned Brooke (Reina Hardesty) and the bohemian Maya (Nina Bloomgarden). 

Their plan gets shaken when a former friend, Forbes (David Thompson), with a grudge against at least two group members, shows up with a game they all find themselves enthralled by when they start experimenting. As the film continues, it transitions from comedy to something darker before going all-out towards the conclusion. But, again, I can’t tell you about any of that.

Needless to say, It’s What’s Inside seems destined for some cult renown. Older genre fans may be turned off by how vacuous the characters are, but that’s the point. Jardin is satirizing the self-absorbed, wealthy zennial. While I wish I could reveal why the instigating accident makes it such an impressive showpiece for the talented cast, I’m gagged by the producer’s fairly reasonable demand. As such, put this one on your radar of movies to see, but do yourself a favour and try not to read too much about it before it comes out. I have my fingers crossed that the trailer doesn’t reveal the big twist. 

Sundance

GREAT

8

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