Netflix And Chill: Trick (2019)

Okay, let me start off this review with some positivity. The whole thing isn't going to be negative, but I think there may be moments when I ramble on a bit and give the impression that I had a terrible time. I did not. Trick is a lot of fun. It's just that it doesn't remain quite fun enough to help you overlook some of the more ridiculous moments, including some pretty big plot points.

The basic story revolves around Detective Mike Denver (Omar Epps), a man determined to catch a killer, believed to be Patrick "Trick" Weaver (Thom Niemann) who embarks on a fatal killing spree every Halloween. He attends a party, spins a knife around, and then starts getting stabby. Detective Denver, and Sheriff Lisa Jayne (Ellen Adair), keeps trying to stay hot on the trail of what may well be a supernatural killer, even if others don't buy into that theory.

Director Patrick Lussier, who once again worked with Todd Farmer on the script, has been delivering horror movies with an emphasis on fun for the past two decades. And they've managed to get a bit better and better after he was done with a number of Dracula films between 2000-2005. Trick may not be as wild as My Bloody Valentine and Drive Angry (especially that one), but it's clear that it's a film based around a fun premise, rather than one intricately plotted to weave between tense set-pieces on the way to a smart and thought-provoking final act. Nope, Lussier and Farmer want a lot of death, an element of mystery to keep the authorities on their toes, and a good mix of gore and silliness. They also throw in one or two death traps that would even make Jigsaw roll his eyes and say things were getting a bit too unbelievable (particularly when one character helps to keep another safe before ensuring they then return to the main target spot that will ensure their splattery demise).

The cast all go along with everything perfectly. Epps is actually deserving of some praise for playing his character as determined and obsessed without going into, for example, the kind of immediate manic and twitchy performance we got from Danny Glover in Saw (he is the first example to spring to mind, due to a few death scenes here, but there are many others). Adair is just as good as the woman working alongside him, casting doubt on some of his theory while continuing to put the work in and follow things wherever they lead. Kristina Reyes is a decent, strong female in her role, Cheryl Winston, a survivor of one killing spree hoping to help stop any others, and Max Miller is fun in the role of Troy, a jock who paints himself as a hero when things didn't quite pan out that way. Others do well, if they don't stand out, but genre fans may enjoy seeing Jamie Kennedy in a small role, and should definitely enjoy a wonderfully grouchy turn from the incomparable genre legend that is Tom Atkins.

I enjoyed a lot of Trick. Unfortunately, the scenes I enjoyed most where the scenes that were supposed to be highlights. They were set-pieces that quickly became ridiculous, taking me out from the viewing experience as I was unable to suspend my disbelief. But then it would get back to some smaller-scale insanity, and I was back on board.

Easier to hate than to love, I hope people give this a watch and simple enjoy it. The end runs a little too long, and has a ridiculous resolution to everything, but it's still worth 100 minutes of your time. Even if it's not a complete treat.

6/10

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Filmstruck Friday: Three Kings (1999)

Three Kings remains one of the best films from director David O. Russell, helped by a great cast and a fun script that generally updates Kelly's Heroes and adds more relevant politics and modern views on warfare. It's a film infused, at least initially, with cinematic cool that manages to walk a tightrope by sprinkling cool moments here and there without ever making the environment or war itself seem cool in the slightest.

George Clooney is Archie Gates, a soldier in Iraq as the Gulf War starts to wind down. He ends up leading three men (MarkWahlberg, Ice Cube, and Spike Jonze) on a hunt for gold stolen from Kuwait. They want to steal the gold for themselves, allowing them a very comfortable life when they get back home to America. But as they set out to execute their plan they encounter a number of people who need their help. Trying to ignore them becomes more difficult after they witness what can only be desribed as a ruthless execution.

Based on a story written by John Ridley, Three Kings is almost a perfect look at machismo and how easy it can be to undercut that machismo. The biggest and strongest soldier can be caught and tortured, can be turned into a weak invalid by one bullet, and can be killed at any moment, by a landmine or a gun-wielding enemy, or even an ally making a mistake. The dialogue succinctly captures the essence of the central characters and how the war has sharpened their senses in some ways and yet also dulled them in others. There's no room for complacency, but that's not to say that complacency is something they are never guilty of.

Clooney gives one of his many winning performances, a perfect fit as the guy who comes in and takes over leadership of the three men (who only know where the gold is because they happened to find a map stuck in the posterior of a prisoner). Ice Cube is also very good, and Wahlberg and Jonze both do well, the former playing someone who can posture with the best of them and the latter playing someone wishing he could posture like his buddy. The supporting cast also features Cliff Curtis, Nora Dunn, Jamie Kennedy, Said Taghmaoui, Mykelti Williamson, Holt McCallany, and Judy Greer, and not one of them puts a foot wrong. Not even Jamie Kennedy.

Not quite all things to all people, Three Kings at least gives it a damn good try. It has enough standard soldiering to please those looking for a war movie, it has a nice line in wry humour to please those after a particular style of comedic entertainment, and it has enought thought-provoking moments regarding the politics of war, in general, and the situation in Iraq to please those who want a bit of depth to their slick entertainment.

20 years old next year, this holds up as a fantastic modern war movie, one you could nicely line up alongside Buffalo Soldiers and Jarhead for a smart and amusing triple-bill that reflects on the madness of modern life in wartime without taking anything away from the individuals affected by it.

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Extreme Movie (2008)

Extreme Movie is a teen sex comedy that has one central, slim, storyline punctuated by a variety of sketches. I wanted to review it here, but I also knew that it would be a tough one to write about because, well, there really isn't that much to it. It's not even worth discussing the cast, who aren't really asked to do too much but do well enough by just going along with the many ridiculous ideas scattered throughout.

The main "plot" of the film concerns Mike (Ryan Pinkston), a shy young teenager who might just get his long-awaited chance to make his move on the lovely Stacy (Cherilyn Wilson) as the two spend time together in a sex education class being taught by Mr Matthews (John Farley), the kind of teacher who swears in his opening statement to prove that he is down with the kids and not like all of those other, stuffy, teachers.

Directed by Adam Jay Epstein and Andrew Jacobson, who also wrote some of the screenplay, Extreme Movie is competently put together. It feels strange when you get the first transition but once viewers are clued into the fact that this is a film made up of various sketches then it's all much easier to enjoy.

I am not going to mention all of the writers, there are about ten credited, but contributors include Will Forte, Andy Samberg, Akiva Schaffer, Phil Lord, and Christopher Miller. Some of those names may already let you know if you're going to like or dislike the film, but you may also be influenced by the fact that you don't have the same level of mental immaturity as I do.

The best skits are the more absurd ones. Highlights include a boy (Andy Milonakis) who goes through an entire relationship cycle with a, ummmm, super-realistic and anatomically-correct sex toy, a puppet appearing to talk to a horny boy about the need to deal with his blue balls, and the opening skit that shows Frankie Muniz and Ashley Schneider looking to take things to the next level in their relationship. And I'd better not forget to mention the hilarious skit featuring Michael Cera in a bit of roleplay that goes from bad to worse.

There are also fun interludes with Matthew Lillard giving the worst possible advice to young men, and a few "Street Corner Confessions" that lead to some good punchlines. It's puerile stuff, I'm not going to argue that point, but it made me laugh. Which is more than can be said about a lot of comedies with the word "movie" in the title.

6/10

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Bonus Review: Bermuda Tentacles (2014)

It's a movie made for the SyFy Channel. It's made by The Asylum. Yes folks, roll up your sleeves. Things are about to get a bit bumpy. People who know me, or have read enough of my reviews, will know that I have a soft spot for these movies. I equate them to the cheap 'n' cheerful b-movies of yesteryear, with crappy CGI replacing dodgy practical effects. But even I'm willing to admit that the output from The Asylum is rarely actually good, in the traditional sense, and they sometimes churn out some real stinkers. In fact, most of their movies look as if they could have been developed from the fake trailers in Tropic Thunder.

No need to beat about the bush here. Bermuda Tentacles is one of their stinkers. The plot is so laughable that you may not believe it, but I'll cover the basics anyway. Air Force One gets into a bit of trouble over the sea, forcing the President Of The United States to eject in an emergency pod. A number of Navy vessels appear some time later, with orders to rescue the POTUS, and find themselves attacked by huge creatures that resemble overgrown flukeworms. It turns out that those creatures are actually connected to something much bigger, something that may have been causing so many disappearances over the waters of Bermuda for many years.

When watching any movie from The Asylum, it's always useful to remember a few key points. First of all, they have three different main sets they like to use. One is an all-purpose warehouse, which can double as a lab, military facility, prison, etc. The second is a ship/submarine/aeroplane - all vehicles which can be created with handy use of pipes, monitors, and machines that go ping. The third, and final, main set they use is an alien craft.
Second thing to bear in mind, they always try to get some big names to place in key roles. In Bermuda Tentacle we get Linda Hamilton as an Admiral, Jamie Kennedy as a Doctor (god help us all), and . . . . . . . . Mya as a Lieutenant. If you don't know who Mya is, she was the one who made you ask "who the hell is that?" in the all-star cover of Lady Marmalade that appeared up on the Moulin Rouge soundtrack. None of those people are the real hero of the hour, however, as that honour goes to Trevor Donovan, playing the kind of tough military man who can defy orders if he thinks he has a better way to approach the situation.
Last, but not least, remember that most of the movie will be made up of the aforementioned crappy CGI, repeated use of any "money shots", and many scenes horribly padded out to ensure that they outstay their welcome within moments.

The acting on display here isn't great, with everyone stuck belting out cliches from the script (written by Geoff Meed). The direction from Nick Lyon is barely okay, and that's me being kind. The whole movie is just a bit of a mess, starting off at a quick pace and then having to tread water, no pun intended, for the next hour or so. If you can watch this movie and care about the outcome by the time the third act comes around then you're a better viewer than I am.

3/10

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