Shudder Saturday: Dolly (2025)

I didn't expect much from Dolly. I was hoping for something grimy and entertaining, and maybe interspersed with some impressively brutal violence. What I got, unfortunately, was absolute trash. There's nothing here for most horror fans to enjoy, one good gore gag aside, and at least one particular element is so implausible and laughably mishandled that I wondered at one point if I would have enjoyed the whole thing more if I viewed it as a comedy. 

Macy (Fabianne Therese) and Chase (Seann William Scott) are in an isolated woodland area when they encounter the titular character of Dolly. Dolly wears a porcelain mask, likes to abuse and kill people, and also wants someone she can treat like a baby. Macy is the latest person she wants to coddle. That's all you need to know.

Directed by Rod Blackhurst, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Brandon Weavil, Dolly seems to be an expansion on their 2022 short, Babygirl. Although I haven't seen that yet, I'd be surprised if I didn't prefer it to this tiresome attempt to overstretch something that doesn't really have enough meat on the bones to make it worthy of a feature runtime. This may only clock in at 83 minutes, but every minute of it is a painful experience, and not in a good way.

Therese doesn't get to do anything good with her character, being put into the role of the struggling victim far too early, Scott struggles to overcome the inherent silliness of what happens to his character throughout the film, and all Max the Impaler has to do, in the role of Dolly, is ensure the mask stays on and they're grimly determined to maintain a situation that keeps them happy, even while anyone else around them is miserable. Ethan Suplee tries to do a bit more with what he's given, but he's unable to make viewers forget that his character has been portrayed much better in a number of other films in this vein.

I cannot stress enough how worthless this film is, and I'd be very surprised to hear from anyone outwith the cast and crew who decided to champion it. There's no originality, scenes seemingly designed for pure shock value end up being as hilariously mishandled as so many other elements, and it's almost as if Blackhurst and Weavil approached the material with a complete feeling of disdain for those who would be most likely to check it out.

I'll give it a couple of points for the fact that it was made, and made with a general level of technical competence, but that's it. Almost every decision, from the development of the main killer to the pointless structuring that presents the tale in a number of different chapters, is wrong. You can make the right decision by choosing not to watch it.

2/10

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Netflix And Chill: The Wrath Of Becky (2023)

Considering how much I enjoyed Becky, I am surprised that it took me this long to get around to the sequel. There didn't seem to be a lot of the main people returning behind the camera, but Lulu Wilson was back in the main role, which ensured I would eventually give it a watch. I'm glad I did. This sequel is a lot of fun, and I'd say that it's on a par with the first film.

A bit of time has passed since the events of the first film and Becky has been doing her best to lay low. She's moved between a number of foster homes, but is now settled with a woman named Elena (Denise Burse). Elena doesn't ask Becky too many questions, and Becky tries to act like someone happy to make a fairly normal life for herself. That all changes when a group of racist incels, part of a group called the Noble Men, start trouble in town though, and Becky refuses to put up with their attitude in a confrontation that kicks off a chain of events that will lead to a lot of pain and death.

Co-directed by Matt Angel and Suzanne Coote, with a story from the two of them shaped into screenplay form by Angel, The Wrath Of Becky makes a choice early on to remind us that Becky is an entertainingly cold-blooded psychopath. She can keep herself in check, just, by indulging in occasional daydreams of violence against those who piss her off, but it's glorious to watch things build and build to a point that allows her to start doing what she enjoys most. While this idea felt like a bit of a twist in the first film, the joy here comes from watching people push the buttons of someone that we know will eventually explode in absolutely spectacular fashion.

Wilson remains as good in the central role as she was in the first film, and arguably gets to have more fun thanks to the fact that the dark (aka fun) side of her character is visible for almost all of the runtime here. The rest of the cast work well in roles that only need them to be menacing for a short amount of time before clarifying that they're actually just dead (noble)men walking. They may think they're Proud Boys, but everyone else knows they're just inadequate man-babies, and they're played well by Michael Sirow, Aaron Dalla Villa, Angel (wearing a third hat that allows him to join in with the fun in front of the camera), and Courtney Gains. Seann William Scott is the leader of the group, and he also does good work, and Jill Larson manages to make a hell of an impact with her few minutes of screentime.

There are so many immensely satisfying moments in this that I just want to describe them all, but I won't. It's a real treat to watch, easily summarised as a young girl exacting revenge upon violent neo-Nazis, but feels especially heartening when we are surrounded by news and media that seems intent on refusing to call out the disturbing rise of these ideologies as they constantly mistake dangerous bothsidesism with fair and balanced reporting. It's perfectly okay to be intolerant of intolerance, it should be okay to call a neo-Nazi a neo-Nazi (especially if it walks like a neo-Nazi and talks like a neo-Nazi), and The Wrath Of Becky reminds everyone that it's always acceptable to punch any kind of Nazi in the face. In fact, it's almost a duty.

8/10

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Netflix And Chill: Bloodline (2018)

Seann William Scott plays Evan, a school counsellor who has a very direct way of helping some of his students deal with serious problems. He kills people, and it often seems to be people who fully deserve it. He's also about to be a dad, so spends his time caring for his pregnant wife, Lauren (Mariela Garriga), and dealing with his slightly overbearing mother (Marie, played by Dale Dickey).

Arguably a strange choice for the fictional feature debut from director Henry Jacobson (with the majority of his time over the past decade spent on documentary works), Bloodline is an enjoyable, grisly thriller that lets everything unfold with an unabashed lean into the macabre humour of the whole situation, whether that's Evan simply doling out fatal justice or his plans being interrupted by a request from his pregnant wife. Despite me only being familiar with the overall premise of the show, I can see this being the kind of thing to appeal to fans of the slightly similar Dexter.

Scott does well in the lead role, playing up his nicer side as he interacts with people on a day to day basis and going about his more bloody business with a very matter-of-fact approach to the deadly deeds. His killing time is him at his most assured, while the everyday life moments have him working harder than anyone else around him, something that is made clear without his performance becoming too over the top (just). Garriga has to play the vulnerable pregnant woman, for the most part, and feels like a passive character until events conspire to give her some knowledge she was previously not privy to. Dickey plays up her bad streak more than anyone else, being the kind of passive aggressive parent who spends a lot of time being critical while supposedly just trying to be helpful, but she's good fun in her role. All of the younger cast members do good work, and Kevin Carroll is the kind of weary and suspicious detective so often found in these kinds of movies.

The script, co-written by Jacobson with Avra Fox-Lerner and Will Honley, is a bit silly when you stop to think about all of the separate elements. Thankfully, it doesn't make you want to stop and think about everything too often. It just moves from one enjoyably twisted scene to the next, trying hard to keep things just as grounded as they need to be, and always poised to take one giant leap into entertaining absurdity. Whether you go along with it or not is a different matter entirely, and I can see people rolling their eyes and dismissing this as a truly awful viewing choice. Personally, I had fun throughout.

It's not really making any major comment on social issues, it's not asking you to overthink the central situations, all Bloodline wants to do is entertain you for the runtime. I think it does that. Some may want more gore, some may want more tension. It's not put together perfectly. But it's put together well enough for all it wants to do. I tentatively recommend it to those who want a movie not aiming to make them overthink things.

7/10

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Prime Time: The Dukes Of Hazzard (2005)

There were two movies made in the mid-2000s that were based on TV shows that were, in turn, based around a car in a starring role. Well, two that I can recall, off the top of my head. Starsky & Hutch was the first, in 2004. The second was this one. It's not really a surprise to find that both were reworked for comedy. It's also not really a surprise, for those who know how easily pleased I am, that I tended to enjoy both. What IS surprising is that this film turned out as well as it did, considering who was involved in front of the camera.

Mind you, with taste being as subjective as it is, the very people I enjoy seeing in this movie may be the very reason that others never want to see it, and think it should be consigned to the bargain bin section of Hell. And if you're already thinking that then you should probably not rush to see it.

Johnny Knoxville and Seann William Scott play Luke and Bo Duke, the rough 'n' ready heroes of our story. Well, they are the characters that we tag along with, and they are the humans who look set to put a spanner in the works of any plan by 'Boss' Hogg (Burt Reynolds), but the real star is the General Lee, the car that Bo uses to cause vehicular carnage and stay one step ahead of pursuing baddies, or those wanting to shoot Luke because of his unchecked libido.

Directed by Jay Chandrasekhar (of Broken Lizard fame), this works well because of good casting, gags that range from decent to groan-inducing, and a number of sequences that allow for some great car stonework. You also get appearances from many of the other Broken Lizard troupe members, which helps.

Written by John O'Brien, the script manages to retain the essence of the show thanks to the way it uses the main characters, even while twisting them all slightly to up the comedy quotient. Knoxville and Scott may not be your favourite actors, and may not be absolutely perfect in these roles, but they're a decent fit for a couple of moonshine-running lads who can always try to excuse the irritation they cause with a big grin and air of childishness.

The rest of the cast fit just as well, whether it's Jessica Simpsons turning heads as Daisy Duke, Burt Reynolds as the villain of the piece, M. C. Gainey as his main henchman, who also happens to be the local Sheriff, and Willie Nelson as Grandpa. There are also fun turns from David Koechner, James Roday (playing a cocky ex-resident of the county back to take part in a local race), an underused Lynda Carter, and one or two others.

The soundtrack has some great selections, the chase sequences are genuinely entertaining, and the plot feels like the kind of thing that could have happened in a feature-length episode of the show, which is sometimes the best you can hope for from a movie reworking a beloved TV show from the past. This may not be the best film that anyone here is involved with, but it's fun stuff, nothing more, nothing less.

6/10

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Goon: Last Of The Enforcers (2017)

I liked Goon. It was a sweet film that happened to also feature a lot of bone-crunching violence, and it featured a superb central performance from Seann William Scott. Goon: Last Of The Enforcers is, although some (many?) may disagree, a superior sequel.

It's been a while since we last saw Doug Glatt (Scott). He's grown older but not that much wiser, although now nice and settled at home with Eva (Alison Pill), still putting up with the drunken antics of his friend Pat (Jay Baruchel), and still taking a hell of a beating out on the ice, when he needs to. Things come to a head when he is set upon by a vicious player named Anders Cain (Wyatt Russell), leading him to try and leave hockey behind for the sake of his health and Eva's peace of mind.

As well as returning to the role of Pat, Baruchel also co-wrote the script with Jesse Chabot. Obviously wanting to heap a bit more onto his plate, Baruchel has decided to make this his feature directorial debut, which makes sense considering how well he seems to know the characters and small world created in the first film. He certainly does a better job behind the camera than he does in front of it. It's been a while since I watched the first film but I can't recall his character being quite so idiotic, although I could be wrong.

Scott continues to make the most of the opportunity that this lead role affords him. He's dim, but not a complete idiot, and he does get a chance to grow somewhat. Russell is a great addition to the roster of characters, showing almost a mirror universe version of Doug. He's a man who wants to spill blood and break bones, his passion is for the fight ahead of the game or the team, and he's genuinely confused when others don't seem to approach the sport with the same attitude. Liev Schreiber returns, as Ross Rhea, and once again proves to be an excellent illustration of what Doug may potentially have lying ahead of him. Pill does well with her relatively thankless role (as ultimately understanding as she is, I am sure some will view her as just the moaning wife), and Kim Coates and Callum Keith Rennie stand out as two men who want to run the ice hockey team two very different ways.

Although it runs through just as many sports movie cliches as the first film, Goon: Last Of The Enforcers at least uses a new bag of old tricks (if that makes sense). There are a couple of mis-steps - with the main ones being the waste of Baruchel in the actual acting department, and the equal waste of Elisha Cuthbert in a small role - but those aren't significant enough to stop this from being a perfect follow-up to a film that I never would have considered in need of a sequel.

8/10

Pick it up on DVD for a bargain price here.
Or, in America, get it the bluray here.

American Pie: The Wedding (2003)

The gang (almost) all return for more bawdy comedy in this third American Pie movie that starts off with a hilariously embarrassing marriage proposal and might end with Jim (Jason Biggs) and Michelle (Alyson Hannigan) walking up the aisle together. The focus here is very much on Stifler (Seann William Scott), a character who ends up invited along to the wedding, despite nobody actually wanting him there. He agrees to give Jim some dance lessons as long as he can attend the event, but quickly ends up causing trouble as he competes with Paul Finch (Eddie Kaye Thomas) for the affections of Cadence (Michelle's younger sister, played by January Jones). Stifler starts to act innocent, Finch tries to appeal to Cadence by starting to act like a bad boy, a bachelor party is upset by some major mistiming and there are, as ever, one or two pieces of sage advice from Jim's dad (Eugene Levy).

The law of diminishing returns. That's what the American Pie franchise illustrates best. I'm not sure if it's something that could be applied literally, but it's certainly something that applies to the goodwill and laughs generated from the first movie. Of course, at least these official entries remain more enjoyable and humorous than the many spin-off films that used the brand name and a tenuous link (and Eugene Levy). There will be more talk of those at another time. When I endure/review them here.

There are some big laughs here. The aforementioned bachelor party has a teen-pleasing mix of comedy and nudity while a dance off featuring the unlikeliest of competitors remains the absolute highlight of the whole film. There are also lots of little laughs, whether they come from Stifler and Finch fighting to get time with Cadence or Jim nervously grooming himself in preparation for his big day. The problem is that these laughs aren't as fresh or actually funny as they were when the characters were first introduced.

Director Jesse Dylan and writer Adam Herz made a smart decision in shedding some of the popular characters who had already outstayed their welcome by the end of the second movie, but there's nothing they can do to recapture that magic that was there in the first movie.

Jason Biggs, Alyson Hannigan, Eugene Levy, Eddie Kaye Thomas, January Jones, Fred Willard, Eric Allan Kramer and everyone else does a great job, but they also have to stand back on a number of occasions and leave space for Seann William Scott to go through his repertoire of curse-words and funny faces. It just manages to remain an ensemble piece, but there are many times throughout the movie when it becomes little more than The Stifler Show (a good or bad thing, depending on how you react to the character).

If you enjoyed the first two movies then you'll enjoy this one. You just might not enjoy it as much as the preceding instalments in the franchise.

6/10

http://www.amazon.co.uk/American-Pie-The-Wedding-DVD/dp/B00008KDHE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1357209864&sr=8-1

American Pie 2 (2001)

The gang all return for another outing involving a quest for some sexual adventures and if you liked American Pie there's no reason for you not to enjoy this sequel. It doesn't veer too far from the template of the first movie - this time an epic party is the ultimate goal as opposed to virginity loss - and all of your favourite characters are back to do what they do best (which is, mainly, get into embarrassing situations).

Set out as "the same, but different," this movie also shows Jim (Jason Biggs), Finch (Eddie Kaye Thomas), Oz (Chris Klein), Kevin (Thomas Ian Nicholas), Vicky (Tara Reid) and Michelle (Alyson Hannigan) trying to draw a line in the sand between their youth and adulthood. Jim's dad (Eugene Levy) is once again on hand to help out and Stifler (Seann William Scott) is once again on hand to abuse and irritate everyone. Oh, and Nadia (Shannon Elizabeth) is also due to return to cause Jim some . . . . . . . . . anxiety.

Adam Herz is back as the main writer while J. B. Rogers takes over the directing duties for this particular slice of pie. Both men take the easy option of following the template of the first movie and the end result is very entertaining, if also completely unsurprising. The soundtrack cues are fashioned in exactly the same manner, the laughs are fairly steady in between the few fantastic set-pieces, there's some nudity here and there and Jim is always at the centre of the biggest disasters. Familiarity can indeed breed contempt, but here it makes for a shorthand that keeps viewers happy while the characters progress through the next stage of their lives.

Jason Biggs and Eugene Levy get the lion's share of the laughs and they make the most of every comedic moment. Levy may need to do little more than raise an eyebrow or two, but Biggs throws his whole body around for maximum effects. Sean William Scott spits out more and more crude insults and Eddie Kaye Thomas tries to be even smoother and more laid-back than he was in the first film. Alyson Hannigan is still sweet and funny, Shannon Elizabeth is still stunningly gorgeous and the others (Klein, Reid, Nicholas, etc. etc.) do okay when involved in group scenes, but waste screen-time when the focus is on their separate story-lines.

It does exactly what fans will want it to do, for better or worse, and makes for a worthy sequel that keeps the laughs coming from start to finish.

7/10

http://www.amazon.co.uk/American-Shannon-Elizabeth-Alyson-Hannigan/dp/B00005RDOW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1357202435&sr=8-1

American Pie (1999)

It's obviously not going to be for everyone (which is, I realise, quite a redundant saying as it could be applied to every movie ever) but American Pie is a classic in the teen comedy genre. It may not have the nostalgia factor of an American Graffiti or the sharp, dark, wit of Heathers, but it has memorable set-pieces, some great characters and a sweetness running through all of the bawdy antics.

Four young men (played by Jason Biggs, Eddie Kaye Thomas, Chris Klein and Thomas Ian Nicholas) make a pact to lose their virginity by prom night. Jim (Biggs) is awkward and prone to mishaps that see him extremely humiliated, Paul Finch (Eddie Kaye Thomas) tries to maintain an air of intelligence and sophistication about him even while desperate to get a date, 'Oz' (Chris Klein) joins a singing group in a stealthy move to get close to some good-looking girl (Mena Suvari) and Kevin (Thomas Ian Nicholas) is already happy with his girlfriend (Vicky, played by Tara Reid) even though he can't bring himself to say: "I love you". Also involved with this quartet are Jim's dad (Eugene Levy almost stealing the entire movie), the coarse and carefree Stifler (Seann William Scott), a lovely foreign exchange student named Nadia (Shannon Elizabeth) and a young woman (Alyson Hannigan) whose every story seems to take place at band camp.

Written by Adam Herz, and directed by Paul Weitz (with some uncredited help from his brother, and producer, Chris Weitz), this fairly zips along from one-liner to one-liner in between the truly hilarious set-pieces. I always felt that when it was first released it was done a disservice with the talk about it being so focused on one particular pie-related incident. Thankfully, most of the other set-pieces throughout the movie are actually a lot better than the main pie moment and every scene between Jim and his dad is full of comedy gold.

The film made stars out of some of its leading players although many of them could never quite escape the shadow cast by this one huge success (well, okay, this one and the official sequels before the brand name was ruined by the many "American Pie Presents..." movies - more on those at a later date). Jason Biggs highlighted his problem with his memorable cameo role in Jay And Silent Bob Strike Back when he said: "No, it always comes back to that fucking pie! I'm HAUNTED by it!"
Still, he did better than some of his co-stars, with the main breakouts from the film being Shannon Elizabeth, Alyson Hannigan (who'd already been doing such great work on Buffy The Vampire Slayer anyway) and Seann William Scott.

Mind you, what do audiences care about the career paths of those onscreen? The fact that they were all in one place for this movie, and the few main sequels, is all that matters. That allowed people to hear the choice insults from Stifler, it allowed eagle-eyed viewers to spot Blink 182 in a sequence that I rate as the comedy highlight of the whole movie, it allowed everyone to learn the word MILF (if they didn't know it already) and it simply allowed for everything to come together to make a near-perfect, raunchy teen comedy. I've not even mentioned Jennifer Coolidge, Natasha Lyonne, Chris Owen (as "The Sherman-ator") or the fleeting appearances from John Cho and Casey Affleck, but I guess that highlights the best thing about American Pie - there's so much more to it than just the pie.

9/10

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Goon (2011)

I like Jay Baruchel a lot. I think he's a funny, sweet young guy and have enjoyed him in everything that I've seen him in (from the likes of Knocked Up and Fanboys to She's Out Of My League to The Sorcerer's Apprentice and the animated delight of How To Train Your Dragon). So hearing the praise that was heaped upon Goon when it started doing the rounds really made me hope I would enjoy it and be able to recommend it to others. Baruchel has a role in the movie but, more importantly for his career path, he also co-wrote the screenplay with Evan Goldberg (based on the book "Goon: The True Story of an Unlikely Journey into Minor League Hockey" by Adam Frattasio and Doug Smith).

The story is a standard, simple tale and one that we've seen many times before. With a slight twist. Doug Glatt (Seann William Scott) is a young man who doesn't really have a "thing" in life except being able to take a punch and really give back as good as he gets, and then some. When he's spotted by a manager at a hockey game his life takes a major upturn and he's signed up to play hockey. It doesn't matter that he isn't actually all that good at hockey. It simply matters that he gets on the ice when required and causes some bruising to the players that need kept out of action for a while. Jay Bruchel plays the friend who loves seeing his buddy make good, Eugene Levy is the stereotypical Jewish father unimpressed by this turn of events, Alison Pill is a potential love interest and Liev Schreiber is the former biggest badass on the ice who fans want to see in one titanic battle with Doug "The Thug".

Director Michael Dowse hits all of the right notes as this movie runs through all of the sports movie cliches but when things step up a notch in the second half he really serves the material well. As unexpected as it was, I was literally close to tears during the grand finale.

As the different posters stated, Doug is "dumb as a puck" and also "the nicest guy you'll ever fight" and it's a role that really needs a sweetness at the centre, hidden beneath the mass of punches and bloodhsed and bruises, and Seann William Scott gives his best performance yet. Cynics may say that it's not hard for Scott to top his past performances but it would be unfair to the man to try and damn this performance with faint praise. It's a captivating lead performance and something that may remain an all-time career high. The rest of the cast all acquit themselves equally well. Jay Baruchel is as enjoyable as ever, while the same can easily be said of Alison Pill and Eugene Levy. Marc-Andre Grondin, Richard Clarkin, Jonathan Cherry, Kim Coates and everyone else involved with the hockey team do well with their various highs and lows while everything takes on more of an edge whenever Liev Schreiber comes onscreen to warn the sweethearted Doug of the shape of things to come.

The script IS good but it's good in the way that it balances the really revealing character moments with the expected lashings of violence. There's just as much here that you won't expect mixed in with everything that you've sat through 100 times before but even the cornier moments and the cliches feel fresher and more enjoyable because of that wonderful central performance.

Goon is certainly not a standard sports movie to recommend to everyone but I hope that it finds an audience that will give it a home and keep introducing it to others whenever possible. Just like the lead character, it's a rough and ready piece that deserves some praise and love.

7/10

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Goon-Blu-ray-Seann-William-Scott/dp/B006E00FIC/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1336858298&sr=8-2