Prime Time: God Told Me To (1976)

A film that has long been a major omission in my journey through cinema, considering how much praise I have seen heaped upon it over the years, God Told Me To is, as I am sure you are already aware, another excellent film from writer-director Larry Cohen. Sometimes I might use a movie review to highlight some other work from people involved, either behind the camera or in front of it, and to contextualise different stages of their career, but Cohen is someone that I just encourage everyone to check out for themselves. His ideas were often brilliant, and his creativity and daring helped elevate his material into genuinely great movies that were able to overcome fairly limited budgets.

Things begin here with a man sniping random people. He will kill others and then kill himself. Before he completes that last task, however, he explains himself to Detective Peter J. Nicholas (Tony Lo Bianco) by saying “god told me to.” More people start to commit random murders, and they often offer the same explanation, which leads Detective Nicholas down a strange rabbit hole that has him encountering the enigmatic Bernard Phillips (Richard Lynch), as well as his own past.

Considering the many ways in which God Told Me To could have gone, the film that we ended up getting is one of the most brilliantly bonkers ‘70s American horror movies you will ever see. And I implore people not to leave it as long as I did to get around to this. I watched this film a few days ago and am still processing various moments, plot points that now feel like a fever dream. Whether it’s Andy Kaufman appearing as a killer in the middle of the St. Patrick’s Day parade, tales of alien abduction and virgin births, or the many moments that somehow retain a small ounce of ambiguity, despite what viewers are told and shown about the power of the figure at the heart of the film, God Told Me To is many different things, but dull is not one of them.

Lo Bianco is very good in the lead role, a very typical New York cop who ends up on a most extraordinary journey. It helps that he is cast in front of many familiar faces making up groups of his colleagues and peers, all adding that grounded realism that Cohen often used to underpin even his most fanciful stories. Lynch is as strange and riveting as usual (and so good in this kind of role, which he played on a few different occasions), and the scenes between him and Lo Bianco have enough intrigue and energy to distract from elements that would seem more preposterous if not handled by actors committed to playing the whole thing straight. Deborah Raffin and Sandy Dennis both do well in their small roles, and both Sylvia Sidney and Jo Flores Chase portray women who may have greatly influenced the lives of the two main characters.

Maybe not a film I would recommend to people looking to check out their first film from Cohen, thanks to a potent mix of heady ideas that may leave unprepared viewers feeling a bit blindsided by the whole experience, this is definitely one that everyone should get to once they have dipped their toes into other highlights from his filmography. It’s a crudely-assembled masterpiece, underlining how great Cohen was at playing to the strength of his writing, and I could happily sit down and rewatch it right now.

9/10

If you have enjoyed this, or any other, review on the blog then do consider the following ways to show your appreciation. A subscription/follow costs nothing.
It also costs nothing to like/subscribe to the YouTube channel attached to the podcast I am part of - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCErkxBO0xds5qd_rhjFgDmA
Or you may have a couple of quid to throw at me, in Ko-fi form - https://ko-fi.com/kevinmatthews

Scream VI (2023)

For as much as I love most of the Scream movies, including the fun Scream 4, I was absolutely not a fan of Scream (2022) aka 5cream. That immediately became my new least favourite in the franchise (not including the first season of the TV show) and I wasn’t looking forward to this next instalment AKA Ghostface Takes Manhattan.

Thankfully, being a completist is sometimes a good thing. I am glad I watched Scream VI, and it’s already one of my favourites (with my provisional ranking just now being 1, 4, 6, 2, 3, and 5). It’s far from perfect, and I still have issues with the core cast, but the set-pieces and the general vibe of the film, which feels a bit more relaxed and less reflexive and defensive than the last outing, works really well.

The premise is simple. A bunch of people who survived the last film are now in New York. Ghostface is also in New York. People are going to start being stabbed. That’s it. Red herrings abound (or do they?) as our leads try to pinpoint who is doing the murdering, and maybe figure out a way to stop them.

Although there’s one notable omission from the cast (no Neve Campbell this time around), everyone returns to their main role behind the camera. Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett co-direct, and the script is from both James Vanderbilt and Guy Busick. While that may not seem like a good thing to anyone who disliked the last movie, and I realise I am very much in the minority with my dislike of that film, it’s good to see how much better everyone does while feeling less beholden to everything that came along beforehand. This generally seems more free to properly subvert expectations and play around with the rules viewers think they are so familiar with, as evidenced in an opening sequence that is the best opener since the classic start of the first movie.

It is easier to enjoy the cast a bit more too, having accompanied a number of them through the events of the last movie, but this is the biggest problem that the film has. The supporting players are the most enjoyable (Hayden Pannetiere makes a welcome return, Dermot Mulroney is decent, and Courteney Cox has a confrontation worthy of her character’s status), and both Mason Gooding and Jasmin Savoy Brown are fine, not to mention one or two others caught up in the midst of the killing spree by virtue of being friends with the targeted group, but Jenna Ortega is left with less to do than she deserves, and Melissa Barrera continues to just not be a very appealing nominal lead. Sorry, there’s no way around the fact that she’s dead weight at the heart of this rebooted phase of the franchise.

The other problem with the film is a sad lack of commitment to actually, well, killing off characters. So many people are savagely attacked here that you will be forgiven for rolling your eyes during the third act when you see how many actually make it to the end credits. There are fantastic sequences, but some of them feel ultimately inconsequential. I still hold out hope for the next film through. Considering how big a step up in quality this one was, I can only hope that everyone involved finds the bravery to start gorily whittling down the core cast next time around. And if that is caused by another “legacy” character, all the better, because these film-makers certainly seem to have taken note of fan theories and internet gossip.

There are at least four great sequences that help to make this a memorable Scream film, and the fact that I didn’t feel the rest of the film pale into comparison after such a strong start is about as good a compliment as I can give it. It’s an unexpected return to form, as playful and violent as you could hope, with the extra fun of watching the parallel strands between this new trilogy and the original three movies come into sharp focus in a way that provides one more layer to a film series known for being so self-aware and self-referential.

I cannot wait to rewatch this. And, AND, I may even finally work up some enthusiasm to rewatch the last film. Maybe I will like it a little bit more. Maybe.

8/10

If you have enjoyed this, or any other, review on the blog then do consider the following ways to show your appreciation. A subscription/follow costs nothing.
It also costs nothing to like/subscribe to the YouTube channel attached to the podcast I am part of - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCErkxBO0xds5q_rhjFgDmA
Or you may have a couple of quid to throw at me, in Ko-fi form - https://ko-fi.com/kevinmatthews

Mubi Monday: Between The Lines (1977)

I've only very recently discovered the films of director Joan Micklin Silver, having just seen both this film and Hester Street in the past week or so. While I haven't been completely won over by either film, there's something very interesting in both, helped by the fact that Silver has a knack for assembling a great cast of people who feel perfect in their roles, whether they are the leads or supporting players, or even (as is the case here) part of a large ensemble that doesn't spend too much time focusing on just one character.

What you get here is the story of a small Boston newspaper that is poised to be taken over by a big business. The writers all have various strengths and weaknesses, and various fluid relationships between one another, and some already have dreams of moving on to bigger and better things. Some have a great book waiting to be written, some have a move to another city planned, and some think that they can use their place in the paper to make themselves into a revered writer worthy of far more than the relatively meagre paycheck that the paper can afford to pay them.

Written by Fred Barron and David Helpern, two people I am even less familiar with than Silver, Between The Lines is most interested in showing newspaper work as an unglamorous and slightly shambolic. It's a lifestyle, a skewed work/life balance, that will actually feel familiar to anyone who has spent time in any industry where they made firm friendships, and substitute family units, be it a writing job, hospitality, a small boutique business, or even factory/warehouse work. The work may differ wildly, but what keeps you getting through every day is the same, it's the connections made with other people and the idea of having something else on the horizon.

Silver does well in allowing the whole thing to feel so loosely assembled and frantic, presenting the characters and story in a way that could best be described as Altman-esque (I know, I know, that's lazy, but sometimes I'm lazy . . . and you know what I mean), while always moving back to one or two characters just in time to give the feeling of a proper story arc for them. She's helped enormously by the fact that those characters are played by the likes of John Heard, Lindsay Crouse, Jeff Goldblum, Jill Eikenberry, and Bruno Kirby.

I'm not going to single out any one performance, particularly when everyone works best while showing what they add and subtract from the group during any main sequence, but there's also room for performances from Stephen Collins, Lewis J. Stadlen (a bit of a standout as someone trying to keep an eye on the business side of things), Michael J. Pollard, Joe Morton, and Lane Smith, as well as a number of other familiar faces. As individual as each performer is, they make a wonderful addition, for better or worse, to the fluid group dynamic.

There's also now an undeniable romanticism about journalism that requires people to do more than scan social media for soundbites and write speculative pieces far removed from genuine news stories that result from hours of blood, sweat, and tears, and Between The Lines benefits from that romanticism. It's how you imagine the life of many writers to be, or to have been at one point, with these characters maintaining their erratic levels of energy thanks to bursts of creativity, numerous alcoholic drinks, and nicotine hits. 

7/10

If you have enjoyed this, or any other, review on the blog then do consider the following ways to show your appreciation. A subscription/follow costs nothing.
It also costs nothing to like/subscribe to the YouTube channel attached to the podcast I am part of - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCErkxBO0xds5qd_rhjFgDmA
Or you may have a couple of quid to throw at me, in Ko-fi form - https://ko-fi.com/kevinmatthews

Netflix And Chill: The Platform (2019)

Although this is a fictional movie, and one that also has some visceral nastiness in a number of scenes, The Platform is just about the best analogy for the current state of most modern societies that I can think of. The commentary is as unsubtle as can be, the messaging couldn't be any clearer, and yet I feel saddened by the fact that some will still be able to watch it and think of it as something completely fantastical and removed from reality.

Iván Massagué plays Goreng, a young man who wakes up in a concrete cell across from a man named Trimagasi (Zorion Eguileor). Their cell is on level 48 of a construction seems to feature cells atop one another for a difficult-to-determine number of levels. Every so often, a platform comes into their cell, and that platform is covered in food. Those nearer the top of the structure, and 48 isn't too bad, can fill their bellies, although the platform may also be covered with leftovers from those above, and more conscientious prisoners may try to leave enough food to be rationed out properly to those further below them. Goreng is quite the conscientious soul, but he cannot seem to win over anyone else to the idea of properly rationing out the food and trying to even the playing field for everyone.

Written by David Desola and Pedro Rivero, The Platform is variously disheartening, disappointing (as people act in the way you expect them to), and disgusting. It takes a very short amount of time to realise that what we're being shown onscreen is a microcosm of our own world, a world in which we keep getting told about trickle-down economics while we feel warm urine running down our backs as the 1% pee on us from up on their golden pedestals. Finding out that Goreng volunteered for his imprisonment, which is shown quite early on, re-enforces the depressing parallel with everyday life (because we put ourselves at the mercy of others so often in the hope that it leads to the smallest upgrade in our social standing and/or fortunes), and it's that kind of detail that shows how keen Desola and Rivero were to hit viewers with a sledgehammer of social commentary.

Director Galder Gaztelu-Urrutia does a good job, providing enough visual tricks to distract from the fact that the majority of the film requires very few variations in the set design and very few main performers onscreen. The strength of the film lies within how it presents the ideas at the heart of it, and Gaztelu-Urrutia doesn't try to do much that detracts from that core.

Similarly, the cast all do well, but no one person feels any more important than their part in helping to paint a grim picture. Massagué is a fine lead, but in a situation so bleak that viewers are prepared for his journey to end in any number of different ways, and Eguileor provides a good (a)moral counterpoint to the early scenes. Antonia San Juan and Emilio Buale play a couple of other prisoners, either of whom may prove to be a help or hindrance to Massagué's character, and Alexandra Masangkay brings a bit of extra chaos to the proceedings, playing a prisoner named Miharu who is apparently searching for a lost child.

There's more than a hint of Cube to this, and some inevitable similarities to High-Rise, but it keeps trying to do a bit more than either of those. Unfortunately, the lack of subtlety works against it as much as it works for it. I liked this, I was aggravated by it, and I was wishing that the writers could have figured out a way to develop their ideas with a lighter touch. Maybe that wouldn't have been possible though, and kudos to the film-makers for making such good use of their own platform.

6/10

If you have enjoyed this, or any other, review on the blog then do consider the following ways to show your appreciation. A subscription/follow costs nothing.
It also costs nothing to like/subscribe to the YouTube channel attached to the podcast I am part of - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCErkxBO0xds5qd_rhjFgDmA
Or you may have a couple of quid to throw at me, in Ko-fi form - https://ko-fi.com/kevinmatthews

Shudder Saturday: The Apology (2022)

Remember about a decade ago when the internet seemed to turn on Anna Gunn? Not for any good reason, mind you, but rather for the fact that she played a character who understandably became upset when she found out that her husband had been making money from a drug kingpin lifestyle. Since that role, a role we can surely consider the biggest of her career (to date), I have been wanting Gunn to get something else that felt worthy of her acting talent. I may have missed a lot of the projects that she ended up involved with, she has done a lot more TV work over the past nine or ten years, but I was determined to get around to The Apology with an optimistic mindset. Sadly, life got in the way, but I have now finally managed to see it, and I can now recommend it to everyone else.

Gunn plays Darlene Hagen, a recovering alcoholic who is getting everything ready for a family Christmas celebration. It's been a long time since she's done that kind of thing, and things aren't helped by it being the twenty year anniversary of the disappearance of her daughter. At least she has a very helpful neighbour, Gretchen (Janeane Garofalo), but Gretchen soon heads home and leaves Darlene alone with her thoughts, and a stashed bottle of vodka. Thankfully, ex-brother-in-law Jack (Linus Roache) turns up unexpectedly. He has something on his mind though, and it's not just the worry of wondering whether he'll be allowed to attend the official festive celebrations.

The feature debut from writer-director Alison Locke, The Apology is almost a perfect example of how to deliver a small-scale drama that feels much bigger, and more impactful, than it could have been. Locke has written a beautifully-crafted screenplay, she has a good team looking after the visual side of things (cinematographer Jack Caswell and editor Lana Wolverton do their bit to make everything looked polished and more expensive than I suspect it was), and she has two people in the lead roles who are able to deliver the performances that the material deserves. 

I would struggle to pick a favourite between Gunn and Roache, and their ongoing conversation throughout the film is absolutely riveting stuff, with both going through a wide range of emotions. Gunn gets to express more pain and anger, which may give her the edge when it comes to critically comparing the acting, but neither cast member drops the ball, or even slightly fumbles. While only onscreen for a few minutes, Garofalo does very well as the third substantial character (although Mary Leeholland and Esmé McSherry both portray Darlene's missing daughter, shown a couple of times, and Zena Leigh Logan fills out the cast list with her fleeting role as an interviewer shown interviewing Darlene in a TV clip).

There are other films I could compare this to, great films, but making those comparisons might give away the direction that this takes. Trust me, this is a harrowing drama that packs a hell of a punch, and it manages to give you the ending that you want, as unlikely as that may seem at various points throughout the second half. I recommend this to anyone who appreciates powerhouse performances and can handle difficult material handled in a way that is unflinching, but also not exploitative. You won't be disappointed, and you may even value the talent of Anna Gunn as much as I do.

8/10

If you have enjoyed this, or any other, review on the blog then do consider the following ways to show your appreciation. A subscription/follow costs nothing.
It also costs nothing to like/subscribe to the YouTube channel attached to the podcast I am part of - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCErkxBO0xds5qd_rhjFgDmA
Or you may have a couple of quid to throw at me, in Ko-fi form - https://ko-fi.com/kevinmatthews

Watcher (2022)

It can sometimes be hard to tell when art is deliberately commenting on a major issue in our society, or when that commentary might just be coincidental, especially when it comes to movies within the thriller and horror genres. Take Watcher, for example, which is a thriller about a young woman in Bucharest who starts to think that she is being watched by a potentially deadly stranger. On the surface, what you have here is a standard, and solid, thriller. Yet it also feels like a film about the feeling that women often experience many times in a single day, especially when they try to explain to others who may dismiss their worries as paranoia.

Maika Monroe is the lead here, playing Julia, and she has moved with her partner, Francis (Karl Glusman), to a country she is completely unfamiliar with. She hasn't even had time to learn much, if any, of the language, so it's understandable that she feels more alone than ever while Francis gets busy with his new job. Unfortunately, Julia then starts to suspect that someone is watching her from a building across the street from them, and that someone may also be trying to follow her when she is out and about in Bucharest. Julia befriends a neighbour, Irina (Madalina Anea), but her moments of relaxation in friendly company are always offset by the tension she feels when she may be being watched again. It certainly doesn't help that the news is busy reporting about a serial killer who beheads his female victims.

Written and directed by Chloe Okuno, from a screenplay by Zack Ford, this is an impressive debut directorial feature from someone who has been honing their craft with a number of shorts over the past decade. Her 2014 short, Slut, has an interesting premise, meaning I really want to see it ASAP now, and I enjoyed her segment, "Storm Drain", in V/H/S/94. Equally comfortable with creepy moments and sudden shocks, Okuno is happy to keep building the sense of dread and discomfort on the way to a finale that delivers what you hope, but in a slightly unexpected way.

Monroe is great in the main role (but fans of her work will expect her to be great in everything anyway), and Anea is a welcome and warm presence in the film. Glusman has to be the busy, and sadly dismissive, husband, but he's not turned into an outright villain. The fact that he doesn't take his wife's concerns as seriously as she wants him to is typical of how many men can be when women voice any opinion about the world seeming a much more dangerous place from their perspective. Last, but not least, is Burn Gorman, as the neighbour who may or may not be a creepy voyeur.

A lot of Watcher plays out as you think it will, but that's not a criticism. This is solid and chilling stuff, helped enormously by having Monroe at the centre of it. It doesn't ever feel like essential viewing though, sadly, although I have seen many other people rate this as one of the best films of last year. I thought it was good, boosted by that inevitable commentary underpinning everything, but I wouldn't rush to rewatch it.

7/10

If you have enjoyed this, or any other, review on the blog then do consider the following ways to show your appreciation. A subscription/follow costs nothing.
It also costs nothing to like/subscribe to the YouTube channel attached to the podcast I am part of - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCErkxBO0xds5qd_rhjFgDmA
Or you may have a couple of quid to throw at me, in Ko-fi form - https://ko-fi.com/kevinmatthews

Missing (2023)

Another film in the “screen life” format (you watch events unfold, for the most part, on a computer screen), Missing is from the people who brought you Searching. If you liked that film then you should like this. It isn’t quite as good as that film, and I think the gimmick will be harder to maintain for any future thrillers, but it’s enjoyable enough.

Storm Reid plays June, a young woman rolling her eyes as her mother (Nia Long) gets read to go on holiday with her new boyfriend (Ken Leung). June just wants to enjoy her time at home alone, and maybe a big party or two, but she starts to immediately worry when the pair don’t return for the pre-determined time when June is scheduled to pick them up from the airport. Making calls and starting her own investigation, June is able to connect with Javi (Joaquim de Almeida), an oddjob worker who lives in the country where her mother was last seen alive, and her own investigation seems to progress faster than the official police investigation.

With Sev Ohanian and Aneesh Chaganty credited with the story for this one (after both writing the script for Searching together), which was directed by Chaganty, it’s up to Nick Johnson and Will Merrick to co-direct their co-written script in a way that doesn’t completely drop the ball. While constrained by the format, they fudge things slightly to keep everything moving along in the narrative without transforming into another type of film entirely. I don’t think they’re entirely successful though. It’s been a few years now since I saw Searching (when it was released in cinemas), but I remember that, for better or worse, feeling as if it was able to adhere a bit more rigidly to the format. 

The plus point is the plotting though, with a number of enjoyable twists and turns that will have viewers reconsidering their opinion a number of times on how events may have unfolded. A number of details are nicely sprinkled throughout every scene, and there are only a few moments that will have you exasperated by something obvious overlooked by the main character.

Reid is very good in the role of June, doing well in a tough role that requires her to be onscreen for the vast majority of the runtime, even if she is just clicking through and observing various video clips. Long and Leung are both fine, and obviously not onscreen for too long, but it’s Almeida who you will remember once the film is over. His character is a ray of sunshine, and he actually gets a decent little narrative arc of his own, even as he helps to progress the main plot and help our desperate lead. Although not as sunshiney, the same applies to a character played by Amy Landecker, who may or may not be involved in the disappearance of June’s mother. There’s also a small role for Tim Griffin, playing June’s father, and his scene at the very start of the film helps to show the impact he had on the lives of his wife and daughter.

Perhaps a film that will inevitably work better when watched on your own computer, compared to a cinema screen, Missing is a decent little thriller that will work for those who can accept the genre trappings being dressed up with modern tech and tech-savviness.

6/10

If you have enjoyed this, or any other, review on the blog then do consider the following ways to show your appreciation. A subscription/follow costs nothing.
It also costs nothing to like/subscribe to the YouTube channel attached to the podcast I am part of - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCErkxBO0xds5qd_rhjFgDmA
Or you may have a couple of quid to throw at me, in Ko-fi form - https://ko-fi.com/kevinmatthews

Prime Time: Sound Of Metal (2019)

I am not sure what I was expecting from Sound Of Metal, a film summarized best as being about a rock drummer who loses his hearing, and I have to say that I remained free of expectations as I watched the plot unfold. And yet, annoyingly enough, by the time the end scene occurred, everything felt inevitable and satisfying. I should have seen it coming from near the very start. But I didn’t, and I was happy to have been taken on such an interesting and thought-provoking journey.

Riz Ahmed plays Ruben, the central character. He plays in a band with his partner/manager, Lou (Olivia Cooke). When Ruben starts to lose his hearing, it happens very quickly. Thinking he might be able to get by until it returns, Ruben soon gets a reality check from a doctor. The main solution is implants, but they’re costly. In the meantime, Ruben ends up staying at a small community for the deaf, headed up by Joe (Paul Raci), where people are taught the communicaton skills and attitude required to live a life without hearing.

Directed by Darius Marder, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Abraham Marder, reworking a documentary project by Derek Cianfrance into a standard narrative feature, Sound Of Metal is well-handled by everyone involved, but viewers will think of two main aspects as the end credits roll. First is the sound design, and second is the cast.

The sound design throughout is phenomenal, placing viewers inside the headspace of Ruben, whether he is thrashing away on his drum kit or struggling to hear what anyone is saying to him. It also feels like a valuable reminder to people to make use of as many communication tools as possible, whether that is via technology, via art, or via ASL.

Ahmed is as great as ever in the lead role, spiked attitude matching his spiked blonde hair, and his anger and frustration are completely understandable, even while viewers can see the moments in which he makes choices that aren’t in his best interests. Cooke is also very good, although she benefits from the later scenes in which she can show a very different side to her character. Raci is the typical sage for this kind of tale, and he fits the bill well, constantly trying to motivate Ahmed’s character with tough love and valuable lessons. His last scene in the film is a brilliant display of both his strength and his earnest consideration for others. Mathieu Amalric and Lauren Ridloff add to the main cast, both coming into the story at different times in order to really help open the eyes of our lead, albeit in very different ways.

Not an easy watch, and maybe not one that will prove immediately satisfying (this is a film that I think you need to spend some time mulling over after having just watched it), Sound Of Metal is a sweet and soft-centered lesson wrapped in layers of intimidating armour. Although specifically about loss of hearing, it could be about any number of things that affect our lives. Sometimes we spend hours, days, years even, trying to fix parts of ourselves when maybe it would give us more peace and happiness to just figure out a way to accept how we are.

8/10

If you have enjoyed this, or any other, review on the blog then do consider the following ways to show your appreciation. A subscription/follow costs nothing.
It also costs nothing to like/subscribe to the YouTube channel attached to the podcast I am part of - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCErkxBO0xds5qd_rhjFgDmA
Or you may have a couple of quid to throw at me, in Ko-fi form - https://ko-fi.com/kevinmatthews

Evil Dead Rise (2023)

Here we go again, a decade after the last Evil Dead movie (one I have rated slightly higher after repeat viewings), a little while after the very enjoyable Ash Vs. Evil Dead TV show, and over forty years until this franchise was started with The Evil Dead. Writer-director Lee Cronin has now been entrusted with the property, and he delivers a barnstorming selection of blood-soaked thrills and escalating tension that allows this film to compare favourably to anything that preceded it, which is quite an achievement.

Alyssa Sutherland plays Ellie, mother to Bridget (Gabrielle Echols), Danny (Morgan Davies), and Kassie (the youngest of the three, played by Nell Fisher). This family unit aren't having the best time of things, and they will need to move to a new home soon, their apartment building having been scheduled for demolition in the near future. Ellie's sister, Beth (Lily Sullivan), finds out about this when she pays a surprise visit. When the kids are sent out to pick up a pizza, an earthquake strikes, which opens up a hole that Danny decides to explore, finding a book that probably shouldn't be opened, as well as some very special vinyl records. One thing leads to another, and before you can say "kanda, estrata, kandos", well . . . a voice starts saying "kanda, estrata, kandos", and things start to get very painful and bloody for those targeted by demonic forces. It all starts with Ellie, but nobody is safe, either from the threat of death or the threat of possession.

I’ve already seen a lot of love for Evil Dead Rise, but I have seen just as much criticism of it. Most of the criticism amounts to one or two main complaints; it doesn’t feel like an Evil Dead movie, and there’s no Ash. Not to invalidate the opinions of people who left their screening of this full of anger and disappointment, but it sure felt like an Evil Dead movie to me. You get great imagery throughout, a Necronomicon being the cause of all the troubles, and demonic entities that are as playful as they are deadly. The fact that there is no Ash is a) untrue (find him in a very well-hidden cameo), and b) neither here nor there. I love Bruce Campbell as much as most horror fans, but the franchise has figured out a way to ensure that it wasn’t just tied to one character, and especially one character that nobody would want to see recast. 

All you will find in this review is love for this film. I had a blast with it, from the opening sequence (including a fun gag, and some nastiness that we then cut away from after one of the best opening title cards in modern cinema) to the third act that covers every part of the screen with the most amount of fake blood scene since, well, Evil Dead. Cronin has brilliant instincts for his treatment of the material, and only stumbles when trying to shoehorn in some familiar soundbite from the previous movies, and he accompanies the wild and gory visuals with an audio mix that often becomes genuinely uncomfortable and distressing at times. There are moments here in which the sound builds and builds and builds in a way that you feel will either break your brain or make you vomit, and I mean this as a compliment (but also a warning to prepare yourself - this can feel like an assault on your senses, which is another aspect that helps it feel very much like an Evil Dead film).

And as for those being put through the necronomiwringer, I liked everyone onscreen. Sutherland generally had the most fun, being turned before anyone else and being the main threat in the movie, but Sullivan is easy to root for in the face of increasing danger. Echols and Davies are also very good, typical teens who become believably terrified as everything starts to spiral into insanity, but not only does Fisher get to be an amusingly quirky pre-teen, she also reminded me of Heather O’Rourke’s character in the Poltergeist movies. Whether deliberate or not, there’s one shot near the very end of the film that felt like an attempt to replicate a moment in that horror classic. A few others get dragged into the horror, providing extra potential souls to be swallowed, but the two who make the strongest impressions are played by Jayden Daniels and Mark Mitchinson, although nobody here drops the ball.

Despite the criticisms I have seen from others, I would highly recommend this to fans of the franchise. It has the camerawork you expect, an impressive array of special effects, some familiar weaponry, and moments to make most people genuinely wince and/or laugh at the onscreen insanity. If Cronin has plans for another one or two instalments then I will be keen to see what he gives us next. This film certainly shows that Sam Raimi’s faith in him was not misplaced, and moving the terror away from that cabin in the woods, but still keeping people trapped in one main location, ends up working even better than I hoped it would.

Go get some.

8/10

If you have enjoyed this, or any other, review on the blog then do consider the following ways to show your appreciation. A subscription/follow costs nothing.
It also costs nothing to like/subscribe to the YouTube channel attached to the podcast I am part of - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCErkxBO0xds5qd_rhjFgDmA
Or you may have a couple of quid to throw at me, in Ko-fi form - https://ko-fi.com/kevinmatthews

Mubi Monday: The Limey (1999)

A very familiar tale of a tough crook visiting somewhere to avenge the death of a young loved one (it's impossible to watch The Limey without feeling that it's under the large shadow cast by Get Carter for most of the runtime), this stands out from many other modern gangster movies for three main reasons. There's the script by Lem Dobbs, the direction by Steven Soderbergh, and, arguably the most important component, a central role for Terence Stamp that allows the film-makers to reference his past via a few well-chosen film clips from the earlier years of his filmography.

Stamp plays Wilson, an Englishman who turns up in L.A. to find the man he figures is responsible for the death of his daughter (Melissa George, shown in flashback, in a non-speaking role). He befriends Ed (Luis Guzmán) and Elaine (Lesley Ann Warren), two people who knew his daughter while she was living in that area, and starts to doggedly pursue a man named Valentine (Peter Fonda). It's pretty clear to him that Valentine caused the death of his daughter, but Valentine is always being protected, by a number of armed goons, as well as his right hand man/head of security (Avery, played by Barry Newman). It soon becomes clear that there may not be enough protection available to him though, Wilson is moving ever closer to him like an unstoppable force.

Although I used to own this movie a few years ago, I never got myself in the mood to sit down and watch the thing. As controversial a statement as it may be, I have never been the biggest fan of Stamp (his wonderfully menacing, and yet also slightly camp, turn as General Zod aside). I haven't actually seen many of his films though, including Poor Cow (which is the film used here to show Stamp in his youth). I should probably make time for Billy Budd,  The Collector, and something like The Mind Of Mr. Soames (especially after enjoying his mesmerising turn in Theorem, which I coincidentally caught on the same day I watched this). Anyway, as everyone else already knows, Stamp certainly has something that makes him very watchable onscreen, and he's a superb choice for the lead role here, even if his performance seems to border on the parody at times, in terms of his full-on cockney speaking style that some other characters struggle to decipher.

As well as Stamp, you get superb supporting turns from Guzmán, Warren, and Newman, as well as one superb scene for the brilliant Bill Duke. George is shown in dreamy visions, and I always like to see her onscreen (although it would have been nice to have more of her, despite her probably being saved from trying to attempt a cockney accent). Amelia Heinle is also a welcome presence, playing Adhara (a new female companion spending time with Valentine). The weak link is Fonda, who is arguably often picked for film roles based on his name and legacy ahead of his actual acting talent. He's just not very good, and that's all the more obvious when he's in conversation with the excellent Newman, who is the first one to realise how dangerous Stamp's character is.

The script by Lem Dobbs is quite relaxed and free-flowing, complemented by Soderbergh's usual low-key approach to the material. Cross-cutting, fantasy sequences, and jittery chronology abound, and there's plenty of sequences that have characters speaking over imagery that either adds some emotional resonance to what is being said or delivers some extra information, either about the history of the characters or the planned revenge. And I don't think I need to mention how good the Cliff Martinez score is.

The Limey lacks something though. Or, I should say, that I thought The Limey lacked something. Until the very last scenes. And that's when it all clicked into place. This isn't just a blend of cinema style and grim nihilism, and it's not just a slice of cool for an elderly Stamp to show how easily he can still strut his stuff. It's actually a look at what can happen when an ever-moving individual full of a drive for revenge realises that the target he is pursuing may show him a refracted reflection of his own past. That's when I was completely won over by it. Having fairly enjoyed most of the journey, the final destination was the undoubted highlight.

8/10

If you have enjoyed this, or any other, review on the blog then do consider the following ways to show your appreciation. A subscription/follow costs nothing.
It also costs nothing to like/subscribe to the YouTube channel attached to the podcast I am part of - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCErkxBO0xds5qd_rhjFgDmA
Or you may have a couple of quid to throw at me, in Ko-fi form - https://ko-fi.com/kevinmatthews

Netflix And Chill: Tremors 2: Aftershocks (1996)

The graboids return in this fun sequel to the brilliant creature feature that was the first movie. Fred Ward and Michael Gross are also back, with the latter being the only main player, to my knowledge, to star in every movie in the franchise, to date. 

Earl Bassett (Ward) hasn't gone on to any great success after the events of the first movie. That looks set to change, however, when he's hired by a Mexican oil company that finds itself with a major graboid problem. Earl ends up working with a young man, Grady (Chris Gartin), who is determined to help both of them earn as much money as possible. These graboids can make them a tidy sum, and there's even more available if they can catch one or two alive. Knowing how helpful he can be, Earl calls in Burt Gummer (Gross), and the hunting begins in earnest. But these graboids aren't exactly the same as the last creatures that Earl and Burt encountered. They're about to witness a further evolution of the creatures, and that may put them in even greater danger.

Co-written by Brent Maddock and S. S. Wilson (who both worked on writing the first film with that film's director, Ron Underwood), this is a fun time for those who were firm fans of the first film. It's not a complete retread, but it stays close enough to the winning formula. You get dry humour, a fun juxtaposition of the fantastical and the standard Joe/Joan Public dealing with it, and decent special effects throughout (although some CGI in the second half shows up the limitations of the budget). Wilson also takes on the directing duties this time around, and he benefits from the camaraderie between the two returning stars.

While Ward retains his usual charm, and works well enough with Gartin, his character really perks up again when onscreen with the character played by Gross. The two men are very reluctant heroes, and as likely to mess things up as they are to succeed, and Gross once again positions himself perfectly to steal some scenes and become the linchpin of the entire franchise. Gartin is perfectly fine, and Helen Shaver does her best to overcome some of the weakest writing, playing a geologist named Kate who has a secret in her past that would be laughed offscreen from anything that didn't have the charm or goofy sweetness of a Tremors movie. There are a smattering of other characters here and there, but the focus remains on our central quartet for the majority of the runtime. And the creatures, of course. 

It's not as good as the first film, which set a very high bar, and there are other films in the series that are better, but this is an enjoyable sequel that gives a glimpse of how easily the franchise could move beyond the boundaries of Perfection without losing sight of what made the first movie so beloved by the fanbase it developed. Having said that, the next two movies in the series return the action to that desert town, but things are different enough in each instalment that I stand by what I just said.

6/10

If you have enjoyed this, or any other, review on the blog then do consider the following ways to show your appreciation. A subscription/follow costs nothing.
It also costs nothing to like/subscribe to the YouTube channel attached to the podcast I am part of - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCErkxBO0xds5qd_rhjFgDmA
Or you may have a couple of quid to throw at me, in Ko-fi form - https://ko-fi.com/kevinmatthews

Shudder Saturday: From Black (2023)

It's almost impossible to discuss From Black without mentioning the main film it feels so similar to, A Dark Song. You can throw a stone at any horror convention and hit one of the many people who love A Dark Song, but I'm not one of them. I liked it, there were moments in it that I liked a lot, but there was something in the way the material was executed that stopped me from loving it. From Black, on the other hand, felt much more satisfying.

Anna Camp plays Cora, a recovering addict struggling to deal with the loss of her young son. All evidence points towards him having been snatched/killed, sadly, but Cora becomes torn between wanting to hold on to hope and wanting to have closure. She's eventually offered a potential opportunity from a man named Abel (John Ales), a way to find out what happened to her son, and maybe even to see him again. She'll have to put all of her trust in Abel, no matter what happens around them, but he knows more about the difficulty of the process than she does. Is he trying to give Cora a gift, or pass along a curse?

The fictional feature directorial debut of Thomas Marchese, who also co-wrote the screenplay with first-timer Jessub Flower, From Black is another one of many impressive recent debuts that mark someone out as being worth keeping an eye on. The script manages to avoid feeling overwhelmingly grim and bleak, despite being completely wrapped in a shroud of grief and a hazy atmosphere of Faustian futility (a notion that this particular proposed tranasction will only ever end badly), and Marchese delivers some nice visuals, thanks to cinematographer Duncan Cole, to accompany the central themes, whether they are snippets of languid nightmares or blood-soaked consequences of trying to dabble in some serious supernatural shenanigans. You also get a nicely suitable score from Luigi Janssen.

Cast-wise, this is a case of quality over quantity, with the film generally staying focused on four main characters. Camp is excellent in the main role, believable whether she's shone in her drug-addicted scenes, in her grief, or having started to fight back for the chance to see her son again. Ales is equally good, although his role is often just the facilitator, and deliverer of exposition, and Jennifer LaFleur portrays a surprisingly patient and open-minded local cop. Last, but not least, is Travis Hammer in the role of Wyatt, the ex-partner of Cora who never managed to escape the hold of addiction. Wyatt may seem like an unnecessary character, but he's one vital component of something that has been constructed with an admirable amount of care and consideration.

With a runtime of 100 minutes, some people may think this is slightly overlong. I thought it was perfectly paced. It's very much focused on Cora and her journey, but it's equally about what you can find within yourself when grief shatters your life and settles in to where your happiness may have once resided. There are reservoirs of strength to draw from, but they can be almost impossible to see beyond the veil of darkness and tears, and many can struggle to have even one moment of clarity.

I highly recommend From Black, although I guess that those who loved A Dark Song more than I did may ultimately like this a bit less, especially if making the inevitable comparisons between the two. This is the better film though, in my opinion, and I hope it finds an appreciative audience.

8/10

If you have enjoyed this, or any other, review on the blog then do consider the following ways to show your appreciation. A subscription/follow costs nothing.
It also costs nothing to like/subscribe to the YouTube channel attached to the podcast I am part of - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCErkxBO0xds5qd_rhjFgDmA
Or you may have a couple of quid to throw at me, in Ko-fi form - https://ko-fi.com/kevinmatthews

See How They Run (2022)

While you may not know the names of director Tom George or writer Mark Chappell, See How They Run is a film otherwise overflowing with familiarity, from the cast to the central play, "The Mousetrap", that is the focus of a murder investigation. There's nothing new here, but it's all done with a delightfully warm and affectionate approach to the standards of the whodunnit.

Everything starts with the murder of a sleazy and obnoxious director (Adrien Brody), and it soon becomes apparent that there are a large number of suspects, all of them involved with that hit play called The Mousetrap. Inspector Stoppard (Sam Rockwell) is put on the case, forced to work alongside the young Constable Stalker (Saoirse Ronan), and the two could not be more different in their approach to the whole thing. The Inspector is trying to discern various facts as he continually pieces together a mental puzzle being crafted in his mind, while Constable Stalker is starstruck by everyone she meets, but also attempts to write absolutely everything down in a small notebook she assumes will eventually contain enough evidence to point to the killer. Working together, they might just solve the murder, but that would require them to be able to tolerate one another for the duration of the investigation.

I really enjoyed See How They Run. I can see why many might view it as something too insubstantial, or even a bit too smug (considering a number of cast members are portraying real people who were involved with The Mousetrap), but it hit a sweet spot for me that some other recent works in this sub-genre managed to miss. Although the script is clever and witty, it  ever feels as if it is pointing to itself and demanding brownie points for doing such a good job, and the direction lets every main scene play out without underlining every gag or grinding to a halt in order to nudge and wink at viewers. This might all sound ridiculous, but I could mention different movies that have been guilty of making these mistakes, and it really gets in the way when you’re just hoping to be amused and entertained.

Everything is helped by the fact that the cast all pitch their performances perfectly. Rockwell and Ronan are a fantastic pairing, one being cynical and just wanting to make time for drinking alcohol and the other wide-eyed and quite naive at times, but also smart and brave when not being overwhelmed by the celebrity-studded situation. Brody has fun with his screentime (limited screentime, obviously), and there are too many other enjoyable turns to highlight just one or two. Reece Shearsmith, Ruth Wilson, David Oyelowo, Shirley Henderson (an inspired choice to play Agatha Christie), Charlie Cooper, Tim Key, and Harris Dickinson (getting to play Richard Attenborough) are all brilliant, and many of them too preoccupied with their own lives and careers to spend too much time properly caring about a murderer possibly still being among them.

There’s a delightful score from Daniel Pemberton, nice period detail throughout (I am not sure if it is all entirely accurate, but it definitely feels crafted with care), and a mix of gags that should please both fans of The Mousetrap and those just wanting to enjoy a film without having to “do any homework” (as I have yet to see The Mousetrap, I found myself in the latter camp). The more I think about it, the less I find to fault.

I hope others enjoy this as much as I did. And, yes, a small part of me hopes they can figure out a way to use these two leads in another theatre-based murder mystery. Maybe Arsenic And Old Lace could provide the same amount of fun.

8/10

If you have enjoyed this, or any other, review on the blog then do consider the following ways to show your appreciation. A subscription/follow costs nothing.
It also costs nothing to like/subscribe to the YouTube channel attached to the podcast I am part of - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCErkxBO0xds5qd_rhjFgDmA
Or you may have a couple of quid to throw at me, in Ko-fi form - https://ko-fi.com/kevinmatthews

Funny Man (1994)

1994 wasn’t exactly a great time for the slasher movie, although I am saying that with the knowledge that someone might immediately inform me of one or two great titles I have simply forgotten about while figuring out the best way to open this review. Funny Man isn’t just a slasher movie though. It’s a British slasher movie. And it’s a British slasher movie that gives viewers a new slasher “icon” in the shape of the titular character, a killer who looks like a demonic jester and has the patter of an old-fashioned working club comic.

Christopher Lee plays a character who loses a house to Max Taylor (Benny Young) in a game of cards. Don’t get excited by the appearance of Lee though. His screentime totals up to about a minute or so, which makes it clear that the film-makers had the star for about half a day. Anyway, the Taylor family move into the house and soon find themselves in the middle of some major strangeness. They are unaware of the Funny Man (played by Tim James), but he is always ready to have fun with anyone who enters his territory. Thankfully, more people are due to arrive, in the shape of Max’s brother (Johnny, played by Matthew Devitt) and a motley mix of individuals accompanying him on his journey, which means more deaths can be planned.

Amazing as it might seem, this isn’t the only feature film from writer-director Simon Sprackling. It is his first film though, and suffers from the flaws that many directorial debuts can have. The 93-minute runtime drags in places, there’s misplaced confidence in the central idea (although there are moments when the oddness of the lead character actually works in a way that is both amusing and horrifying), and the acting style throughout is majorly over the top, almost pantomime at times.

I don’t want to spend much time being too harsh on the cast. Most of them do what is asked of them, whether it’s pretending to be a Scooby Doo character (Thelma Fudd, played by Rhona Cameron, someone I used to enjoy for her stand up comedy), being a pretty useless human psychic (Pauline Black), or getting themselves lured in by the least convincing “pop up” strip club ever (Chris Walker). The majority of the film rests on the shoulders of James, who really strives to embody a mix of Jim Bowen and Freddy Krueger (or maybe the Leprechaun), and it IS fun to watch him move from delivering his patter to viewers, breaking the fourth wall a number of times, to acting bored and bemused by the stupidity of his victims. He cannot do enough to save the film entirely, but fair play on him for doing as good a job as he does.

There’s an admirable attempt here to do something quite unique, something very British and very surreal at times, but it sadly doesn’t work. There should have been some more background or details throughout, a bigger world and story for the Funny Man, and perhaps an even quicker move into the more bonkers atmosphere. You do get some good gore gags though, and it’s a hard one to forget.

Oh, and there’s now extra horror added to the third act when you see the Funny Man dressed up in a way that is meant to emulate Jimmy Savile. I bet Sprackling didn’t realise just how terrifying that one gag would become.

3/10

If you have enjoyed this, or any other, review on the blog then do consider the following ways to show your appreciation. A subscription/follow costs nothing.
It also costs nothing to like/subscribe to the YouTube channel attached to the podcast I am part of - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCErkxBO0xds5qd_rhjFgDmA
Or you may have a couple of quid to throw at me, in Ko-fi form - https://ko-fi.com/kevinmatthews

Prime Time: The Misfits (2021)

The continuing disappointment of mediocrity from director Renny Harlin continues with this film, a comedy crime caper that takes a pretty good cast and spends too much time not making the most of their talents. Some people can overcome the flimsy script, Pierce Brosnan having the lead role is a big plus, but it’s a shame that the overriding feeling once the end credits roll is that you’ve just watched something quite lazy and carelessly thrown together.

The title almost tells you everything you need to know. A group of criminals are put together for a big job. They have various skills, and they are happy to be called The Misfits. The target is a man named Schultz (Tim Roth), someone who has made his fortune by building prisons, but has used one such building to house a secret stash of gold. How? Why? Those questions don’t matter. You just need to know that this heist somehow seems overly complicated and ridiculously simple at the same time.

Harlin directs competently enough, this is a light-hearted caper that he can just have some fun with, ensuring that his cast always looks good and there are shots of expensive lifestyle accessories showing the rich pickings around our “heroes”, from lovely watches to lovely supercars. It’s the script that provides all the problems, too preoccupied with banter and wit to actually remember that there should be at least a small bit of tension here and there. It’s no surprise to find that the script was co-written by someone who has previously delivered mainly comedic fare - Robert Henny - and someone who can do enjoyably stupid or just stupid stupid - Kurt Wimmer.

Brosnan seems to be having a ball in his role though, and that enthusiasm is infectious enough to help make the film a lot more tolerable. As for the others in the team, they’re all likeable enough. There’s Nick Cannon, Jamie Chung, Mike Angelo, and Hermione Corfield (playing the daughter of Brosnan’s character), each playing someone bringing their own particular skillset to the group, and you also get fun supporting turns from Rami Jaber, Qais Qandil, and one or two others who are proving to be a help or hindrance to the main plan. Roth is a standard mark - two steps behind, and with plenty of reasons to make his loss justified and more satisfying - and he does what is asked of him, but sadly never feels as dangerous as he should.

It’s slick and bathed in sunshine, but The Misfits is also absolutely disposable. Which isn’t a crime, it just makes it a film that you should never prioritise ahead of many better viewing options you might have. But for something to watch when you don’t want anything overlong (this clocks in at just over 90 minutes), overly complicated, or overly emotional, this absolutely fits the bill. It’s a simple slice of entertainment, benefiting hugely from the star power of Brosnan.

5/10

If you have enjoyed this, or any other, review on the blog then do consider the following ways to show your appreciation. A subscription/follow costs nothing.
It also costs nothing to like/subscribe to the YouTube channel attached to the podcast I am part of - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCErkxBO0xds5qd_rhjFgDmA
Or you may have a couple of quid to throw at me, in Ko-fi form - https://ko-fi.com/kevinmatthews

Next Exit (2022)

Imagine if there was absolute proof of life after death. Would that change much for you? Would it change much for the world? According to writer-director Mali Elfman’s feature debut, it most certainly would. People would no longer care about consequences, this life is just one phase before the next, and many would want to hasten their death to try and reconnect with loved ones, or maybe just end a life that hasn’t been working out for them. It’s an intriguing, and sobering, idea, and one that is used brilliantly in what is essentially a riff on the standard road trip movie.

Rose (Katie Parker) and Teddy (Rahul Kohli) are two individuals about to embrace death. They are doing it under the guise of furthering the scientific developments of a doctor (Karen Gillan in a brief cameo) who has started to specialise in just exactly what happens when, and after, we die. Deciding on a car ride instead of a quick flight, Rose and Teddy end up sharing a rental car, which gives them a number of days to find out more about one another, and to reveal what has happened to lead them to their current situation.

If you’re after a full-blooded and straightforward horror movie then this isn’t the movie for you. There are some nicely creepy moments, people realising the times during which they have unexpected company, but it’s a supernatural-tinged emotional drama, more focused on letting viewers spend time with characters that they become more and more invested in. Elfman helps everything along with a great script, with plenty of humour in between the heavier moments, and solid direction.

I don’t want to undersell the value of the cast though, with both Parker and Kohli (particularly Kohli) doing stellar work in the lead roles. The two are a good fit for the characters, but the more important aspect of the film is how well they work together, growing more comfortable and friendlier with one another in a very natural and believable way. As well as Gillan, there are one or two other cameos to enjoy, and excellent little turns from Tim Griffin and Tongayi Chirisa, playing two characters who have a very different relationship with the concept of the afterlife.

I need to stop being surprised by people doing such great work in their first full feature films because it just keeps happening recently, and this is another excellent addition to the growing list of worthwhile debuts marking someone out as a great talent to keep an eye on. Elfman might have been able to get a helping hand from the fact that her father is the fairly well-known Danny Elfman, or maybe not (I am speculating here to try and head off any criticisms from people ready with their knives out), but she easily proves what an impressive new voice she is with this haunting and sweet study of how people can eventually embrace life after having already embraced death.

9/10

If you have enjoyed this, or any other, review on the blog then do consider the following ways to show your appreciation. A subscription/follow costs nothing.
It also costs nothing to like/subscribe to the YouTube channel attached to the podcast I am part of - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCErkxBO0xds5qd_rhjFgDmA
Or you may have a couple of quid to throw at me, in Ko-fi form - https://ko-fi.com/kevinmatthews

Mubi Monday: That Sinking Feeling (1979)

The first feature from writer-director Bill Forsyth, That Sinking Feeling is a light-hearted crime caper that is full of the dry humour, great observations, and moments of surrealism that fans of Forsyth have appreciated throughout most of his filmography.

Set in a fictional city named Glasgow (which is, of course, just playing itself in the movie, but the insistence that it is a version removed from reality is the first gag in the film), viewers get to meet a group of young men who are all struggling in different ways. Almost all of them have had some dark thoughts, and they cannot see a way to start making a decent future for themselves. Until Ronnie (Robert Buchanan) has the great idea to steal a load of stainless steel sinks. It shouldn’t be the toughest robbery to pull off, and the ill-gotten gains will provide a lifeline to Ronnie and his mates.

While not exactly Ocean’s Eleven, in terms of the sophistication of the robbery and the stakes for those involved, there’s plenty here to admire and enjoy as Robbie leads his gang to what they all hope will be a successful score. They will need to get the timing right, they’ll need a van, and they will need a couple of decoys in the shape of two young men pretending to be cleaning women. This is a robbery planned by people without the money or resources to make everything plain and simple, and the continuous ingenuity, whether ideas seem likely to work or not, has viewers hoping that this motley crew of criminals will make a success of their plan.

Forsyth keeps everything quite nice and simple, and embraces the fact that he is making a film in 1970s Glasgow. The views may not be stunning or cinematic, and there might be what feels like constant rainfall, but that’s how people may think of Glasgow anyway. 

Buchanan is a likeable lead, a “crime boss” with a conscience, and he is surrounded by cast members who are all enjoyably atypical movie leads. Billy Greenless, John Hughes, Drew Burns, Alan Love, Derek Millar, and James Ramsey are all part of the fun, John Gordon Sinclair steals a couple of scenes, and Eddie Burt, playing a driver also named Eddie, provides an absolute highlight of the film in the third act.

Wonderfully witty and warm, this should appeal to anyone who is familiar with Forsyth’s work. It will appeal more to Scottish viewers, and especially those who can remember waiting beside a pay phone to receive a message from a friend, but everyone can enjoy the characters, the dialogue (including some excellent one-liners here and there), and the familiar concept of some underdogs trying to claim just one victory, however relatively small it may seem in the grand scheme of things.

8/10

If you have enjoyed this, or any other, review on the blog then do consider the following ways to show your appreciation. A subscription/follow costs nothing.
It also costs nothing to like/subscribe to the YouTube channel attached to the podcast I am part of - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCErkxBO0xds5qd_rhjFgDmA
Or you may have a couple of quid to throw at me, in Ko-fi form - https://ko-fi.com/kevinmatthews

Netflix And Chill: D-Tox AKA Eye See You (2002)

I remember when D-Tox was first released. Some people were appreciative of the fact that Stallone had decided to star in something that was more akin to a slasher movie than his usual action fare. I didn't think that seemed like a good idea though, and I'm sure I remember agreeing with the overall reaction - a bit of a shrug - to something that seemed unlikely to surround a star like Stallone with the usual genre tropes.

Stallone is Jake Malloy, a detective who ends up being stalked by a serial killer. His life is ruined by this mysterious figure, which leads him to a low point in his life, drinking and contemplating eating a bullet from his own gun. His boss gets him checked into a clinic that specialises in helping police and military personnel who have had a hard time of things, to put it mildly, but it's not long until Malloy suspects that the killer has followed him to the facility, which is isolated and surrounded by a lot of snow and ice.

Based on a book, "Jitter Joint", by Howard Swindle, it's not surprising to see that this was the first of only two screenplays, to date, written by Ron L. Brinkerhoff. It's a star vehicle with a cracking ensemble cast that fails to make good use of anyone onscreen. Stallone isn't a good fit for the material, and I will give a huge reward to anyone who can tell me, without using Google or IMDb, all of the main supporting players, and what characters they portray. 

Director Jim Gillespie may have made his name with I Know What You Did Last Summer, a similarly bloodless, but more enjoyable, endeavour, but he's just not up to the task of turning the clichéd material here into something more exciting and entertaining. I can see why everyone involved got involved, considering how many times Stallone has worked with familiar material and made something appealing to his sizeable fanbase, but this fails as a cat and mouse movie, and completely fails as a sorta-slasher movie.

As much as I tend to like his performances, Stallone is miscast here. He never feels as if he's doing anything more than picking up a paycheck, and sadly isn't up to the task of making his character as vulnerable and weakened as he needs to be for most of the runtime. I like Charles S. Dutton, who has a couple of decent moments, and Polly Walker works for the poorly-written role she's given (a woman who Malloy connects with at the centre, of course), but the only other people who make any impression are Kris Kristofferson, Robert Patrick, Jeffrey Wright, and Robert Prosky, and all of them stand out thanks to overcoming the horrible script. That may sound all well and good, but this is a film that also has roles for Courtney B. Vance, Stephen Lang, Tom Berenger, Christopher Fulford, Sean Patrick Flanery, and Dina Meyer, and each one of those actors is either horribly wasted or barely even noticeable (aka horribly wasted in a slightly different way).

There’s never enough to care about here, in terms of the characters or the potential thrills, and the end result is a charmless mess that can’t even be saved by star power. Incompetence, or carelessness, behind the camera guarantees constant dullness in front of the camera, both visually and plot-wise, and I would have to warn all but the most die-hard Stallone fans away from this one. Although not a vast improvement, I recommend the similar Whiteout as a better alternative viewing choice.

3/10

If you have enjoyed this, or any other, review on the blog then do consider the following ways to show your appreciation. A subscription/follow costs nothing.
It also costs nothing to like/subscribe to the YouTube channel attached to the podcast I am part of - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCErkxBO0xds5qd_rhjFgDmA
Or you may have a couple of quid to throw at me, in Ko-fi form - https://ko-fi.com/kevinmatthews

Shudder Saturday: Cherry Tree (2015)

The last film from director David Keating was Wake Wood, an enjoyable folk horror movie that I, as so often happens, enjoyed more than many other people. It was an enjoyable riff on familiar material, well put together and featuring some quality cast members in the main roles. Reading that Cherry Tree was in a slightly similar vein, and also written by Brendan McCarthy (the co-writer of Wake Wood), I hoped to once again find a film that I enjoyed than many other people. Sadly, that wasn't the case. It came close though.

Naomi Battrick plays Faith, a schoolgirl who gets through every day while carrying the weight of the knowledge that her father, Sean (Sam Hazeldine), will soon die from a terminal disease. An unlikely chance of salvation arrives in the form of Sissy Young (Anna Walton), a witch who makes a deal with Anna. Get pregnant and deliver the newborn to her . . . and Faith's father will live. It's a deal that seems too good to pass up, of course, and Faith agrees, but it's not long until she starts to have concerns about what is going to happen when she hands over the baby. Oh, and as this is a spooky and special kind of pregnancy, it will take Faith weeks, rather than months, to reach full term.

I was going to use this part of the review to mention how Cherry Tree has a good idea at the heart of it. That's not really true though. The more I think about it, the weaker the film seems. It's a very basic idea, a Faustian pact, and it isn't developed in a way that allows you to see any real progression in the characters. The deal is made, two people start to dislike one another, someone tries to call the deal off, the deal cannot be broken, etc.

Keating directs with a lack of any real style, although he manages to insert a few images in the third act that stand out because of how dark and bloody things get (you're always going to find things a bit darker when there's a baby involved in the midst of everything), and McCarthy's script is about as perfunctory as you could get. And let's not even mention the "punchline" at the very end of the film, which is written AND directed in a way that made me fully laugh aloud just as the end credits started to roll. I cannot recall the last time I watched a movie so spectacularly shoot itself in the face at the very last moment, and I admit I was still considering trying to err on the side of generosity up until that scene.

Battrick and Walton aren't too bad in their roles, despite working with a script that forces them to keep a straight face while delivering some utter bilge, but the rest of the cast , from Hazeldine to Elva Trill and Patrick Gibson, playing paper-thin main supporting characters, give performances that are disappointingly flat and unengaging.

While it's made with a certain level of technical competence, and has some moments that show great use of a relatively small budget, there isn't enough done with the central premise. It may only clock in at 85 minutes, but this could have easily been a 20-minute short. It feels less like a full-blooded feature film and more like a Hollyoaks Halloween special for most of the runtime, and, with respect to any Hollyoaks fans who may stumble upon this, that's not something I would consider a good thing.

3/10

If you have enjoyed this, or any other, review on the blog then do consider the following ways to show your appreciation. A subscription/follow costs nothing.
It also costs nothing to like/subscribe to the YouTube channel attached to the podcast I am part of - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCErkxBO0xds5qd_rhjFgDmA
Or you may have a couple of quid to throw at me, in Ko-fi form - https://ko-fi.com/kevinmatthews

Take Back The Night (2021)

There was an interesting little horror movie released a few years ago, titled After Midnight, that presented viewers with a man who claimed to have been spending a lot of time every evening ensuring that a monster didn't get into his home and attack him. Take Back The Night is, at a very basic level, similar to that film, but it is also so much more, due to the lead character being female and the nature of the attack being even more of a violation.

Directed by Gia Elliot, making her feature directorial debut with a script co-written between herself and her leading lady, Emma Fitzpatrick, this is the story of an artist named Jane who is attacked after a night out. There are no other witnesses, the evidence on her body is somehow inconclusive, and her history of drug misuse and mental health issues lead the police (represented here by a detective played by Jennifer Lafleur) to doubt her recollection of the incident. Not willing to tolerate being questioned on her own behaviour, and not happy about being disbelieved, Jane decides to use social media to spread her story with others, and to empower those who have found themselves in the same position. This puts a target on her back, with some even assuming that it is just another piece of art created to boost her career.

Watching Take Back The Night is a frustrating experience, because the script feels very much like two very different movies. The moments that show how Jane is being treated after her trauma all ring depressingly true, and I am sure that many will angrily recall similar experiences of their own, and it’s an excellent idea to make the central threat so pervasive without it being seen by anyone else. Unfortunately, other scenes don’t work so well. The main supporting characters aren’t as well fleshed out as they could be, a bigger backstory is hinted at that never fully comes to fruition, and the performances are disappointingly inconsistent.

Elliot and Fitzpatrick always remember their main targets though, and they hit a lot of bullseyes when shooting at the culture of misogyny and victim blaming that makes it much more difficult for women to report assaults, and to be believed, than it should be. We live in a world in which many men still think a tiny percentage of false claims, or knowledge of someone’s past behaviour, somehow makes this sympathetic default stance a dangerous proposition, when the verifiable statistics show that isn’t the case, and that the system still makes it painfully difficult for many victims to see any kind of justice. If they can endure the process of dealing with the authorities.

Fitzpatrick is very good in the lead role, playing an imperfect character who is very much aware of the entirety of her journey to this point in her life. She effectively shows how a person can be terrified and damaged at the same time as being admirably strong and outspoken. Lafleur isn’t half as good, sadly, but part of that is to do with her being the stern detective, and at least having that character as another female helps to make them a bit more tolerable as they act in a way that embodies some of the attitudes that victims of assault can face. Angela Gulner is very good, playing the sister of the main character, and her character has a slightly more nuanced journey, despite also not rushing to believe Jane’s traumatic experience. Then we have Sibongile Mlambo, stuck playing an unnecessary extra antagonist who creates more tension for Jane. She is a reporter, apparently offering a sympathetic forum, but perhaps laying a trap, and the film could have worked just as well without her inclusion, especially when the film-makers could have shown some more of the social media side of things, and how one perceived lie can turn a large group of followers into the modern equivalent of torch-wielding villagers.

Overall, the food outweighs the bad here. There are some better films that this could be paired up with, including the excellent Lucky and the aforementioned After Midnight (both featuring Brea Grant in some capacity), but Take Back The Night is an important reminder to those who may be feeling worn down while they try to empower themselves, or even just try to get through daily life in a world sometimes seemingly full of booby-traps, all-too-quiet nighttime city streets, and dead ends.

7/10

If you have enjoyed this, or any other, review on the blog then do consider the following ways to show your appreciation. A subscription/follow costs nothing.
It also costs nothing to like/subscribe to the YouTube channel attached to the podcast I am part of - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCErkxBO0xds5qd_rhjFgDmA
Or you may have a couple of quid to throw at me, in Ko-fi form - https://ko-fi.com/kevinmatthews