So my movie reviews have been going to my Letterboxd account, and not here. Which made me realize I haven’t really been posting here since the family loss this past Spring. I’d appreciate it if those of you who enjoy my brief silly reviews would head over there. I know having yet ANOTHER social media account can be exhausting, but really, it’s the only social media I use. Cause, ya know, it’s just movies and none of the other BS that plagues typical social accounts.
Also have posted a smattering of new videos to my YouTube account from my recent California vacation. Was in Southern California for a convention and decided to forgo my usual Orlando Halloween trip and see how Disneyland and Universal Studios Hollywood do things for the spooky season. So if you’d like to see my not-very-scary videos, head on over there!
Anyway, here’s a sampling I’m copying from my Letterboxd posts:
The Bridge Curse
A Taiwanese horror film about a foot bridge on a college campus that is rumored to be haunted.
A group of students in 2016 decided to test the rumors and film their experience. That night, all five students died. The college and local law enforcement insisted the students all committed suicide, but four years later a reporter believes there’s something more to the story and sets out to uncover the truth.
Well made with a few well timed jump scares, and is now the basis for a video game of the same name that is making the rounds by YouTubers and Twitch streamers. I do wish a few more plot questions had been answered, but overall enjoyed it.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
What a weird movie. I wanted to like it, but I dunno. Just seemed like fairly standard fare to me. Villain has motive they haven’t fully thought out, kills/destroys so much in pursuit of that motive, then changes mind and sees the light at the end just in time to avoid killing our main characters.
The body count in this is shockingly high…not Thanos high, of course, or invasion of New York high, but still a lot of people just obliterated by one villain. It is all done in typical MCU fashion, though perhaps with a bit more blood. Also, it would help if you watch the Disney+ show “WandaVision” before seeing this.
Anyway, just an average movie.
Hocus Pocus 2
Loved it. Is it hokey? Of course. Is it silly? You bet. Is it enjoyable and entertaining to fans of the original? Absolutely.
Deadstream
A silly film about a disgraced Internet streamer who, for his big comeback, decides to livestream himself, alone, in a supposedly haunted house. As a movie, obviously the house is haunted and soon our protagonist must fight to survive while engaging with his chat audience.
A very independent film as noted by the same names showing up repeatedly in the credits, but above average for this type of flick. The star/codirector/coeditor/other tasks Joseph Winter does a likeable job as the unfortunate streamer. The special effects are decent, if a touch hokey from time to time, but hey, that just adds to the film’s charm. It is currently streaming exclusively on Shudder as a “Shudder Original” selection.
Jurassic World Dominion
Well…no.
Halloween Ends
A decent end to the trilogy started in 2018 as a direct continuation of the original 1978 classic slasher, and a much better sequel than 2021’s “Halloween Kills.”
It’s been several years since the events of the previous two films and the town of Haddonfield has tried to return to normal. After his rampage, Michael Myers disappeared into the night and hasn’t been heard from since. However, he left an indelible mark of violence on the once quiet town with crime rates on the rise and everyone leery of Michael eventually returning. Many blame final girl Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) for the past carnage, claiming she provoked an obviously mentally ill man into violence.
Of course, Michael hasn’t truly left, and we know none of it is actually Laurie’s fault. Trying to move on with their lives, Laurie now lives in town with her granddaughter Allyson (Andi Matichak). We are introduced to a young man named Corey (very well played by franchise newcomer Rohan Campbell) who experienced a tragedy in his recent past that the townspeople can’t forgive him for, either. Allyson and Corey meet and hit it off, but Laurie suspects the constant badgering young Corey endures is starting to take it’s toll on him.
What ensues is just as much drama as horror. And I enjoyed it. How does Michael Myers fit into the storyline? Well, that would be giving too much away. But suffice to say his and Laurie’s story does come to an end in this installment, with much finality. Consider this film trilogy like most Netflix Original Series: the opening was fantastic, followed by a bunch of nothing that borders ridiculous, followed by a pretty good ending.
And extra props for the cameo by Diana Price, who for the last several years has been “Darcy the mail girl” on horror movie host Joe Bob Brigg’s “Last Drive In” series on streaming service Shudder.