jboothmillard

I heard a lot about this film a couple of years after it came out, although it never got a cinema release, made by Netflix and going straight onto the streaming service, I was looking forward to watching it, written and directed by Alex Garland (The Beach, 28 Days Later, Ex Machina, Men). Starring, cellular biology professor and former U. S. Army soldier Lena (Natalie Portman) is being interrogated by a security force, led by Lomax (Benedict Wong). She was the only person to return from an expedition to a mysterious zone called "Shimmer", where the laws of nature don't apply. The Shimmer emerged three years prior from a meteor that landed in the St. Mark's National Wildlife Refuge in Florida, and it has gradually expanded and increased its boundaries. Many expeditions of exploration were organised, Lena's husband Kane (Oscar Isaac) was away for a year before returning home from one of them. Kane cannot explain where he was and how he came back, and his condition quickly deteriorates. Lena calls an ambulance, but government agents sedate them and take them to a secret facility. While Kane is put in intensive care, psychologist Dr. Ventress (Jennifer Jason Leigh) is preparing a new secret scientific expedition into the Shimmer. She will be joined by physicist Josie Radek (Thor: Ragnarok's Tessa Thompson), anthropologist Cassie "Cass" Sheppard (Tuva Novotny), and paramedic Anya Thorensen (Gina Rodriguez). Wanting answers to Kane's condition and not revealing she is married to him, Lena volunteers to accompany them as well. In the Shimmer, the landscape and objects are slightly altered, communication equipment does not function, and there are several unusually mutated plants and animals. Josie is attacked by an albino alligator with several concentric rows of teeth. The group finds an abandoned military base and a video message from Kane's expedition. The footage shows Kane cutting open another soldier's abdomen with a knife to reveal slithering intestines. The group finds the corpse of this soldier, which has turned into overgrown lichen, a combination of a fungus and an alga. During the night, Lena and Ventress are on watch and reflect on humanity's strange instinct to destabilise and destroy itself. After Cassie joins the watch, the base is attacked by a mutant bear, and she is dragged away. Her mutilated corpse is found later by Lena. The group finds an abandoned village and several plants that have taken on a humanoid form. Josie theorises that the Shimmer is a prism, distorting and transforming everything that enters it, and the explorers themselves may have their DNA altered also. Anya is highly paranoid after seeing her fingerprints change; she takes the weapons of the other team members and ties them up. Anya accuses Lena of murdering Cassie, but then the mutant bear returns. Anya is lured away by the bear which emits a cry for help in Cassie's voice. Anya is killed by the bear, while Josie frees herself and then kills it. Ventress leaves the group and heads for the lighthouse at the centre of the Shimmer. Josie believes Cassie's dying mind was "refracted" into the bear, saying that all that remained of Cassie was her fear and suffering when being killed. Not wanting to suffer a similar fate, she allows herself to succumb to the influence of the Shimmer and is "refracted" to become a humanoid plant. Lena follows Ventress to the lighthouse, where she discovers the remains of Kane. She also finds a videotape with footage of Kane speaking to Lena with the instruction to find her. In the footage, after Kane kills himself with a chemical explosive, a doppelgänger of Kane steps into the frame. Within the hole created by the meteor, Lena finds Ventress, who explains that the Shimmer will eventually swallow everything. Ventress then disintegrates into a shimmering cloud. Then something absorbs a drop of blood from Lena's face and changes into a faceless, shimmering, humanoid being that mimics Lena's movements. Unable to escape the creature, Lena tricks it into exploding one of Kane's remaining grenades as it transforms into her doppelgänger. Lena flees the burning lighthouse, and the Shimmer dissipates, destroying itself as it mindlessly mimics the explosion. Back in the present, Lena's interrogation ends, and she learns after the Shimmer fell that Kane's condition began to improve. Lena visits the Kane doppelgänger, and asks if he is really Kane, which he doubts. He asks if she is Lena, but she does not answer. They embrace and their eyes are seen shimmering, meaning that their DNA has been altered by the exposure. Also starring David Gyasi as Daniel, Kola Bokinni (Yinka's brother), and Hiten Patel as Scientist. Portman as the ex-army biologist does well in the lead role, Isaac is interesting with his time onscreen, and there is good support from Leigh, Thompson, Novotny, and Rodriguez. The story of a world behind an invisible forcefield is often interesting, it is a beautiful nightmare with dreamy colourful visuals and strange special effects, with the themes of corruption and fear being the strongest, I just found it an unusual atmospheric film with some weird but fascinating ideas and a few decent thrills, a worthwhile science-fiction psychological fantasy horror. Good!

With popular scary movie franchises including Halloween, Scream, The Conjuring, Saw, and The Exorcist all getting follow-ups in recent years, it was almost no surprise to see another instalment in The Omen series, but this one was a prequel. Basically, in Italy, the shaken Father Harris (Charles Dance) is in a confession box with Father Brennan (Ralph Ineson) talking about an occult conspiracy. Harris seeks forgiveness and gives Brennan a photograph of a baby with the name "Scianna" written on it. After leaving the church, a lightning bolt suddenly strikes the spire above, falling and smashing a stained-glass window. It looks as though Harris avoids it, but turning his head, the falling pipe has split his head open, and he smiles before dying. In Rome, in 1971, during left-wing protests, American novice Margaret Daino (Nell Tiger Free) arrives at the Vizzardeli Orphanage. She meets with Cardinal Lawrence (Bill Nighy), Father Gabriel (Tawfeek Barhom), Abess Sister Silvia (Sônia Braga), her roommate and fellow novice Luz (Maria Caballero), and nun Sister Anjelica (Ishtar Currie Wilson). Luz invites Margaret to a disco, where she dances with a man named Paolo (Andrea Arcangeli) before blacking out. When she wakes up the following day, she has no memory of what happened. Margaret bonds with the mistreated orphan Carlita (Nicole Sorace), who has been having bad visions. Father Brennan warns her about Carlita, saying "evil things" have happened around her. Margaret sees Carlita showing Anjelica a drawing of a pregnant woman being restrained. Moments later, Anjelica is seen committing suicide, first setting herself alight and then hanging herself. Brennan explains that fundamentalists within the church, desperate to regain power against the rise of political ideology, seek to bring about the Antichrist to create fear and drive people back to the church, with Carlita intended to be the mother. During a field trip, a riot breaks out and Margaret experiences demonic hallucinations. Sister Silvia postpones Margaret's vows and orders her to distance herself from Carlita. She is horrified to encounter Paolo again. He tells her to "look for the mark" before he is fatally impaled by an oncoming truck. Margaret sneaks into Sister Silvia's office. She uncovers a hidden, underground chamber and a series of subject files, all labeled "Scianna". Each file contains a photo of a disfigured baby with a birthmark in the shape of three sixes, and Carlita is seemingly the only survivor. Margaret is intercepted and locates the birthmark on the roof of Carlita's mouth before she is caught and imprisoned. Father Gabriel frees Margaret, and they examine the files further; they discover that another baby had survived. Margaret is frightened to discover a birthmark on her own scalp. She suddenly remembers that she was forcefully impregnated the night of the disco during a satanic ritual whilst she was blacked out. Margaret realises The Devil will need to mate with his own spawn for the Antichrist to be conceived; Margaret was brought to Rome as Carlita is too young. The group drives off to have the pregnancy aborted, but another car crashes into theirs on the way and Margaret's womb suddenly fills. She wakes up strapped to a hospital bed and is greeted by Cardinal Lawrence, the head of the conspiracy. She gives birth to two children, a girl and a boy; the boy is hailed as the Antichrist. She stabs Lawrence but cannot bring herself to kill her newborn son. Luz stabs Margaret as the conspirators escape with the boy and set fire to the chamber to cover their tracks. Carlita saves Margaret and her daughter and Margaret sees her assaulter, a demonic jackal in the flames. The baby boy is handed to American diplomat Robert Thorn to secretly replace his wife Katherine's child who supposedly died in childbirth (but was actually murdered). Years later, Margaret is in seclusion in the mountains with Carlita and her daughter, and they have become a happy family. Brennan appears and warns that the conspirators will be hunting her, and that her son has been named Damien. Also starring Guido Quaglione as Alfonzo, Dora Romano as Sister Romano, Anton Alexander as Father Spiletto, Mario Opinato as Doctor, and Rachel Hurd-Wood as Katherine Thorn. Free is pretty solid in the lead role, Ineson (as the Patrick Troughton character) as the troubled priest does fine, Nighy is always reliable, but Dance only onscreen for less than five minutes is almost pointless. The biggest problem is that it ignores key facts about the original, specifically the jackal in the grave and the lead character becomes the biological mother, it doesn't fully make sense, and with two children born it only adds to the confusion for me, and God forbid there will be a follow-up. I don't know why the critics gave this film average reviews, as a slow burner it was too slow, the religious stuff is okay, it is atmospheric but the scary moments only work at times, I just found it rather dull, a fairly rubbish supernatural horror. Adequate, in my opinion!

The original 1976 scary movie is fantastic, the second film was quite good, and The Final Conflict was silly, this was the only one in the franchise I had yet to see, I knew being made for TV it was going to be the worst one, directed by Dominique Othenin-Girard (Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers) and Jorge Montesi. Basically, Virginia congressman Gene York (Michael Woods) and his attorney wife Karen (Faye Grant), have tried and failed numerous times to have a child. They decide to adopt, visiting a nun-owned orphanage where they meet Sister Yvonne (Megan Leitch) and adopt a baby girl whom they name Delia. Apart from baby Delia scratching Karen and panicking when being baptised, everything seems fine. Following the attempted baptism, Father Hayes (David Cameron) suffers a fatal heart attack. Aged 3, Delia (Brianne Harrett) runs out into the road chasing a rottweiler and is almost by an oncoming truck. Following this, the Yorks adopt the dog as protection for their daughter, naming it Ryder. At age 7, it becomes clear there is something wrong with Delia (introducing Asia Vieira), as she displays a sociopathic personality with violent and manipulative traits. Soon, strange events begin to occur around Delia. Morris Creighton (Serge Houde), the father of a boy who was bullying Delia, is killed in a bizarre car accident. While horse riding, Delia scares several of the animals and her horse suddenly bolts and throws her to the ground. She is taken to the hospital and seems fine, but the family doctor Dr. Lou Hastings (Madison Mason) reveals that Delia is already going through puberty, she is menstruating. Jo Thueson (Ann Hearn), a New Age practitioner, is hired as a nanny for Delia. She may have psychic powers, wears healing crystals, and is highly suspicious of Delia. Jo's friend Noah (Jim Byrnes), an aura reader, suggests she takes Delia to a fair to meet with other psychics, who all sense a feeling of unease around the girl. Jo manages to get Noah to take a photograph of Delia before she storms off. As Noah sees the photograph showing very dark colours, Delia causes a fire that sets the entire fairground ablaze. Though Noah warns her to leave after showing her the photo, Jo tries to confront Delia about her negative energy. She discovers Delia's true identity, as being a spawn of the Devil. But before she can share this information with anyone, Ryder attacks her, and she is sent plummeting out of a window to her death. Karen, who witnesses the fall, faints from shock and is taken to the hospital, where she learns that she is pregnant. Becoming increasingly alarmed and paranoid of her adoptive daughter, Karen turns to her preacher, Father James Mattson (Duncan Fraser). He tells her about the prophecy of the Antichrist, and she becomes concerned for the safety of her unborn baby. Karen decides to find out more about Delia and returns to the orphanage, learning that Sister Yvonne mysteriously left after Delia was adopted. Karen hires private investigator Earl Knight (Michael Lerner) to find Delia's biological parents. Knight's search takes him to Charlotte, North Carolina, where he locates Sister Yvonne, now going by the name Felicity. Karen is terrified by Delia during the night, then goes into labour, giving birth to a healthy baby boy. Knight finds Felicity taking part in a bizarre snake-handling ceremony, standing in a circle surrounded by venomous rattlesnakes in a display of divinity. Earl shows Felicity a recent photograph of Delia and unintentionally causes her to be bitten numerous times by snakes. After speaking to her in her dying moments, Knight finds clippings in Felicity's trailer relating to Gene. Unable to return to Virginia due to winter conditions, Knight sends Karen a letter of his findings in the mail. After doing so, he looks in a toy shop window of a toy crane. Shortly after, this premonition comes true, when a construction crane nearby bizarrely swings itself and crashes through a building, the impact of the hook kills Knight. After returning home with her baby son, Alexander, Karen finds out about Yvonne and Knight's deaths. Karen receives Knight's letter that details Damien Thorn, the previous Antichrist. She then goes to see Dr. Hastings, revealed to a Satanic disciple; she tortures him to get answers and he confirms Damien Thorn is Delia's biological father. He also reveals that Alexander is Delia's twin brother, his embryo was carried inside Delia before being implanted into Karen by Hastings. Karen kills Hastings with a scalpel before returning home armed with his gun. She kills the new nanny, Lisa Roselli (Andrea Mann), also a disciple of Hell, only to find Delia waiting for her. Delia is holding Alexander and draws attention to the baby's birthmark, the number of the beast "666" on the palm of his hand. Influenced by the baby's power, Karen ends up shooting herself. Afterward, Gene, Delia, and Alexander attend her funeral and walk home together; it is unclear if Gene was also a disciple. Also starring Don S. Davis as Jake Madison, Joy Coghill as Sister Francesca, and Susan Chapple as Mother Superior. Grant and Lerner are okay as the adoptive parents, Vieira is reasonable as the Devil's daughter, and Lerner does alright as the detective. The story is unoriginal, changing the antagonist into a little girl makes no difference, you can tell the production is television budget, the attempts to be scary are pointless, the "coincidental" deaths are lame, and the Bible references are tiresome, easily the worst in the series, a dull supernatural horror. Pretty poor!

Only a few months before, Godzilla Minus One gained praise and accolades, this fifth film in the MonsterVerse franchise perhaps got less favourable reviews, I knew exactly what I was in for, but I was prepared to see it on the big screen, directed by Adam Wingard (You're Next, The Guest, Blair Witch, Godzilla vs. Kong). Basically, three years after Mechagodzilla was defeated, Kong has settled into his new environment in the Hollow Earth but longs for more of his kind. On Earth's surface, Godzilla continues to fight against "Titans", other giant monsters who threaten humanity. After killing Scylla in Rome, Italy, he rests in the Colosseum. An unidentified signal is picked up by a Monarch observation outpost stationed in the Hollow Earth. On the surface, the signal causes Jia (Kaylee Hottle), the last known survivor of the Iwi tribe from Skull Island, to experience hallucinations and visions. Her adoptive mother, Dr. Ilene Andrews (Rebecca Hall), who communicates with her by sign language, is concerned because she feels she does not belong on Earth. Godzilla also senses the signal, leaves Rome, and attacks a nuclear plant in France to absorb the radiation. Godzilla then heads to the lair of the Titan Tiamat in the Arctic. Monarch believes Godzilla is strengthening himself for an oncoming threat. A sinkhole opens near Kong's home, he discovers a tribe of his species has survived in an uncharted region. He encounters a juvenile named Suko, they have an initial confrontation, but they bond after Suko leads Kong to the tribe's lair. The tribe's tyrannical leader, the Skar King, battles Kong with help from the ancient ice-powered Titan, Shimo, controlled by the Skar King with pain using a crystal. Kong's right arm is injured by frostbite from Shimo's ice breath, but he escapes with help from Suko, although he loses his axe in the process. Led by mercenary Mikael (Alex Ferns), Andrews and Jia, alongside Titan veterinarian Trapper (Dan Stevens) and conspiracy podcaster Bernie Hayes (Brian Tyree Henry), travel to the Hollow Earth to locate the source of the signal. They find the Monarch outpost destroyed. After Mikael is killed by a carnivorous tree, the group ventures forward and discovers a temple that leads them to a subterranean section. The group discovers a surviving Iwi tribe, who communicate telepathically with each other. Inspecting some ruins, they deduce that the signal was a telepathic distress call sent by the tribe. While observing Jia socialising with the Iwi, Andrews tells Trapper her fear that Jia may choose to stay with her people and leave her. Andrews uncovers hieroglyphics inside a temple displaying the past and future: the Skar King previously attempted to conquer the surface world and waged war against Godzilla's species, but Godzilla defeated him and trapped him and his tribe deep within the Hollow Earth. A prophecy indicates that Jia is the key to reawakening Mothra, a colossal sentient flighted insect. Kong is found to be injured after he locates the temple, when he is sedated, Trapper equips a prototype exoskeletal arm brace to strengthen and heal his damaged arm. Unbeknownst to them, one of the Skar King's loyalists has followed them and informs the Skar King of what is going on, and he assembles an army to invade Earth. Jia successfully wakes up the reborn Mothra. Godzilla kills Tiamat and absorbs cosmic radiation from her lair, evolving him and turning his dorsal plates magenta. Kong surfaces in Cairo and calls out to Godzilla, hoping to lure him to the Hollow Earth to assist him. Godzilla is angered and attacks him, despite Kong attempting to communicate with him. They have a brief fight before Mothra arrives with Jia and convinces Godzilla to help Kong. Godzilla, Kong and Mothra then head back to Hollow Earth to face the Skar King, Shimo and the army. The fight takes Godzilla, Kong, Shimo and the Skar King to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The Skar King forces Shimo to breathe his cold breath and induce another ice age. Both sides are evenly matched until Suko arrives with Kong's axe and the crystal controlling Shimo is destroyed. Shimo and Kong then freeze and shatter the Skar King. Godzilla uses his atomic breath to thaw Shimo's ice age, and he returns to rest in the Colosseum. Jia reunites with Andrews and assures her that she is choosing to stay with her adoptive mother. Mothra restores the barrier protecting the Iwi's home and then leaves. Shimo and Suko return to Hollow Earth, and Kong becomes the new leader of the ape tribe. Also starring Fala Chen as the Iwi Queen, Rachel House as Hampton, Kevin Copeland as Submarine Commander, and Anthony Brandon Wong as Talk Show Anchor. Hall, Stevens, and Henry give reasonable performances, but it is the giant gorilla and the king-sized reptilian that are the stars as they both clash with each other and then work together, along with recognisable movie creature Mothra. It is nothing we haven't seen before, two giant creatures destroying large cities across the world and roaming about in landscapes in parallel universes, but the special effects are well done, and you can just sit back and enjoy the carnage, a silly but not boring science-fiction monster action. Worth watching!

Dev Patel has come a long way since his career started with television drama Skins, this film was his passion project as well as his directorial debut, I was looking forward to a good gritty film. Basically, an anonymous young man, known only as Kid (Dev Patel), earns a living in the city of Yatana, India, as a fighter, wearing a monkey mask, at the underground boxing club "Tiger's Temple". He is encouraged by ringmaster Tiger (District 9's Sharlto Copley) to lose fights while shedding blood. A series of flashbacks reveal that young Kid lived (Jatin Malik) in an Indian forest village with his mother Neela (Adithi Kalkunte), who inspired him with tales of Hanuman. Baba Shakti (Makrand Deshpande), a ruthless spiritual guru in Yatana, sends corrupt police chief Rana Singh (Sikandar Kher) to force out the villagers and acquire their land. The village was massacred, but Neela managed to hide Kid. Rana finds, rapes and kills Neela, and Kid witnessed her death. Neela's house is set on fire, Kid was trapped inside before managing to escape, leaving his hands badly scarred after the house was burned down. Years later, Kid wants vengeance for the death of his mother. Baba continues to gain followers and political influence, and Rana, who often visits the luxury brothel "Kings", run by Queenie Kapoor (Ashwini Kalsekar), who provides drugs and prostitutes to wealthy clients. To infiltrate Kings, Kid has Queenie's wallet stolen and returns it, and he asks for a job in the kitchen as a reward. Kid takes the alias "Bobby" from a cleaning product and befriends fellow kitchen worker Alphonso (Pitobash). Revealing his life as a fighter, Kid helps Alphonso win a large bet on a bout in exchange for a promotion. Kid is promoted to being a waiter and is able to access the VIP floor to reach Rana. Among Queenie's prostitutes is Sita (Sobhita Dhulipala), who advises Kid to give up working in such a place. Kid buys a gun and finds a stray dog who he cares for. Over time, he trains the dog and practises firing the weapon. The dog is trained to carry the weapon past security, and he spikes Rana's cocaine with powdered bleach to disorientate him. Confronting Rana in the bathroom, Kid tries to shoot him dead but is foiled and forced to fight his way out of the building. Fleeing in Alphonso's supercharged tuk-tuk, Kid crashes and is arrested, but escapes through the city. Nearly killed by an axe-wielding pimp, Kid is shot by the police during a rooftop chase and falls into a lake. He is rescued by Alpha (Vipin Sharma), the keeper of a local temple of Ardhanarishvara. Alpha's hijra community is being targeted by Baba's growing political movement. Alpha guides Kid through a hallucinogenic experience to confront the trauma of his mother's death. He is encouraged to train himself in combat, including a drummer (Zakir Hussain) who plays to increase his drive, and it gives him a newfound purpose. When their sanctuary is threatened, Kid returns to fight at Tiger's Temple again. He places a large bet on himself, and he wins the fight, gaining the support of Alphonso and the crowd, and emerging victorious with enough money to save the temple. During Diwali, Baba's candidate for the Sovereign Party, Adesh Joshi (Láng Balázs), is elected and they celebrate their victory at King's. Kid fights his way inside, surrounded by Queenie's men, defeating them with improvised weapons and fireworks. There is a point when Kid may be overwhelmed by the men, but Alpha and her warriors arrive to help. Queenie tries to shoot Kid, but she is killed by Sita. Kid severs Queenie's thumb to use her fingerprint to access the penthouse. Kid confronts Rana for a brutal rematch fistfight and beats him to death. Following this, Kid finally reaches Baba, who mortally wounds him with blades hidden in his footwear. Kid manages to kill Baba using the same blades, finally avenging his mother's death. Kid collapses from his injuries and reminisces about Neela and his devotion to Hanuman. Also starring Brahim Chab as King Kobra, and Joseph J. U. Taylor as Gerrard the Australian businessman. Patel gives a solid performance as the young man on a one-man revenge mission, and he proves himself a credible director as well with a good sense of pace, the performances of Copley and Pitobash are good as well. It is a film of two halves, the first being a slow burner to establish the character as he infiltrates the criminal underworld, and the second half is a bonkers John Wick (who is mentioned) style punch-up and gunfight, it is brutally violent and the Indian culture incorporated is well done, it is an impressive action thriller. Very good!

I heard the title of this documentary film numerous times, more so when Awards Season came around, and when I found out what it was about, I was not surprised hearing about the accolades it was receiving. Basically, it is about a team of Ukrainian journalists trapped in the besieged city of Mariupol at the beginning of the Russian invasion and war, 22 February 2022. Veteran war correspondent Mstyslav Chernov from The Associated Press (AP) and his fellow international reporters remained in the city and captured several atrocities of the Russian invasion. As the only journalists who remained, they capture what later became defining images of the war: maimed and dying children, several dead bodies, many bombings, including a maternity hospital, and all the medical professionals who stayed and tried to save those injured. This footage was passed onto news studios across the world, but President Vladimir Putin and the Russian press denied these horrific images, claiming them to be false with actors in studios. The journalists stayed for twenty days and managed to leave with the help of military personnel when it became too dangerous. It is a harrowing but important film, the filmmakers risked their lives to expose the truth about the shocking events in Ukraine for historical posterity and to raise awareness in the present. The horrible imagery of bloodshed, the attacks and all atrocities of war are disturbing, but it cannot be ignored. There has been huge support for Ukraine since the war began, including victory for the country at Eurovision, and there is huge hatred for Putin and his evil crimes against humanity. It is a gruesome film obviously difficult to watch, but its unflinching insight into the first threw weeks of this ongoing conflict is remarkable, a must-see documentary. It won the Oscar for Best Documentary Feature Film, and it won the BAFTA for Best Documentary. Outstanding!

I remember seeing clips of this King Kong style film during its cinema release, I had no idea it was based on a video game series, I eventually watched it hoping it would be quite fun, directed by Brad Peyton (Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore, San Andreas). Basically, gene-manipulation company Energyne owns the space station Athena-1, which is destroyed after a mutated laboratory rat wreaks havoc. Crew member Dr. Kerry Atkins (Marley Shelton) is the lone survivor and is ordered by Energyne CEO Claire Wyden (The Heartbreak Kid's Malin Akerman) to retrieve the pathogen canisters. She gets away in the escape pod before the station implodes, but she is killed as the pod disintegrates upon re-entry, and a trail of debris falls to Earth. One canister is swallowed by a crocodile in the Everglades, and another is found by a wolf in a Wyoming forest that is exposed to the pathogen. Former Special Forces soldier Davis Okoye (Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson) is a primatologist and member of an anti-poaching unit who works at the San Diego Wildlife Sanctuary. In the past, he saved a rare albino western lowland gorilla baby from poachers who killed his mother. This gorilla, George, has grown up and is cared for by Davis who communicates with him using sign language. One of the canisters crash-lands in George's habitat and he is exposed to the pathogen. It causes George to grow considerably larger and he becomes more aggressive. Following this, Davis is contacted by genetic engineer Dr. Kate Caldwell (Naomie Harris), who explains that the pathogen was developed by Energyne to rewrite genes on a massive scale. She had hoped to advance research on the pathogen, CRISPR (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats), to potentially cure numerous diseases. But she was falsely incarcerated after discovering Energyne's plans to use it as a biological weapon, during which her terminally ill brother died. George escapes from captivity and goes on a rampage at the preserve. George calms down but is soon captured by a government team led by Agent Harvey Russell (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) and is taken aboard a Boeing C-17 Globemaster III airplane. Meanwhile, a private military group led by Burke (Joe Manganiello) attempts to capture the mutated wolf, Ralph, but it goes awry, and the entire team is slaughtered. Claire and her brother Brett (Jake Lacy) were overseeing the mercenaries. Claire reveals to Brett her plan to capture Ralph and use George to cover up her plot. She has built a massive transmitter on top of Willis Tower to lure the animals, using a certain radio frequency, to Chicago, and has no concern about the risks and endangerment to civilians. When the transmitter is activated, George reacts violently to the sound, causing damage to the aircraft. As the plane descends, Kate Davis, and Russell escape with parachutes; Davis saves Russell who is unconscious. After Russell recovers, they find the wreckage and find that George survived the crash and escaped. George joins Ralph as they make their way to Willis Tower, lured by the radio signal. Davis and Kate are brought in by the military who are trying to defuse the situation. But Russell, in gratitude for saving his life, helps them to escape the base, and they steal a military helicopter to pursue the animals. Arriving in Chicago, they see George and Ralph rampaging through the city as the military struggles to contain them. It gets worse when the mutated crocodile, Lizzie, also arrives and causes further destruction and casualties. Davis and Kate infiltrate Energyne's base of operations at the tower, planning to steal an antidote to turn the animals back to normal. They take several vials of it but are caught by the Wydens. Claire reveals that the antidote only eliminates the animals' enhanced aggressiveness rather than reversing the other effects and shoots Davis. George starts climbing the tower, Davis appears after surviving the gunshot, and Claire orders him to distract the gorilla while she tries to escape with Kate at gunpoint. Kate slips a vial into Claire's handbag and pushes her toward George, who swallows her whole along with the vial. At ground level in the tower, Russell persuades Brett to give him incriminating evidence of the scheme. Russell allows Brett to leave the building, but he is crushed to death by falling debris. As the damaged tower topples, Davis and Kate survive by crash-landing a helicopter on the Federal Plaza. They find George on the ground who has returned to his original personality. Davis stays to help George defeat the other animals, while Kate and Russell rush to prevent the military from dropping a large-yield bomb. George battles against Ralph, who is tricked by Davis into advancing towards Lizzie, who decapitates the wolf using her jaws. Lizzie chases Davis, but George intervenes in time for Davis to fire grenades at the crocodile. Lizzie survives the explosions and overpowers George, who is impaled by a reinforced steel bar. Davis fires at Lizzie with weapons in a fallen Apache attack helicopter. He is nearly killed before George pierces Lizzie through the eye with the steel bar, killing her. With the threat neutralized, the airstrike is aborted. George appears to die from his injuries, but with his dark sense of humour, he tricks Davis who is relieved he is alive. In the aftermath, George and Davis, joined by Kate and Russell, help clear the city of debris and rescue civilians. Also starring P. J. Byrne as Nelson, Demetrius Grosse as Colonel Blake, Jack Quaid as Connor, Breanne Hill as Amy, Matt Gerald as Zammit, Die Another Day's Will Yun Lee as Agent Park, Urijah Faber as Garrick, and Jason Liles as George. Johnson is likeable as the scientist hero with former military experience and some one-liners ("Of course the wolf flies."), Harris is fine, and Morgan as the shadowy government enforcer is good, but Akerman and Jake Lacy are too hammy as the sibling industrialist villains. It can be compared to Kong vs. Godzilla movies, it has predictable dialogue and relies heavily on explosive stuff, but the battle sequences, set pieces and violence make it engaging and exciting, and it does have impressive CGI special effects, a slightly silly but not terrible science-fiction monster action. Okay!

I must have heard about this film (translated "Little Mother") or watched the Mark Kermode review during its release, it was rated five out of five stars by the Radio Times, hearing more about it and seeing images from it certainly intrigued me more as well, written and directed by Céline Sciamma (Portrait of a Lady on Fire). Basically, the maternal grandmother of eight-year-old Nelly (Joséphine Sanz) has died. Her mother Marion (Nina Meurisse) and her father (Stéphane Varupenne) travel to Marion's childhood home to empty it out. Nelly's mother is deeply upset by the loss and leaves during the night without saying goodbye to her daughter. One day, Nelly goes out into the woods to play. There, she finds a girl her own age (Gabrielle Sanz) building a shelter in the trees. The girl, named Marion, is friendly and invites Nelly to help her with the construction. When it starts raining, Marion takes Nelly to her home. Nelly tells Marion that she is visiting following the death of her grandmother. Marion tells her that her own grandmother, also named Nelly, died recently. Going through the house, Nelly realises that it is her grandmother's house and Marion is her mother. She leaves feeling alarmed and is relieved to return to the house and find her father in the present. Nelly returns to the woods again and encounters her mother as a girl again. They continue building the shelter. Nelly learns that they are the same age, and Marion says that will be having an operation in three days to prevent the same developing illness as her mother. Returning to the woods continuously, Nelly spends time with her younger grandmother (Margot Abascal) and learns things about her mother, including her ambitions to be an actress. The day before they are meant to leave, Nelly reveals to Marion that she is her daughter and has come from the future. To prove it, she brings Marion to her grandmother's house where she reveals to Marion that her mother will die when Marion turns 31 and that Nelly loved her deeply. The two are interrupted by Nelly's father, who intends for them to return home in time for her mother's birthday. Marion asks Nelly to sleep over and Nelly convinces her father to let her stay an extra night so she can spend more time with Marion. Nelly and Marion celebrate Marion's ninth birthday during the sleepover. The following morning, Marion prepares to go to the hospital. Nelly reassures her the operation will be fine. She also reveals that her mother is often sad and questions if it is because of her. Marion reassures her that she does not think this is true. The two have a hug before Marion leaves for the hospital. Returning to her grandmother's house, Nelly is surprised by her mother who has returned. The two of them cuddle as they say each other's names. The Sanz sisters, the young leading identical twins, give good natural performances, the story from the point of view of a child is simple but effective, the time travel plot is understated but smart, and it certainly tugs at the right emotional strings, a sweet and worthwhile fantasy drama. It was nominated the BAFTA for Best Film Not in the English Language. Very good!

I remember seeing the poster for this 90s movie in several places and became most interested in seeing it at some point, I was glad when I got the opportunity to do so, written and directed by Woody Allen (Sleeper, Annie Hall, Vicky Cristina Barcelona, Blue Jasmine). Basically, in the ancient theatre in Taormina, Sicily, a Greek chorus introduces and narrates the story of Lenny Weinrib (Woody Alen), a sportswriter living in Manhattan, New York City. Lenny is married to the ambitious art curator, Amanda Sloan (Helena Bonham Carter). Their marriage has hit a rough patch because Amanda is concentrating on opening her own gallery and mingling with people that Lenny does not like much. Lenny also suspects that Amanda's current boss Jerry Bender (RoboCop's Peter Weller) is trying to take her away from him. The couple want a child and decide to adopt as it was less of a disruption, especially for Amanda who arranged everything. The couple adopts a baby boy, they have a long discussion about suitable names and settle on Max (Tucker Robin). Two years pass, Lenny and Amanda have moved into a bigger apartment, and Max (Nolan Tuffy) has been a bright light in their personal life. By the time Max has started school, it becomes evident that he is a remarkably gifted child in the genius category. Intrigued, Lenny becomes curious to find Max's biological mother. The records are sealed about her identity, but he finds out she is a single woman. Soon, he becomes obsessed and goes on an extensive search without Amanda's knowledge. Through some sources, Lenny believes that she must be an actress, after meeting with an Extras Guild Researcher (Paul Giamatti) who recognises her. However, after tracking down her routes and meeting previous employers, it turns out she is a prostitute and part-time porn star who goes by various names. Finally, he tracks her down, going by the name Linda Ash (Oscar and Golden Globe winning, and BAFTA nominated Mira Sorvino). Rather than reveal his true intentions, he hires her as an escort, and they meet at her apartment. Linda turns out to be blonde and dumb but is sweet and beautiful. During their conversation, she reveals her birth name as Leslie Ash, but she prefers to be called Linda because it means 'pretty' in Spanish. He has no desire to engage in any intimate activities, instead encouraging her to leave her current lifestyle behind, including her pimp, and to pursue a more wholesome life and real acting career. Linda reacts angrily, returning Lenny's money and demanding that he leave. Lenny is undeterred and determined to befriend Linda and improve her circumstances. He meets with her again and invites her to lunch and they have further conversation, during which she reveals more about herself before her current circumstances. Lenny helps Linda to get away from her abusive pimp, Ricky (Dan Moran), and wants to transform her into the vision of what Max's biological mother should be, meaning getting her into a respectable career and finding her a man that she can start a family with. During a visit to a boxing gymnasium, Lenny meets equally dim-witted farmer's assistant Kevin (Michael Rapaport). Meanwhile, Lenny and Amanda's marriage is faltering because of his preoccupation with Linda, Amanda's career ambitions and her affair with Jerry. Lenny arranges for Linda and Kevin to go on a date, they go for dinner together and seem to be well-suited to each other. But their relationship is soured when he discovers her pornography career. Lenny comforts her following their breakup, and she finally confesses that she had a child that she gave up for adoption. Meanwhile, Amanda eventually confesses her affair with Jerry and admits that she wants them to have a real relationship. Lenny and Linda find solace in each other following their respective breakups and end up kissing and sleeping together. However, the following day, Lenny reconciles with Amanda, realising that they are still deeply in love. Linda meanwhile tries to win back Kevin but is unsuccessful. While driving back to the city, she sees a helicopter landing and offers a lift to the pilot, Don (Bray Poor). The Greek chorus reveals that Linda and Don are later married, however, she becomes pregnant with Lenny's child. A year later, Lenny is with Max and Linda is with her baby daughter, and they meet by chance in a toy store. Linda expresses her gratitude to Lenny for his help, not revealing he is her child's father, but leaving him stunned, seemingly aware of it. The film concludes with the Greek chorus performing a lively song and dance routine. Also starring F. Murray Abraham as the Greek Chorus Leader, Claire Bloom as Amanda's Mother, Olympia Dukakis as Jocasta, David Ogden Stiers as Laius, Jack Warden as Tiresias, Yvette Hawkins as School Principal, and Donald Symington as Amanda's Father. Allen plays his usual likeable neurotic and talkative character, Bonham Carter as the (American) wife in a crumbling marriage is good, and Abraham is amusing as the wise-cracking leader of the Greek chorus, but obviously Sorvino stands out with her award-winning performance as the ditzy hooker lacking brain cells but a kind-hearted personality. The story is supposed to be like a Greek tragedy, hence the odd narration and occasionally unnecessary interruptions by the chorus group, but I didn't mind the ending musical routine. It is fair to say that this is not up there with Allen's great films, but he directs well, and his script has some witty stuff, a worthwhile comedy. It was nominated the Oscar for Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen for Woody Allen. Good!

The title of this scary movie refers to the term "immaculate conception", the belief that God preserved the Virgin Mary of original sin when she was conceived. Mark Kermode gave it a positive review including about it going over the top and the ending being unforgettable, so I was definitely up for that. Basically, during the night at a convent in Italy, Sister Mary (Simona Tabasco) sneaks into the bedroom of a superior and steals a bunch of keys from a drawer to escape. She reaches the locked gates of the convent but is captured and knocked unconscious by three hooded figures. She later wakes up in a coffin and is buried alive. Sister Cecilia (Sydney Sweeney, also producing) has received an invitation from Father Sal Tedeschi (Álvaro Morte) to join an exclusive convent in Italy that looks after dying nuns in their last days. Mother Superior (Dora Romano) instructs Sister Isabelle (Giulia Heathfield Di Renzi) to show Cecilia around. Isabelle acts very cold towards Cecilia, who is disturbed by many of the patients. In a private conversation with Father Tedeschi, Cecilia explains that she turned to religion at a young age after nearly drowning in a frozen lake. She was declared medically dead for seven minutes, she was convinced that God saved her for a purpose. Cecilia befriends Sister Gwen (Benedetta Porcaroli), and they often do chores together, including washing and drying clothes. She is also tasked with killing a chicken by chopping its head off, but she refuses. Cecilia attends several church services presided by Cardinal Franco Merola (Giorgio Colangeli), along with the dozens of other nun staff members, and Tedeschi sits beside her to translate the Italian language, which has not fully learned. During her time at the convent, Cecilia is disturbed by certain oddities, including an elderly nun having scars on her feet in the shape of a crucifix. She later sees a nail said to have been taken from the cross on which Jesus was crucified. One day, after being sick and taken to resident Doctor Gallo (Giampiero Judica), Cecilia is shocked to learn that she is pregnant. Tedeschi and the doctor question her about having intercourse, but she insists she has never broken her vows to God, that she is a virgin and has never had relations with a man. Several staff members begin to treat her as the next Virgin Mary, with many proclaiming the child is a "blessing". But some treat her with contempt believing that she has committed sin. One night, while she is in the bath, Sister Isabelle tries to drown Cecilia, jealous of the "miracle", shouting that it "should have been her." During the first trimester, Cecilia experiences bad health, and is shocked to find one of her teeth has fallen out whilst vomiting. She requests to be taken to a hospital and seen by a proper doctor, but Tedeschi will not allow it, saying that hospitals are filled with harmful diseases. One day, while Cecilia is walking through the cloister, Isabelle is seen falling to her death, but it is unclear if she jumped or was pushed; she also notices strange figures wearing red masks and cloaks, during this time, and other moments around the convent. Gwen publicly chastises the convent superiors for turning a blind eye to the death; she is last seen taken away by Father Tedeschi and Deacon Enzo (Giuseppe Lo Piccolo). During the night, concerned for her safety, Cecilia enters the main office and breaks open a drawer containing all the files. Finding her file, she is shocked to find information on the accident in her childhood. She then hears screaming coming from outside and ventures further to find the female voice. Peaking through a wooden door, Cecilia sees Gwen restrained against a wall by a hooded figure, and she is horrified as she witnesses her friend having her tongue cut out. Cecilia steps back in terror and the elderly Sister Francesca (Betty Pedrazzi) appears and silences her. She begs to escape but Francesca chastises her, saying no one ever leaves. During the second trimester, Cecilia is found heavily bleeding and crying for help, and Tedeschi is forced to take her to hospital. Mother Superior sobs that the child may have been lost, but then she finds a dead chicken beheaded beneath Cecilia's bed. She realises Cecilia has faked a miscarriage in an attempt to escape the convent. During the car journey, Cecilia realises she has been rumbled following a phone call, she tries to run before being forcibly brought back by Tedeschi and Enzo. While Cecilia is tied up, Tedeschi reveals that before becoming a priest he was a geneticist and carried out biological experiments. He has been experimenting with DNA samples taken from the crucifixion nail, wanting to resurrect Christ and bring the Second Coming, but it is only twenty years later he has had his success with Cecilia. Cecilia is branded with heated crosses to burn the crucifix onto her feet, a symbol she had seen on many of the other nuns; this also makes it more difficult to walk and attempt another escape. By the third trimester, Cecilia is heavily pregnant and due any day now. She is horrified that the child could save the world or end it as written in the Bible in Revelation. When the opportunity presents itself, Cecilia makes another attempt to escape. She hits Mother Superior over the head with a crucifix and beats her to death. Shortly after, she curses as her water breaks. Next, she strangles the cardinal to death using her rosary (a string of knots or beads). Finally, she hobbles to Tedeschi's laboratory, which contains several failed attempts to create a baby, including deformed infant samples, using the DNA from the nail. She finds a canister of ethanol and douses the underground chamber of demented experiments. Tedeschi arrives and tries to stop her through physical force, but Cecilia narrowly escapes, drops a lighter inside and ignites the ethanol, with the priest trapped inside. Cecilia stands back and gleefully watches Tedeschi presumably burning to death inside, but she is stunned as he has found an extinguisher to put out the flames. She is forced to flee into the catacombs of the convent with Tedeschi in pursuit. She travels through many unending tunnels until she reaches a chamber and hides as Tedeschi calls after her. In this chamber, she is frightened to find Gwen's mutilated corpse, then she walks out to continue looking for a way out. Eventually, Cecilia reaches a hole in the walls of the catacombs. She tries to escape before Tedeschi arrives, with severe facial burns. Pinning her down, Tedeschi attempts to perform an improvised caesarean section, cutting her stomach open to get the baby. But Cecilia manages to stab Tedeschi in the throat with the crucifixion nail, which she had previously stolen, killing him instantly. Cecilia exits the catacombs, finding herself outside some ruins on a countryside hillside. A blood-covered Cecilia screams in both painful agony and trauma of her experiences as she gives birth to the child. After delivering her baby, she bites through the umbilical cord herself. It remains in close-up on her face as she looks down in horror at the sight of the baby, which does not cry, only making unnerving gurgling grunting sounds. She walks away to a nearby crumbling wall and grabs a nearby rock, walking back to the baby and lifting it high above her head, and screaming as she smashes it downwards, and it cuts to black after she has presumably crushed the unseen child to death. Also starring Cristina Chinaglia as Sister Friede, Niccolò Senni as Customs Official, Isabel Desantis as Young Cecilia, Viviane Florentine Nicolai as Sister Sally, and Marisa Regina as Sister Joan. Sydney gives a fantastic leading performance as the devout young woman who becomes pregnant without having sex, it took a long time for her to bring this film to life, which she auditioned for ten years ago(!), Morte is well cast as the priest you slowly realise is a mad scientist with nasty intentions, and there is good support from Romano and others. It should be mentioned that there were two single takes filmed for the powerful ending, it was the first take used, which is all in Sweeney's performance/face, and you must imagine what you don't see, we don't if the child is human or hideous, which makes it all the more memorable. It is the usual kind of setup, an innocent victim going to somewhere seemingly idyllic and slowly uncovering its dark secrets, and an unwanted pregnancy that becomes like something from Rosemary's Baby, and it is suitably chilling and atmospheric, a creepy nun movie that works, a most worthwhile psychological horror. Good!

I remember seeing the trailer for this scary movie, I recognised the leading male actor, and I thought it had a clever title, I chose to ignore any negative reviews it was getting and to make my own mind up, directed by Daniel Stamm (The Last Exorcism). Basically, due to a rise in demonic possessions around the world, the Catholic Church reopens exorcism schools outside of Rome to train priests in the Rite of Exorcism. Although nuns are forbidden to perform exorcisms, at St. Michael the Archangel School of Exorcism in Boston, Father Quinn (Colin Salmon) sees that Sister Ann (Jacqueline Byers) has a gift. He recognises she is empathetic with possessed victims of demons and agrees to train her. Along with fellow student Father Dante (Christian Navarro), they are thrust onto the spiritual frontline. Beneath the school is a facility holding several victims of possession, including many children. One such victim is a young girl named Natalie (introducing Posy Taylor), and Ann joins the battle to exorcise the evil spirit. Through the encounters with the possessed Natalie however, the demon may be the same evil spirit that possessed and tormented Ann's mentally unstable mother (Koyna Ruseva) years ago. There is resistance from staff members, including leading psychotherapist Dr. Peters (Candyman's Virginia Madsen), as Ann attends classes, while the priests find it amusing. Frightening events begin to happen to her, such as disturbing visions and memories. One day, whilst bathing an elderly patient, Clark (Keith Bartlett), he is momentarily possessed and harasses her, trapping her in the room and dancing with her against her will. Terrified, she attacks the old man, just as he is returned to his regular form, and he is frightened. But Sister Ann persists in her quest, delving into secret archives with the help of Father Dante. She finds several historical "terminal cases" and evidence of many patients being sent to the Vatican and dying. But she finds the name of one woman who survived demonic possession, recovering before she could be sent to the Vatican, and was released from the institute. Ann helps exorcise Dante's troubled sister, Emilia (Cora Kirk), which is apparently successful. However, the next morning, the school's leadership and Cardinal Matthews (Ben Cross, in his final film) tell her that Dante's sister killed herself. Ann unhappily concludes that, in response to the tragedy, she should go back to her old convent. However, Father Dante visits her, telling her that Natalie, who had recovered and left the school, has had a relapse, and may be sent to the Vatican as a "terminal case". He convinces her to sneak into the school with him and exorcise Natalie. Ann is shocked to find out that Natalie is in fact her daughter, she was given up for adoption years ago; she was pregnant as a teenager while her mother was being abusive. The anguish of abandonment has made Natalie subject to demonic possession. Eventually, the demon leaves Natalie but possesses Ann, who falls into a large pool of holy water. She fights through the anguish of her troubled history and eventually frees herself from the demon. The school's leadership reward her with an academic fellowship to the Vatican. However, while in a taxi, Ann finds that the driver is Clark who had harassed her under demonic influence. The taxi stops in the street, and a sinister-looking woman, the one released from the institute, stares at her from the street. Sister Ann grabs her crucifix as the driver snarls and lunges at her. Also starring Lisa Palfrey as Sister Euphemia, Nicholas Ralph as Father Raymond, Debora Zhecheva as Young Ann, Elizabeth Gibson as Sister Kylie, and Velizar Binev as Father Bernhard. Byers is alright, Salmon is always reliable, and Madsen is reasonable as the head of the school. The film might have some memorable images, including hair being sucked down throats and the old man with white eyes and a long tongue, but the exorcism sequences are predictable, the story is rather familiar but not terrible, it is only mildly tense when it needs to be but otherwise it is a little dull and unscary, I've seen better, a disappointing but not completely dismal psychological horror. Adequate!

The original Ghostbusters celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2024, Ghostbusters: Afterlife, the fifth instalment in the franchise (ignoring the awful 2016 female version) was a great nostalgic comeback requel, I heard mixed things about this follow-up, written by Afterlife director Jason Reitman, son of original director Ivan Reitman, directed by Gil Kenan (Monster House, Poltergeist). Basically, in New York City, July 1904, firefighters (from the fire station that becomes the Ghostbusters headquarters) answer a call at the Manhattan Adventurers Society, a gentlemen's club. Breaking down the doors they find a room of thirty men frozen to death, while a phonograph is playing strange chants in extinct languages. The only survivor is a woman in a suit of armour holding a mysterious metallic orb. In the present day, Callie Spengler (Carrie Coon), her boyfriend Gary Grooberson (Paul Rudd), and her children Trevor (Finn Wolfhard) and Phoebe (Mckenna Grace) are working as Ghostbusters to capture nasty spirits roaming the streets. They are successful in catching the Hell's Kitchen Sewer Dragon, but due to property damage, they face public backlash and threats from old rival Walter Peck (William Atherton), who was elected Mayor. There is also concern for Winston Zeddemore (Ernie Hudson), the former Ghostbuster who funds their operation, as their ecto-containment is dangerously close to capacity. Phoebe is considered legally too young to be part of the team, so Callie suspends her rebellious teenage daughter until she is an adult. One day, setting up a chess board in the park, Phoebe meets and befriends a ghost named Melody (Emily Alyn Lind), who died in a fire, along with her family, when she was sixteen. Meanwhile, Raymond 'Ray' Stantz (Dan Aykroyd) and Podcast (Logan Kim) have been collecting cursed objects at Ray's Occult Books store. A customer named Nadeem Razmaadi (The Big Sick's Kumail Nanjiani) sells Ray the metallic orb, which belonged to his late grandmother. When Ray carries out tests on it, the orb unleashes a psychic charge that damages the wall around the firehouse's ecto-containment unit. The Spenglers and Gary are taken to Winston's privately owned Paranormal Research Center, where their friend Lucky (Celeste O'Connor) is working alongside eccentric British inventor Dr. Lars Pinfield (James Acaster). They have invented a reverse-engineered technology that can extract spiritual energy from supposedly haunted objects; they attempt to use it to extract something from the orb, without success. Trevor, Pinfield and Lucky visit Nadeem and find out he has a brass-lined chamber hidden in his deceased grandmother's home, which contains numerous relics and where the orb was stored. Nadeem is then taken to Dr. Peter Venkman (Bill Murray) for a parapsychological evaluation, it is revealed he has latent pyrokinetic powers (the ability to control fire). Melody visits Phoebe at the firehouse, where she takes a special interest in the containment unit. Melody is secretly working for the entity contained in the orb, tasked to be close to Phoebe. Ray, Phoebe and Podcast visit Dr. Hubert Wartzki (Patton Oswalt) at the New York Public Library, where he explains that the orb was built to imprison a demonic god, Garraka. The demonic god sought to conquer their dimension with his telepathic ability to control ghosts and to lower temperatures to absolute zero when feeding upon negative emotions, including fear. After a battle thousands of years ago with four sorcerers, the Firemasters, Garraka was trapped, when they exploited his weaknesses on fire and brass. He was briefly freed later by the Manhattan Adventurers Society in 1904, they were literally scared to death, but Garraka was recaptured by one of the Firemasters' descendants, Nadeem's grandmother. The phonograph cylinder recording of the club's ritual is held in the library archive. A poltergeist, Possessor, tries to steal the cylinder, which Phoebe destroyed during the ensuing chase. Following their disobedience to cease their operations, Peck seizes the firehouse and impounds their original equipment. Following an argument, Phoebe runs away from her family. She takes Melody to the research centre, using the lab's extraction machine to separate her spirit from her body becoming a ghost for two minutes so that she and Melody can physically interact. But Melody reveals that she made a deal to free Garraka from captivity in exchange for passage to the afterlife. By forcing Phoebe to recite the ritual's chant, Garraka escapes and freezes the city. The Ghostbusters realise that Garraka intends to free all ghosts from the containment unit to rebuild his army. The team gathers to defend their headquarters with new gear, while Nadeem puts on his grandmother's brass armour and practises to control his pyrokinesis to help them. When Garraka arrives, he easily overwhelms the Ghostbusters and breaks the containment unit, freeing the captured ghosts. Garraka is vulnerable to Phoebe's reconfigured proton pack which fires a brass-like alloy substance. Melody turns on Garraka for his deception and joins Phoebe and Nadeem to restrain him. Since the unit's ghosts are gone Ray is able to use it to send Garraka to the Afterlife. Melody reconciles with Phoebe before being able to ascend to the afterlife, for helping the Ghostbusters, and she joins her family. New York City thaws, and the citizens praise the Ghostbusters as heroes. Peck threatens to shut the Ghostbusters down again, but they coerce him with the surrounding press into supporting the team and reinstating Phoebe. The Ghostbusters get into the Ecto-1 vehicle and begin pursuing the escaped ghosts, including the Sewer Dragon, Slimer, and the Mini-Pufts. Later, a Stay-Puft Marshmallow brand truck is stolen by a group of Mini-Pufts after its driver is filling at a gas station. Also starring Annie Potts as Janine Melnitz, Shelley Williams as Senior Advisor, Stephen Whitfield as Fire Captain (1904), Chris Tummings as Police Chief, and John Rothman as Library Administrator. Grace is reasonable as the young lead, Rudd repeats his amusing nice guy one-liner role, the other young supporting cast members have annoyingly reduced roles, Ackroyd and Hudson are okay, and Murray is unfortunately unfunny. The only positives I can say are that most of the characters are still likeable, the special effects are pretty good, and hearing Ray Parker Jr's iconic theme song is always fun to hear. The biggest problem with this film is that it tries too much to recall everything familiar that made the original fun and fails miserably, there is no effort to make a sensical script or an entertaining story, it is a predictable, boring, and annoying mess, a disappointing supernatural comedy. Adequate!

I had known about this supposedly popular film for several years, I found out it was made on a low budget of $5 million, it grossed over $365 million worldwide, and it spawned two sequels and a television series, so I was relieved when I finally got to watch it. Basically, single thirty-year-old Greek American Fotoula "Toula" Portokalos (Golden Globe nominated Nia Vardalos, also writing) comes from a large, loud, intrusive Greek family that wants her to get married and have children. She is frumpy and meek, she works in her family's Chicago restaurant, "Dancing Zorba's", but longs to do something more with her life. While working one day, good-looking American school teacher Ian Miller (John Corbett) comes into the restaurant, and Toula develops a crush on him. That evening, she tells her parents that she wants to go to college to learn about computers. But her father, Costas "Gus" Portokalos (Michael Constantine), gets emotional that Toula may leave him. Her mother Maria (Lainie Kazan) comforts her and convinces Gus that Toula should make her own choices. As the weeks pass, Toula changes her image, taking off her glasses and wearing contact lenses, styling her hair, and wearing makeup and brighter clothes that show off her figure. She gains more confidence and finds a course on computers and tourism. She tells her Aunt Voula (Andrea Martin), who owns a travel agency, about her newfound skills that she could apply to Voula's business. Voula agrees, and she and Maria convince Gus to agree as well. Toula is happy to be working at the travel agents and catches Ian's attention. He silently flirts and plays with her looking through the window, eventually entering and asking her to dinner. On their date, Toula confesses to Ian that her family owns Dancing Zorba's, and he suddenly recognises her. Toula feared that he would lose interest in her, but Ian reaffirms his fondness for her. Knowing her family would disapprove of her dating a non-Greek. She lies that she is taking a pottery class and continues dating Ian and they fall in love. However, Toula is exposed when a family friend sees them kissing. Gus is furious that Ian did not ask his permission to date Toula, even though they are grown adults. Gus refuses to let them continue seeing each other because Ian is not Greek, but they continue dating anyway. Gus tries introducing Toula to single Greek men, but she is not interested, Ian proposes marriage and Toula accepts. Maria tells Gus that he must accept their engagement, but he remains upset because Ian is not a member of the Greek Orthodox Church. Wanting the family to accept him, Ian agrees to be baptised into the church. The Portokalos family finally accepts him but constantly interferes with the wedding planning. The family designs ugly bridesmaids dresses and Ian's mother's name is misspelled on the wedding invitations. Ian's parents, Rodney (Bruce Gray) and Harriet (Fiona Reid), are quiet and conservative, they feel awkward surrounded by the entire family during a loud and extravagant Greek family dinner. Overwhelmed, they get drunk on strong Greek alcohol. Toula worries that her father has not accepted Ian. Toula and Ian are married, with a combination of both Greek and American traditions. At the wedding reception, Gus gives a heartfelt speech focusing on how the differences between the families and their backgrounds do not matter. Gus and Maria then surprise the happy couple with a house as a wedding present. As the two families dance together, Toula narrates that while her family is indeed loud, odd, and somewhat dramatic, she knows they love her and will always be there for her. Six years later, Toula and Ian have a daughter who is about to start Greek school. Their home is revealed to be right next door to Gus and Maria's house. Also starring Joey Fatone as Angelo, Gia Carides as Cousin Nikki, Louis Mandylor as Nick Portokalos, Ian Gomez as Mike, Gerry Mendicino as Uncle Taki, Stavroula Logothettis as Athena Portokalos, Jayne Eastwood as Mrs. White, and Kathryn Haggis as Cousin Marianthi. Vardalos, who wrote an autobiographical script, and Corbett have good on-screen chemistry, and Constantine is likeable as the father who claims everything has a Greek origin. Most of the humour comes from the over-the-top antics of the Greek to-be in-laws, a loved-up couple and cultures clashing is nothing original, but it is charming and amusing enough, an alright romantic comedy. It was nominated the Oscar for Best Writing, Original Screenplay for Nia Vardalos, and it was nominated the Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical. Worth watching!

I had known about this film for ten years or so, mainly because of the leading actress, I didn't know anything about the plot, I was interested because it had good names in the cast and positive reviews, and because it is directed by Lars von Trier (Breaking the Waves, Antichrist, Nymphomaniac). Basically, it opens with a dream sequence of slow-motion shots, featuring the main characters, a collapsing horse, falling birds, the solar system, and the Earth colliding with a rogue planet. It is the dream of Justine (Kirsten Dunst); it is her wedding day to husband Michael (Alexander Skarsgård), they were married in a castle owned by her brother-in-law John (Kiefer Sutherland) and her sister Claire (Charlotte Gainsbourg). They are driving uphill in a limousine which cannot get round a narrow corner on a rural road. Justin and Michael are two hours late for the reception at the large family estate. Upon arrival, Justine notices a large unknown bright star in the sky. John is an astronomy enthusiast and says that the star is Antares. The festivities are less than harmonious. Justine's parents Gaby (Charlotte Rampling) and Dexter (John Hurt) are divorced and verbally abuse each other in front of everybody. Dexter is self-indulgent and selfish which means he cannot connect emotionally with his daughters, and Gaby is shrewd, brutal, ruthless, and pathologically honest, which eventually leads to her being thrown out. Claire is controlling towards her sister and John wants to stick with the wedding schedule. Claire and John are constantly annoyed as Justine keeps wandering off with no explanation. On one occasion, before the crucial cake-cutting, Justine escapes to have a bath to cleanse herself of the chaos. Later, she wanders off to the nearby golf course, she urinates at the 18th hole and watches the unknown bright star approaching closer. Justine's advertising firm employer Jack (Stellan Skarsgård) has been invited, he announces her promotion to art director, and he reminds her during the celebration that she is expected to write a slogan for a new campaign. The pressure of this promotion and the negativity surrounding what should be a happy occasion become too much for Justine. She has been suffering from depression for a long time but has tried to suppress it. She falls back into her depression by the end which goes on until the early hours of the morning. Eventually, she snaps, having an argument with Jack after which quits her job. Justine's boss's nephew Tim (Brady Corbet) gets closer to her, Justine cannot bring herself to consummate the marriage with her gormless husband, and she and Tim have sex in a sand trap on the golf course. After cheating on him, Justine calls off her marriage to Michael and he leaves the venue. After sunrise the next morning, Justine reluctantly goes horseback riding with Claire. Justine notices that the bright star has disappeared from the sky. Sometime later, Justine has sunk even further into depression. She arrives at John and Claire's estate and struggles to leave her bed or to eat anything. The bright star disappearing is revealed to be due to a rogue planet, "Melancholia", which came from behind the Sun and eclipsed the missing star. John has been reading the calculations of scientists, he says Melancholia will get close to Earth but will not collide with it. Claire looks at Melancholia's path on the internet, she is anxious reading that there is a theory that, having bypassed the Earth, it will turn back and collide with it. John tries to calm her down but secretly secures food and gasoline. With the threat of an approaching planet, Claire increasingly loses her composure. But Justine welcomes the end of the world and "sunbathes" naked in the glow of the oncoming planet. Strange omens occur in the days that follow. Electricity at the castle cuts out, the butler does not come to work, the horses in the stable are restless, and the weather changes erratically, including several electrical storms. Melancholia initially flies past Earth, seemingly vindicating what John said. However, a gravitational interaction between the planets sends Melancholia across Earth's orbit for a second time, now moving on a path towards it. After finding out the planet is doomed, John kills himself by overdosing on pills. Claire finds him dead but hides it from the family and tries to drive away with her son Leo (Cameron Spurr), but the cars will not start. Justine declines to spend her final moments with Claire on the terrace by candlelight and wine. Instead, Justine calms Leo down by suggesting that they build a "magic cave" out of branches. Justine, Claire, and Leo sit under the "cave" and hold hands as Melancholia is close to collision. While Justine and Leo are either apathetic or at peace with their impending doom, Claire panics and succumbs to despair, sobbing inconsolably. Melancholia finally collides with Earth, both planets shatter against each other and the trio are engulfed in a sea of flames. Also starring Jesper Christensen as Little Father, Udo Kier as Wedding Planner, James Cagnard as Michael's Father, Deborah Fronko as Michael's Mother, and Gary Whitaker as Limo Driver. Dunst, Gainsbourg, Sutherland, and Rampling are among the most memorable in the all-star cast, Danish auteur von Trier is well known for making films with unusual themes and events, and this one is no different. The bad events during the wedding ceremonies are a metaphor for the upcoming destruction, the opening dream sequence is unforgettably strange, it has vibrant imagery and artistry, and it is an interesting alternative disaster movie, it is likely to divide opinion, but I thought it was a worthwhile apocalyptic psychological drama. Very good!

Blumhouse Productions (Insidious, Sinister, Get Out, M3GAN) have had many great hits, but in recent years they have made less successful films, including Halloween Ends, Insidious: The Red Door, The Exorcist: Believer, Five Nights at Freddy's, and Night Swim, I was hoping that this latest offering from them could be good, directed by Jeff Wadlow (Cry Wolf, Kick-Ass 2, Blumhouse's Fantasy Island). Basically, children's author and illustrator Jessica (DeWanda Wise) is married to British musician Max (Tom Payne), who has two daughters, young Alice (Pyper Braun) and teenager Taylor (Taegen Burns), from his previous marriage. Alice likes Jessica but Taylor is somewhat distant towards her new stepmother. Jessica is haunted by nightmares which include her father Ben (Samuel Salary) and her fictional character, Simon the Spider. The family has moved into Jessica's childhood home. Exploring the basement, Alice discovers a teddy bear. Alice tells Jessica the bear's name is Chauncey and quickly forms a bond with him. Jessica is reunited with the elderly neighbour Gloria (Betty Buckley), who used to babysit her as a child. Gloria shares memories of Jessica's childhood, which she cannot remember. Alice's and Taylor's mentally unstable biological mother Samantha (Alix Angelis) breaks into the house to see her daughters. The police arrive and take Samantha away after she tries to attack Jessica; Taylor confesses to contacting her. Jessica puts Alice to bed, remarking to her that she used to have a friend (imaginary) like Chauncey. Jessica is left to look after the children when Max embarks on a tour with his band. Alice becomes fixated on completing a scavenger hunt list, apparently compiled by Chauncey. Jessica becomes slowly disturbed by the teddy bear's overwhelming presence in Alice's life. One day, Jessica goes to visit Ben, who is living in an institution due to a mental breakdown. While she is gone, Taylor invites young neighbour Liam (Matthew Sato) over. During his visit, Liam offers her what appears to be drugs which she does not take, and he knocks over and shatters an alcohol bottle. Liam goes to the bathroom to find a towel and use the toilet, during which he is toyed with by Chauncey, including with his pull string, Liam assumes he is tripping. Then Chauncey briefly turns into a monstrous bear and frightens Liam. Jessica returns and catches him and Taylor, angering her stepdaughter. Afterward, one of the instructions on Alice's list is "something that hurts"; Jessica narrowly stops Alice from slamming her hand down onto a nail. Jessica calls therapist and child psychologist Dr. Soto (Veronica Falcón) to come speak to Alice. Soto observes Alice talk to Chauncey and speak on his behalf, who makes threatening remarks about Jessica. Alice cries about their friendship falling apart, and Soto notices when she turns her head, that Alice is not speaking as the teddy bear. Jessica talks about Alice and the bear spending time together, but Soto makes her realise that only she and Alice can see the bear. Soto shows Jessica footage of a past child patient (Eduardo Campirano), and the little boy uses a phrase Alice used: "Never Ever". Alice disappears after speaking to Chauncey again and Taylor blames her stepmother for her sister's disappearance. Taylor encounters Gloria who invites her to her home and explains what happened to Jessica as a child. Chauncey was also Jessica's childhood imaginary friend. Gloria explains that imaginary friends are spirits that bind themselves to the young and may become aggressive if abandoned; Jessica abandoned Chauncey and he is angered. Jessica goes through her childhood belongings and finds drawing a door that she drew with the words "Never Ever". Taylor and Gloria return to complete the scavenger hunt list for themselves while in the basement, hoping it will lead them to Alice. The final step is to do "something that hurts", Jessica stabs herself in the hand, but it does not work. Jessica then suddenly says hateful things towards Taylor, and this causes a glowing door to appear in the basement; Jessica explains that it was saying awful things that were "hurtful". Jessica, Taylor and Gloria enter the realm of Never Ever, a place controlled by imagination. They find a door showing Jessica's childhood incident. Chauncey had lured Jessica into the Never Ever. A flashback reveals that Ben rescued her, going mad in the process from seeing Chauncey's eyes. Jessica left home shortly after to live with her paternal grandmother. Gloria, who has grown obsessed with the realm, goes mad and deliberately closes the escape route. Moments later, a door opens beside Gloria and the monstrous Chauncey mauls her to death. Jessica and Taylor locate Alice, after going through a series of rooms and they attempt to escape. Chauncey goes berserk as the group leaves, but Jessica stops him by stabbing him in the eye. After reuniting with Ben and Max at the institution, Jessica realises she is still stuck in the imaginary world. Chauncey has used Alice as bait to lure Jessica, his real target, as he seeks revenge for her abandoning him. Taylor arrives and saves Jessica. Chauncey turns to his true form, Jessica's literary Simon, a giant vicious spider. The creature tries to turn Jessica insane hypnotising her with his eyes, but Alice sets the creature on fire. The spider is sealed behind the door and the entrance to the realm is painted over with black paint. The family escapes as the basement is ignited, and they get out before the fire spreads through the house, and it burns to the ground. The family almost checks into a hotel but they are frightened by a child playing with his imaginary friend who is another teddy bear. The three leave for the next hotel. Also starring Wanetah Walmsley as Barbara, Rhythm Hurd as Young Jessica, Shawn Sanz as Officer, Lawrence J. Weber Jr. As Orderly, and Dane DiLiegro as Chauncey Beast. The story involving dormant memories reawakened with an evil presence is silly, the teddy bear is not creepy enough to take seriously, and the predictable dialogue is laughably daft. Any attempts to create twists and turns or to make it scary are wasted, and the moment the characters enter the imaginary world it is just non-sensical, it gets so ridiculous that I just wanted it to end, a most disappointing and mediocre supernatural horror. Adequate!

The first film was a great success, one of the highest-grossing movies of 2021 and receiving numerous accolades, the sequel was delayed by the Hollywood strikes, but I hoped it was worth the wait, based on the book by Frank Herbert, directed by Denis Villeneuve (Prisoners, Arrival, Blade Runner 2049). Basically, in the distant future, Princess Irulan Corrino (Florence Pugh) secretly records in her journal that Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) may still be alive, while her father, Padishah Emperor Shaddam IV (Christopher Walken), is disheartened after the fall of House Atreides. On the barren desert planet of Arrakis, the Fremen troops of tribe leader Stilgar (Javier Bardem), along with Paul and his mother Lady Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson), prevail over an attack from a Harkonnen patrol. When Jessica and Paul reach Sietch Tabr, some Fremen suspect they are spies, while Stilgar and others believe a prophecy that a mother and son from the "Outer World" will bring prosperity to Arrakis. Stilgar tells Jessica that Reverend Mother Mohiam (Charlotte Rampling) is dying and she must become her replacement by drinking the Water of Life, which is poisonous to males and the untrained. Jessica transmutes after drinking the fatal liquid, surviving and inheriting the memories of every female ancestor in her lineage. Jessica is pregnant with a child, and the liquid prematurely awakens the mind of the unborn daughter, Alia, allowing Jessica to communicate with her. They agree to focus on trying to convince the northern Fremen who are more sceptical of the prophecy. Young rebellious warrior Chani (Zendaya) and her friend Shishakli (Souheila Yacoub) believe the prophecy is a fabricated narrative made to manipulate the Fremen. When Paul delivers a speech to the Fremen people about not seeking power and only wanting to fight alongside them, Chani develops respect for him. Paul embraces the Fremen ways, learning their language, the dangerous act of riding sandworms, becoming a Fedaykin fighter and helping raid Harkonnen spice operations. Paul adopts the Fremen names "Usul" and "Muad'Dib", and he and Chani fall in love. Due to the devastating spice raids, House patriarch Baron Vladimir Harkonnen (Stellan Skarsgård) replaces his brutish nephew Rabban aka "Beast" (Dave Bautista) as Arrakis' ruler with his psychotic, murderous younger nephew, Feyd-Rautha (Elvis's Austin Butler). Lady Margot Fenring (Léa Seydoux), a Bene Gesserit, is sent to evaluate Feyd's suitability as a prospective Kwisatz Haderach and to seduce him to secure his genes. Jessica travels south to unite with Fremen fundamentalists who believe in the prophecy. Paul has disturbing visions of a holy war that will occur if he goes south where he is believed to be a messiah. Paul stays north and reunites with Gurney Halleck (Josh Brolin) who leads him to an atomic stockpile hidden by House Atreides. Feyd-Rautha attacks Sietch Tabr and kills Shishakli, forcing Paul and the surviving Fremen to journey south. After arriving, Paul drinks the Water of Life and falls into a coma. Chani, angered by his actions, helps to wake him up by mixing her tears with the liquid. Paul gains a clearer vision of the past and future, seeing an adult Alia on a future Arrakis with a supply of water. He also discovers that his mother is the Baron's daughter, making him both Atreides and Harkonnen. The southern Fremen leaders urge Paul to challenge Stilgar for leadership. But he refuses and instead spurs the fundamentalists by showing that he can read their innermost thoughts. He declares himself the Lisan al Gaib and sends a challenge to Emperor Shaddam, who arrives on Arrakis with Irulan, the Reverend Mother, and his Sardaukar troops. The Fremen launch a massive military strike against the emperor's forces using atomics and sandworms. They overpower the Sardaukar, while Paul kills the Baron and takes Shaddam and his entourage captive. Gurney intercepts Rabban trying to flee and kills him. Paul challenges Shaddam for the throne, demanding Irulan's hand in marriage. The Great Houses, who were summoned by the Baron, arrive in orbit. Paul threatens to destroy the spice fields with atomics if they interfere. Shaddam chooses Feyd-Rautha as his champion, he and Paul have a knife duel, which ends with Paul hilling his opponent. Irulan agrees to marry Paul on the condition that her father lives. Shaddam kneels and kisses Paul's signet ring. The Great Houses above Arrakis reject Paul's ascendancy, so Paul orders the Fremen to attack the fleet in orbit. As Stilgar leads the Fremen onto the captured Sardaukar ships, Jessica and Alia see this as the beginning of Muad'Dib's holy war. Chani refuses to bow to Paul and departs alone on a sandworm. Also starring Roger Yuan as Lanville, Babs Olusanmokun as Jamis, Alison Halstead as Maker Keeper, Giusi Merli as Reverend Mother Ramallo, Imola Gáspár as Watermaster, and Anya Taylor-Joy as Alia Atreides. I'm not going to pretend I understood everything going on, with all the stuff involving religion and politics, just the main plot that everyone wants the spice. Chalamet goes from a young steady hero to braver leading figure, Zendaya gets more screen time as his love interest, Skarsgård being nasty and grotesque and Bautista being aggressive and loud are equally good as the villains, and the all-star cast, including Brolin, Bardem, Rampling, and Walken all get their moments as well. The visuals and special effects remain fantastic, from the spaceships and alien creatures to the interior and exterior locations and large-scale battle scenes, so it doesn't matter if you don't understand it all, it is a great spectacle, and hopefully the third and presumably concluding part will be as exciting, a worthwhile epic science-fiction adventure. Very good!

I knew this was one of the earliest films in the career of the future double Oscar winning star, his third film, made the same year as Splash, his breakthrough role, but I heard mixed to negative things about this. Basically, Rick Gassko (Tom Hanks) is a party animal who works as a bus driver for a Catholic school. He announces to his friends, photographer Jay O'Neill (Adrian Zmed), ticketing agent Gary (Gary Grossman), car mechanic Rudy (Barry Diamond), waiter Ryko (Michael Dudikoff) and his proctologist brother Dr. Stanley "Stan" Gassko (William Tepper) that he has decided to settle down. He and his girlfriend Debbie Thompson (Tawny Kitaen), who works as a salesperson in a clothing store, are engaged to be married. His friends, especially Jay, are shocked but decide to throw him the ultimate bachelor party. They also invite Rick's friend Brad (Bradford Bancroft), who has become depressed since his marriage break-up, and he makes several failed attempts to commit suicide. Debbie's parents are wealthy and conservative, but they are unhappy about the engagement, especially her father Ed (George Grizzard). To sabotage their relationship and stop any potential wedding, Debbie's father the help of Debbie's ex-boyfriend Cole Whittier (Robert Prescott), to win her back and get rid of Rick. Debbie's friends throw her a bridal shower, Rick promises Debbie he will not be unfaithful and there will be no prostitutes, but she still worries. The bachelor party takes place in a lavish, spacious hotel suite at the Parkview Hotel. Gary goes looking for some hookers and pays an Alley Pimp (Ji-Tu Cumbuka). But Cole does some meddling, after Gary leaves, he bribes the pimp money to go to the bridal shower instead. The bridal shower is a pleasant get-together at the Thompson estate, but it all goes awry when the two escorts (Rosanne Katon and Dani Douthette) appear in provocative clothing and get kinky in front of all the female guests. Discovering these raunchy ladies were meant to be going to the bachelor party, Debbie, her mother Mrs. Thompson (Barbara Stuart), her cousin Ilene (Deborah Harmon), her friend Bobbi (Tracy Smith) Stan's wife Dr. Tina Gassko (Wendie Jo Sperber) and some of the other women go to a girls club to calm down. Rick's friend Michael (Gerard Prendergast), who works at the club, sees Debbie and calls Rick, who decides they should play a prank. Cole goes to the party and offers an expensive car to Rick to leave Debbie, but he refuses. Rudy steals the car and takes it away. At the girls club, the prank involves a male stripper putting his penis inside a hotdog bun which Debbie's mother ends up unintentionally tugging. Ilene sees the boys laughing at their expense. The bachelor party has been dull and boring for some time, but Gary finds another pimp and gets a number of hookers for a cut price for 45 minutes. The women decide to get even with Rick and his friends, dressing as hookers themselves to catch Rick in the act of being unfaithful. The party quickly becomes a wild, drunken orgy and the hotel room is trashed, which infuriates the hotel manager (Kenneth Kimmins). Rick catches Brad trying to kill himself again, but it is a useless attempt using an electric razor on his wrists. Gary falls in love with a prostitute, She-Tim (Christopher Morley), only to realise that she is a transvestite with a penis. Rick's ex-flame Tracey (Monique Gabrielle) is lured to the party by Jay, she strips naked in front of Rick, but he refuses to have sex with her. From a hotel across the street, Cole attacks through the window with a bow and arrow. After spotting him, Rick and his friends capture Cole, strip him naked and hang him out the window tied up in bed sheets, he dangles until he falls onto a passing car. By now, the party has become chaotic with many random strangers joining the raucous entertainment, including drug taking. Stan sneaks in a donkey into the party, which snorts some cocaine and collapses. Ed is coincidentally making a keynote speech at a conference at the same hotel, he arrives at the party and threatens to reveal everything to Debbie. Debbie eventually reaches Rick's party disguised as a hooker. Rick catches her and has fun by pretending to want to sleep with her. Debbie reveals herself and confronts him about his attempt to be unfaithful. Rick talks with Debbie and convinces her of his love and faithfulness by asking the entire room if he slept with any of them that night. Moments later, the party is raided by the police. In the chaos, Rick and Debbie become separated and Cole kidnaps Debbie. Rick sees them and chases them into a cinema; he and Cole engage in a fistfight which becomes synchronised with a fight scene playing on the big screen while the audience is watching with 3D glasses, which many audience members assume is an extraordinary 3D effect. Rick wins the fight and is reunited with Debbie. Rick and Debbie are married, and head to the airport for their honeymoon, with a laughing Brad driving them in Rick's school bus. Also starring Florence Schauffler as Sister Mary Francis, John Bloom as Milt the bouncer, Martina Finch as Phoebe, Brett Baxter Clark as Nick, Katie Mitchell as Kelley, Toni Alessandrini as Desiree, Monique Gabrielle as Tracey, Angela Aames as Mrs. Klupner, Richard Lorenzo Hernandez as Raul, Jonathan Tyler Trevillyan as Skip, Anne Gaybis as Hooker, Peaches Johnson as Hooker, Sheri Shortt as Hooker, and Danielle as Hooker. Hanks is pretty the good thing about this film, he is likeable but surrounded by a less than average cast. It is just unfunny, with too much focus on titillation and no effort to create humour from the mediocre script, I tittered at moments but mostly I was cringing, a rather terrible sex comedy. Adequate!

I had always heard about the two films made during the success of the television series, which had recently celebrated its 60th anniversary, I wanted to make the effort to watch them, I didn't know what to expect but the critics gave the second one average reviews. Basically, Special Constable Tom Campbell (Bernard Cribbins) encounters a jewellery shop burglary. He runs into what appears to be a police box to call for backup, but he enters TARDIS (Time and Relative Dimension in Space), the time machine operated by scientist Dr. Who (Peter Cushing). Tom faints at the sight of the large interior of Tardis, so Dr. Who brings him, along with his niece Louise (Jill Curzon) and granddaughter Susan (Roberta Tovey), as they travel through time to the future. When he wakes, Tom is told that they have arrived in in London in the year 2150 A. D. Leaving Tardis, they find the city has been devastated, buildings have been destroyed and humanity is struggling to survive. They discover that Earth was invaded by an alien race; some survivors have become resistance fighters, while captives have either been transformed into 'Robomen' servants or are forced into labour working at a mine in Bedfordshire. Louise and Susan encounter a rebel fighter, Wyler (Andrew Keir), who takes them to a London Underground station resistance base, where they meet fellow fighters David (Mr. Benn's Ray Brooks) and Dortmun (Godfrey Quigley). The resistance fighters tell Louise and Susan they plan to bomb the Dalek spaceship using rebels disguised as Robomen. Meanwhile, Dr. Who and Tom are captured and imprisoned after encountering the enemy that has taken over Earth, the Daleks, who take them aboard their spaceship. They avoid being robotised when the rebels attack the ship. Dr. Who escapes with David, while Tom and Louise become trapped on the spaceship. After the attack fails, Wyler returns to the base and informs Dortmun and Susan that Dr. Who escaped. They decide to hide on the outskirts of London until the rebels can regroup. Susan leaves a message for her grandfather about their intentions and is taken by Dortmun in a van. Dortmun is killed when Daleks are on patrol, and Wyler and Susan abandon the vehicle just before it is destroyed. Dr. Who and David return to the now deserted underground station. They assume that Wyler, Dortmun and Susan have gone to Bedfordshire to investigate the mining operation, failing to see Susan's message, and they decide to go there. Tom and Louise reunite on the spaceship, which is heading to the mine. Tom tries to find a way out, disguised as one of the brainwashed enslaved humans but is constantly having to pretend to be one of them. Eventually, the craft lands and Tom escapes with Louise. Finding themselves in the mining complex, they are saved from a Roboman by a slave worker, who hides them in a tool shed. Wyler and Susan shelter in a cottage, occupied by a mother (Eileen Way) and her daughter (Sheila Steafel). Susan convinces Wyler that Dr. Who will be heading for Bedfordshire and that they must follow. The daughter leaves to run an errand but returns with Daleks Daleks who capture Wyler and Susan and take them to their mine control centre. Dr. Who and David reach the mine, where they encounter black marketeer Brockley (Philip Madoc, Ruth Madoc's ex-husband), who agrees to smuggle them into the complex. By chance, he leads them to the tool shed where Tom and Louise are hiding. They are joined by a prisoner, Conway (Keith Marsh), who reveals the Daleks intend to drop a bomb into their mineshaft which will destroy the Earth's core and replace it with a device to pilot the planet like a giant spacecraft. Using stolen plans, the humans find another shaft leading to a convergence between the planet's magnetic poles. Tom and Conway realise that an explosion at this point would release enough energy to destroy the metallic Daleks. They form a plan to deflect the bomb while Louise and David go to help evacuate the prisoners from the mine. Brockley refuses to get involved and leaves but returns with a group of Daleks. As Dr. Who is led away, the Daleks kill Brockley. Tom and Conway enter the mineshaft but are discovered by a Roboman. Conway and the Roboman get into a fight and end up falling down the mine to their deaths. Tom climbs up the mineshaft and moves the old timbers to create a deflecting ramp. Dr. Who is taken to the mine control room and meets Wyler and Susan. Dr. Who seizes the radio link controlling the Robomen and orders them to turn against their masters. The Robomen and Daleks fight, while everybody else flees from the mine. The Daleks manage to defeat the rebellion and release the bomb into the shaft, but the device is deflected by the moved timbers. After travelling down the various shafts, it explodes at the pole convergence, causing the Daleks to be pulled into the Earth's core and destroyed, while their spaceship crashes and explodes. As the travellers prepare to return to their own time in Tardis, Tom asks to be taken back to a few minutes before the burglary occurred. Tom arrives as the burglary is about to occur, knocks out the criminals and drives them away in their getaway car to the police station. Dr. Who and his companions watch from a distance before getting back into Tardis to head for home. Also starring Roger Avon as Wells, Geoffrey Cheshire as Roboman, and Steve Peters as the Roboman Leader, with the voices of Thunderbirds' David Graham and Doctor Who's Peter Hawkins as the Daleks. Cushing portrays the famous character as a human moustached eccentric inventor as opposed to the recognisable 900-year-old alien with two hearts, but he is reasonable, Cribbins (who years later starred in the revival of Doctor Who as Wilfred Mott) is amusing and likeable enough as the policeman companion, and the famous metallic monsters equipped with colourful armoured bodies and sink plungers ready to "exterminate" are certainly nastier than the previous movie. This big-screen outing again borrows elements of the TV show, but it is actually much better; it is not as cheesy, it is surprisingly exciting, especially in the last few battle sequences, it will entertain both Whovians and those who don't watch the show, a satisfactory science-fiction adventure. Worth watching!

I had always heard about the two films made during the success of the television series, which had recently celebrated its 60th anniversary, I wanted to make the effort to watch them, I didn't know what to expect but the critics gave the first one average reviews. Basically, at his home, scientist Dr. Who (Peter Cushing) is introduced to Ian (Record Breakers presenter Roy Castle), the clumsy boyfriend of his daughter Barbara (Jennie Linden). Dr. Who's granddaughter Susan (Roberta Tovey) believes he would be too stupid to understand it, but her grandfather insists on showing Ian his latest invention. It appears to be a blue police telephone box from the inside, inside it is a large room and machinery, it is a time machine called TARDIS (Time and Relative Dimension in Space). When Barbara steps inside and startles Ian, he accidentally activates the machine and the four of them are transported through time. When Tardis stops, they find themselves on a strange distant planet with jungle trees and burnt soil called Skaro. Susan is excited to explore and finds an alien flower, she then sees a city in the distance. Dr. Who is curious to investigate as well. Barbara starts thinking that something terrible happened on this alien planet. Susan gets lost after finding more of the flowers, then screams in terror after being touched by a hand. Back at Tardis, Dr. Who looks at the surveillance cameras but cannot see any signs of life. Believing they are in danger, they try to leave, but Dr. Who claims they need a supply of mercury fluid to power Tardis. They decide to head for the city, which they find is empty, and they separate to look around. Ian has trouble opening the doors, Dr. Who gets tired easily, and Barbara walks down a long corridor, unaware that she is being watched. When the four are back together, they locate a communication room and then find themselves surrounded. They are captured by cyborg creatures which refer to themselves as "Daleks". Dr. Who then realises they have been exposed to radiation poisoning, and that a drug the Daleks are seeking may be their only chance of survival. While covertly observing the captives, the Daleks discuss their own plight. The Daleks are trapped inside their metal casings, and within the city by the radiation. They want to destroy all other life on the planet and claim it for themselves. The Daleks overhear their prisoners talking about the drug they are looking for, which is the flower that Susan found. The Daleks make a proposal to the humans; if they give them the drug, they will allow them enough to treat themselves. Susan goes, being the only one still strong enough to leave the cell. Reaching Tardis, Susan collects the drugs and then encounters Alydon (Barrie Ingham), leader of the Thals, an alien race that battled the Daleks in an atomic war centuries ago. Alydon gives Susan a second container of anti-radiation drugs to use if the Daleks do not keep their promise. When Susan returns, the Daleks discover the second drug supply but allow the humans to treat themselves with it. Susan explains to her companions that, according to Alydon, the Thal crops have failed, and have come to the Dalek city, hoping to trade the anti-radiation drug formula for food. The Daleks overhear this conversation and decide they don't need the Thals as they have a sample of the drug. They get Susan to write a letter to the Thals, stating that they will give them food in the city as an act of friendship. When Susan finishes the letter, the Daleks reveal their real plan to exterminate all the Thals when they arrive. When a Dalek enters their cell, the travellers manage to disable it. They use the armour of the defeated Dalek, with Ian getting inside it to trick the Daleks into allowing them to exit the city. After escaping, the humans encounter the Thals entering the city and warn them of the Daleks' plan, and they go back to the jungle. Back in the city, the Daleks test the Thal anti-radiation drug but find that it causes disastrous side effects. Thwarted, the Daleks decide to detonate a neutron bomb to increase the planet's radiation so the Thals cannot survive. Back at the Thal camp, Dr. Who realises they are trapped because the Daleks took their fluid supply to activate Tardis. He asks for the help of the Thals to recover it. He urges Alydon to fight the Daleks to save his species, but he insists the Thals are peaceful and refuses. In response, Dr. Who provokes Alydon, pretending to tell Ian to take a Thal woman he loves to negotiate with the Daleks. Horrified, Alydon attacks Ian, proving that the Thals can fight for things they care about. Alydon, Dr. Who and Susan then lead the Thals in an attack on the city. But the Daleks hold off the assault and Dr. Who and Susan are recaptured. Meanwhile, Ian, Barbara and a small group of Thals infiltrate the Dalek city from the rear. Once inside, they join the rest of the Thals, who attack the city from the front and rescue Dr. Who and Susan. The Thals and humans enter the control room, where the Daleks have initiated the countdown to explode the bomb. During the ensuing struggle, the Daleks fire their weapons and inadvertently destroy their main control console. The countdown and detonation are stopped, and their power supply is destroyed causing the enemies to kill themselves. The fluid to power Tardis is returned and the Thals bid the humans farewell. Dr. Who and his companions depart in Tardis to return home, but Ian is petrified as they wind up in another place somewhere in history. Also starring Geoffrey Toone as Temmosus, John Bown as Antodus, Michael Coles as Ganatus, Yvonne Antrobus as Dyoni, Mark Petersen as Elyon, and Mike Reid as a Thal, with the voices of Thunderbirds' David Graham and Doctor Who's Peter Hawkins as the Daleks. Cushing portrays the famous character as a moustached human eccentric inventor as opposed to the recognisable 900-year-old alien with two hearts, but he is reasonable, Castle is irritating, and the famous metallic monsters equipped with colourful armoured bodies and sink plungers could be scarier. The problem with this big-screen outing is that it is charmless, and it only borrows elements of the TV show; attempts to be funny fall flat, none of the action is exciting, and it feels overly cheesy and dull. Whovians are unlikely to enjoy this film, I certainly didn't, just stick with the original TV show, at least the follow-up film is better, this is a silly and disappointing science-fiction adventure. Adequate!

When Awards Season came along, I read through all the films nominated at the big ceremonies, this one got my attention because it sounded like a basic but good concept, and because it is a Japanese language movie directed by German filmmaker Wim Wenders (The American Friend, Paris, Texas; Wings of Desire). Basically, Hirayama (Babel's Kôji Yakusho) works as a public toilet cleaner in Tokyo. He repeats a structured life almost every day. He gets up every morning at dawn, folds up his bed and sheets, brushes his teeth and shaves, sprays his plants in a small UV room, and gets dressed. Once outside, he gets a canned drink from the vending machine, takes a swig, and chooses a cassette tape for his journey in his van. He has a passion for the music of the 1960s and 1970s and listens to it to and from work. He takes great pride in his work with The Tokyo Toilet company, being thorough and precise cleaning the public lavatories around the city, only stopping to allow passers-by to relieve themselves. He takes a break to have a sandwich, often in the same park under the shade of some trees, and he often takes a photograph. Occasionally, he glances at a strange woman eating on an opposite bench beside him. At the end of his shift, he drives back and goes to the same sushi restaurant for dinner and a drink. After returning home, he always reads a book before going to sleep. This daily routine repeats on his workdays. During his free time, he does his laundry and visits the chemist to develop his photographs. At home, he checks through these photos, keeping the ones that are clear and throwing away the bad ones. He sometimes visits the same bookshop to find and buy something good to read, with the owner (Inuko Inuyama) often saying he has made a good choice. Hirayama's young assistant Takashi (Tokio Emoto) is often late, and he is not as thorough. Takashi meets a young woman named Aya (Aoi Yamada) and is eager to finish work to take her on a date. When Takashi's motorbike won't start, he convinces Hirayama to let him use his van. Needing some money, Takashi talks Hirayama into potentially selling a few of his cassette tapes, some being valued well if rare, but Hirayama refuses and gives him some cash instead, and buys a cassette for himself. One day, during his usual cleaning, Hirayama finds a slip of paper hidden in a stall with a game of Noughts & Crosses on it. He decides to play the game, which continues over time with the unknown writer until it is completed. Aya catches up with Hirayama to return a cassette she stole from him. She asks to play it in his van one last time, after which she kisses him before leaving, startling him. One day, Hirayama's niece Niko (Arisa Nakano) appears unannounced at his house, she has run away from home. While looking after her, he lets Niko come with him to work for the next two days. The two photograph the trees in the park and ride bikes together. Eventually, his wealthy estranged sister and Niko's mother Keiko (Yumi Asô) picks up her daughter in a chauffeured car. Keiko cannot believe he is a public toilet cleaner and asks him to visit their ill father who lives in a home. He refuses but hugs his sister, and after she leaves, he cries inconsolably. Takashi quits without giving notice, leaving Hirayama to cover his shift. Later, as Hirayama goes to his usual restaurant, he sees the owner embracing a man. Hirayama hurriedly leaves, buying beer and cigarettes to consume at a nearby riverbank. The man Hirayama saw the restaurant owner with turns up and asks him for a cigarette. The man tells him the restaurant owner is his ex-wife whom he divorced seven years ago, and she opened the restaurant following their divorce. The man tells Hirayama he has cancer and wants to make peace with his ex-wife before he dies. The man tells him to look after her, they play with their shadows after talking about them, before parting ways. As he begins a new week of work, Hirayama listens to "Feeling Good" by Nina Simone in his van. During the song, Hirayama's expression consistently changes from grinning broadly to verging on tears. Also starring Long Mizuma as Businessman, Bunmei Harada as Priest, and Miyako Tanaka as Old Lady with Brush. The soundtrack of songs includes "The House of the Rising Sun" by The Animals, "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay" by Otis Redding, "Perfect Day" by Lou Reed (the title obviously references this), "Sunny Afternoon" by The Kinks, and "Brown Eyed Girl" by Van Morrison. Celebrated Japanese actor Yakusho gives a terrific, understated performance, there is nothing dramatic that happens, his comfortable repetitive routine is occasionally interrupted, but for the lead character, the simplistic story and gentle pacing, and of course the great music, it is a most pleasant drama. It was nominated the Oscar for Best International Feature Film. Very good!

I love a humorous film with loads of swearing, ever since South Park: Bigger Longer & Uncut when I was young, I knew instantly from the one or two trailers for this British film I was going to enjoy it for its frequent foul language. Basically, set in the 1920s, in the English seaside town of Littlehampton, Sussex, Edith Swan (Olivia Colman) has been receiving horrible letters from an anonymous sender, filled with several profanities. The letters have been upsetting Edith, as well as her cantankerous father Edward (Timothy Spall), who is abusive, and her long-suffering mother Victoria (Gemma Jones). The only person Edith says could be responsible is her Irish next-door neighbour Rose Gooding (Jessie Buckley) who is no stranger to obscenities on a daily basis and in public places. It is revealed that Edith and Rose were once good friends when she moved into the village, Edith found Rose's outrageousness endearing, but then there was an incident that caused them to fall out and they stopped talking. Rose is taken to court but cannot prove she did not write the letters. She is sentenced to twelve months in HM Prison Portsmouth and her boyfriend Bill (Malachi Kirby) looks after her daughter Nancy (Alisha Weir), who is equally as naughty and sweary as her mother. The letters stop and things appear to go back to normal, but Police Officer Gladys Moss (This Is Lady Parts' Anjana Vasan) suspects that the real culprit is still at large. Rose is released after only a few months but soon after the letters to Edith resume. But then other townspeople receive these letters; Victoria reads one written to her which causes her to collapse and die. Against the orders of her superior, Constable Papperwick (Hugh Skinner), Moss tries to catch the real word slinger in action, with the help of locals Kate (Lolly Adefope), Mabel (Eileen Atkins), and Ann (Joanna Scanlan). It turns out that Edith herself has been writing the letters, to herself and all the others in the village. Edith has been having fun being vulgar and craves the attention she has been getting from the press who print the stories about her. Moss has her suspicions of Edith but needs proof, so she and the ladies set a trap. Edith writes a letter to an authority figure, the group leaves an invisible mark on a set of stamps that they are sure Edith will be buying from the post office, and they wait until she posts the intended letter. Rose realises what they are up to, she flashes Papperwick and a group of police officers in the village so that they will follow her. Rose sees Edith ready to post her latest letter, Edith almost changes her mind before Rose goads her. Edith rants at her with a torrent of verbal abuse and she goes ahead with posting the letter. The police officers arrive just after the letter is posted, Edith realises she has been tricked, with one of the women hiding in the post box, and the ladies proving her as the culprit by showing the marked stamp. Rose is finally proven innocent, and Edith is arrested. Edward urges her to say something against the accusations, but Edith finally stands up for herself, spiting him and dropping the C-bomb before she is taken away in the police van. Also starring Jason Watkins as Mr. Treading, Tim Key as Father Ambrose, Richard Goulding as Mr. Scales, Paul Chahidi as Chief Constable Spedding, Grant Crookes as Police Sergeant, and David Evestaff as Police Constable. Colman as the seemingly ordinary woman with a hidden agenda and Buckley as the brash openly cursing single mother both give equally terrific performances, Vasan is great as the policewoman trying to find concrete evidence but ignored by her colleagues, and there are some great supporting performers. It is a fun stranger-than-fiction story based on a real scandal that made the news around Britain, the period detail is splendid, the script might be patchy at times, including issues of the time skimmed over, but you can just enjoy it for the starry cast and the constant foul-mouthed moments, handwritten and spoken, a fun period black comedy mystery. Good!

Not to be mistaken for 2003 British drama starring Anne Reid and Daniel Craig, this Netflix film had mixed to average reviews, and I was curious to see if the leading actress truly deserved a nomination at the Golden Raspberry Awards, directed by Niki Caro (Whale Rider, The Zookeeper's Wife, Mulan). Basically, unnamed U. S. military operative, known as "the Mother" (Razzie nominated Jennifer Lopez), arranges an arms smuggling deal between ex-SAS Captain Adrian Lovell (Joseph Fiennes) and arms dealer Hector Álvarez (Gael García Bernal). The Mother has been in relationships with both of them, and she has become pregnant. However, she discovered that they were involved with child trafficking and became an informant for the FBI. The Mother is being interrogated at a safe house by FBI Special Agent William Cruise (Omari Hardwick). This interrogation is interrupted when the property is attacked by Lovell; Cruise is shot and wounded, and the other FBI agents are killed. The Mother saves Cruise's life and sets up a timed bomb. Lovell confronts her in the bathroom and stabs her in the stomach before the explosion knocks him out. The Mother gives birth prematurely to a daughter in the hospital. She is informed by Special Agent Eleanor Williams (Edie Falco) that Lovell's body was missing following the blast and that her newborn child will be put into foster care for protection. Understanding that her daughter will never be safe with her, she reluctantly relinquishes her parental rights. The Mother visits Cruise and gives him three conditions: her daughter will live as much of an ordinary life as possible, she gets a photo of her daughter every birthday, and she will be called if ever she is in danger. The Mother then moves to Alaska, hiding in a remote cabin and surviving by hunting and foraging, with occasional help from her former army colleague, Jons (Paul Raci). Twelve years later, Cruise calls the Mother to meet in Ohio. He informs her that some of Álvarez's men were captured in Mexico, and during the bust, a photograph of her daughter, Zoe (Lucy Paez), was found, suggesting the criminals are onto The Mother. Cruise and the Mother watch Zoe playing in a park from a distance, and Álvarez's men kidnap her. The Mother manages to kill several of the men before escaping the cops with Cruise. While he thinks Zoe's kidnapping is for ransom, she knows it was done to lure her out of hiding. They head to Havana, Cuba hoping to uncover Zoe's whereabouts. They catch Álvarez's lieutenant Tarantula (Jesse Garcia) and interrogate him for information; he reveals that Zoe is being held at Álvarez's house on "the Plantation". They infiltrate the heavily guarded home, rescue Zoe and the Mother kills Álvarez. While she is being taken back home, Zoe gazes at the woman she is with and concludes that she is her biological mother. The Mother decides to leave and asks Cruise to return her to her foster parents. Lovell, who was facially burned in the blast, manages to intercept them, but the Mother arrives and escapes with Zoe. Lovell is angered and kills Cruise. The Mother realises Zoe is not safe if she is taken home, so she takes her to the isolated cabin. Over the next few months, Zoe is reluctant to learn the survival skills, self-defence and arms training that the Mother gives her. Zoe is upset by the Mother's lack of emotion, including when killing woodland animals, and because she will not admit that she is her mother. They slowly bond over time, but the Mother learns Lovell and a group of mercenaries are coming for them, and she decides to leave Zoe with Jons. Upset at being abandoned again by her own mother, Jons tells Zoe that she should judge her not by her words but by her actions. Zoe witnessed the Mother handing Jons a handwritten letter, which she finds and reads, explaining everything she has ever done is for her and that she has always loved her, finally admitting her motherhood. Zoe decides to go back to the cabin and help her mother defend herself from the attackers. Lovell and his men surround the cabin, but many of the men are killed by mines around in the snow, and when steals one of their coats and snowmobiles to blend in and shoot them. After all the other men are dead, the Mother and Lovell fight each other in hand-to-hand combat. Zoe is watching from a vantage point in the trees through a sniper rifle. She eventually climbs down and is grabbed by Lovell. As they speed away, the Mother grabs the rifle and, despite her lack of an accurate shot, shoots at the vehicle, killing Lovell. The Mother sobs assuming she has missed, but Zoe gets out of the vehicle and runs to her, and they hug. With her former criminal partners dead, the Mother returns Zoe to her adoptive mother Sonya (Yvonne Senat Jones) and her family. No longer needing to stay hidden, the Mother continues to observe Zoe from a distance. Also starring Michael Karl Richards as Zoe's adoptive father, and Link Baker as Marcus Stone. Lopez absolutely did not deserve a Razzie nomination, she is terrific as the tough almost non-emotional nameless woman doing whatever it takes to protect the one thing she loves, Paez is equally good as her daughter stuck in the middle of the mayhem, and Fiennes despite being a little pantomime is still credible as the villain. It is a simple format that has worked a few times before, an aggressive operative with a loved one put in danger who must keep them safe, I admit the wolf family subplot is distracting, but you can ignore it and concentrate on the gritty training, exciting chases, some gnarly violence, and a few weighty emotional bits, a satisfying action thriller. Worth watching!

I have been a member of the Golden Raspberry Awards voting panel for the last four years, there have been many times I have seen the films that are later nominated, but most of the time I find them following the nominations before I start voting, and this is one of those films. Basically, at the Four Horse Casino, investigative reporter Susan (Vanessa Angel) meets with its owner, crime boss Alana Hart (Razzie winning Megan Fox - she also won Worst Supporting Actress for Expend4bles the same year). Alana is questioned about "Bakwas", a killer who is apparently in her employ. She offers the reporter to sign a $2 million non-disclosure agreement, which she refuses, so Alana kills her. Johnny (Avan Jogia) and Clyde (Ajani Russell) are serial killers on an indiscriminate crime and killing spree, and a montage of their crimes is seen. Stopping at a gas station for fuel, Johnny takes exception to the stuttering attendant Jerry (Paul Mecurio) wishing him a safe trip to Rhode Island. Johnny psychologically tortures him before shooting him and stealing a handful of cash from the register and a candy bar. There is a news report that Johnny and Clyde have returned to Rhode Island, which overweight, alcoholic former sheriff Randall Lock (Armen Garo) watches; he wants revenge for the death of his daughter Elizabeth (Katherine Schaber) who was tortured and killed by the duo. Lock calls bail bondsman One Time (Sean Ringgold) to help him hunt down and kill them. Johnny and Clyde next hit an armoured vehicle bound for Hart's casino, killing most of the guards inside, but it turns out only to be a day drop. They leave one guard alive who offers them information about a secret hold filled with millions of dollars hidden by Alana. The guard is tortured and draws a map to the cash room and details its security. Lock and One Time have tracked the duo to a motel, but they manage to escape using the guard as a human shield to their gunfire. There is also an intervention from maniacal killer Zhang (Razzie nominated Bai Ling, also producing) who makes an indiscriminate attack. Knowing they will need help to rob the casino, Johnny reunites and assembles a team with his equally murderous foster-care brothers. They are suicidal thrill-seeker Butcher (Nick Principe), insane arsonist Baker (Charles W Harris III), and paranoid conspiracy theorist Candlestick (Robert LaSardo). Alana spends much of her time entertaining herself with her bondage-wearing male and female slaves and companions Honey (Brett Azar) and Pot (Sydney Jenkins) whom she forces to partake in dangerous games. She also bids on highly valuable antiques; when she loses an auction, she goes to the home of the winning Wealthy Tycoon (Claudio Orefice), claiming the object for herself. The casino's head of security Guy (Tyson Ritter) constantly updates Alana about all meddling with her business, and she is made aware of the crimes of Johnny and Clyde who are heading in her direction. While they form a plan, Candlestick warns the team of a satanic cult of the demon Bakwas, who performed a mass suicide at the site where the cash room was built. Guy informs Alana of the robbery of the armoured vehicle and suspects the serial killers, and Lock meets with her knowing about the secret cash room, believing they will hit it. This provokes Alana to meet with The Elder (Fred Sullivan), the cult leader, who hands her the mystical stone to control Bakwas (Nick Principe) and force him to guard her casino. To maintain the secret of the stone, Alana then kills the Elder. Before the heist, Johnny's crew takes an excessive number of illegal drugs. After killing the guards patrolling the perimeter of the facility, Baker sets up an explosive device to open the door. However, Baker accidentally kills himself after using a short fuse. The crew enter the building and are quickly ambushed by Lock and One Time, soon followed by Zhang behind them. This Mexican standoff is interrupted by Alana on a television screen announcing that the building has been locked and everyone will be dead by sunrise. One Time is killed when Bakwas appears. Johnny's crew goes down to the basement cash room, killing several guards on the way. They are trapped by an elite team led by Guy who traps them, but the mercenaries are killed by Bakwas. Guy realises that he has been betrayed as Alana is eliminating all witnesses. Guy gives his team permission to abandon their posts. It turns out that Alana already moved all the money and is preparing to leave town and reunite with her father. After Candlestick and Butcher are killed, Johnny and Clyde try to escape with a bag of money, unaware that it is counterfeit. Zhang, on orders from Alana's father, gets them out of the building. But Lock again ambushes them, killing Zhang and beating Johnny. When Clyde holds Lock at gunpoint, Lock reveals that Johnny killed her father (Daryl Marsh) and never told her. Clyde shoots Lock and hits Johnny with her gun, but calls his actions romantic because her father was abusive. Bakwas confronts them but the demon cannot leave the site. Instead, the creature kills Johnny and Clyde, impaling them with thrown machetes. Lock survived the shooting because he is wearing a bulletproof vest, he is gleeful seeing his daughter's killers dead before he is killed by Bakwas. Guy is the only survivor of the chaos and confronts Alana at gunpoint, demanding the stone. She gives it to him and, although she believes that she still controls Bakwas, the demon rips out her beating heart. Guy offers to treat the demon with "respect and dignity", but it kills him and places the stone in its body. Also starring Michael Zuccola as Cliff, and Chris Whitcomb as Mike. Fox as the easily agitated and scantily dressed ruthless mobster looks great but is amusingly cheesy, Jogia and Russell are unconvincing as the madly in love criminals, and the supporting cast are equally terrible. There are many things that make this an awful watch, the bad acting, the mediocre Bonnie and Clyde/Natural Born Killers inspired script, the predictable dialogue, failed attempts of humour, the silly heist and the ridiculous fantasy plot, it is just a mess, a rubbish crime horror. Pretty poor!

Based on the 1988 DC Comics graphic novel, which I used to have as a kid, I was most interested in watching an adaptation, especially featuring the voice artists from Batman: The Animated Series, and I'm always up for seeing The Batman facing his greatest nemesis. Basically, Barbara Gordon (The Powerpuff Girls' Tara Strong) has been fighting crime in Gotham City alongside Batman aka Bruce Wayne (Kevin Conroy) for almost three years. While out on patrol, she observes Batman meeting her father, Commissioner James Gordon (Ray Wise) due to a robbery in progress. While Batman pursues the getaway van in the Batmobile, Batgirl chases them on a motorbike. One of the two punks in the van is Paris Franz (Maury Sterling), nephew of Gotham City's biggest crime lord Carlos Francesco (Futurama's John DiMaggio). The criminals get away after the truck hold is disconnected, one of the crooks in the back of the truck is caught, but Batman is unhappy with Batgirl getting in the way and almost getting hurt. Franz has developed a dangerous obsession with Batgirl, and after an angry meeting with his uncle, he plans a warehouse robbery. Batgirl finds them, which Franz was counting on, but tries to incapacitate her with a spray but she hides out in the vault until the effect wears off, while Franz and the criminals get away. Later, Franz sends video messages to the police for Batgirl; Batman becomes concerned about her safety and takes her off the case. But she ignores him and is lured into finding Francesco's dead body. Batman warns her to stay away and tells her that she will eventually be tempted to kill the criminals she pursues. Outraged, Batgirl attacks Batman physically and verbally, but she eventually calms and kisses him, and they have sex. A few nights later, Batgirl tries to apologise to Batman, but he is ambushed by Franz and his men. She locates them and fights against Franz's henchmen before overpowering him. Franz goads her making flirtatious comments, causing Batgirl to lose control and savagely beat him, to the point she is close to killing him. Realising Batman was right, Barbara hands over the Batgirl suits and retires from crime-fighting. Later, Batman investigates a murder scene with Detective Harvey Bullock (Robin Atkin Downes) and concludes, from the victims' grins, that it was the Joker was committed the crime. Batman goes to Arkham Asylum where the Joker is currently being held, he decides he wants to talk about their long-time feud. However, it is a decoy being held in the Joker's cell and the real criminal has escaped. The Joker (Mark Hamill) is in the process of purchasing a run-down amusement park for a sinister purpose and kills the Carny Owner (Fred Tatasciore) to secure it. The story is intercut with flashbacks of Joker's origin. He was once an ordinary lab technician who quit his job to become a stand-up comedian, but his career is not going well. Desperate to support his pregnant wife Jeannie (Anna Vocino), two criminals need his help to access his former workplace, and he agrees, needing the money. The criminals tell him he will be wearing a red helmet and caped costume, the eponymous Red Hood, but this is to frame him. In a bar planning the robbery, the police inform the comedian that Jeannie and their unborn child have died in a household accident. Grief-stricken, he sees no reason to go ahead with the plan, but the criminals threaten him into keeping his commitment to them. In the present, Joker goes to the Gordons' home, shooting Barbara in the stomach and she falls into the glass coffee table. In the hospital, the doctor confirms that the bullet damaged Barbara's spine, she has been paralysed from the waist down and will not walk again. It is implied by Bullock, from being stripped naked, that she was also raped. Waking from her coma, Barbara tells Batman that the Joker is trying to prove a point and that Gordon is "top of the bill". At the amusement park, Commissioner Gordon is stripped naked and dragged by several circus freaks. The Joker puts him on a ghost train ride and subjects him to torture. Hoping to drive him insane, the Joker sings "I Go Looney", and Gordon is horrified to see photos of Barbara naked and in pain. In the past, the criminals and the costumed comedian enter the chemical plant, but they run into security personnel. A shootout occurs, the criminals are gunned down and the comedian tries to escape, but wearing the red helmet causes him trouble seeing. He is confronted by Batman; terrified, the comedian trips and falls into the chemical plant's toxic waste tank. Swept through a pipe leading to the outside, he removes his mask and laughs insanely realising the chemicals have permanently disfigured his face, giving him a clown-like appearance. His disfigurement, combined with the loss of his family, and his experiences at the chemical plant, are what transformed him into the Joker. In the present, Batman finds the amusement park, fights the circus freaks, and saves Gordon. Despite his ordeal, Gordon remains sane and demands that Batman capture the Joker "by the book". Batman follows the Joker who taunts him, saying that the world is just one big joke and that "one bad day" is enough to drive an ordinary man insane. Batman subdues Joker, telling him Gordon is still sane, and concludes that Joker is alone in his madness. The Joker grabs his gun and intends to shoot Batman, only to find it is a joke pistol. Batman then attempts to reach out to him, offering to help rehabilitate him. But the Joker apologetically declines, saying it is too late for him. Joker then says that the situation reminds him of a joke about two patients in an insane asylum who try to escape by leaping over the gap of a building. The first patient makes it across, but the second patient is afraid that he will fall. The first patient gets an idea: "Hey, I got this flashlight with me. I'll just shine it across the gap between the buildings and you can walk across the beam and join me." The second patient questions the idea: "What do you think I am, crazy? You'll just turn it off when I'm halfway across!" The Joker starts to laugh, and despite being stoic, Batman cannot help but laugh along with him as police arrive, they continue to laugh until the picture fades to black. In a post-credits scene, Barbara is wheelchair-bound, but she takes on the mantle of Oracle, preparing to go "back to work" as she helps to fight crime remotely. Also starring Brian George as Alfred, JP Karliak as Reese, Andrew Kishino as Murray, Nolan North as Mitch, Batman: The Animated Series produced Bruce Timm as Patrolman, Kari Wahlgren as Call Girl, and Rick D. Wasserman as Sal Maroni. This is actually a comic book film of two halves, the first half is an unrelated (but not bad) story of Batgirl trying to catch a criminal, and the second half (the main story) is the usual fight between the Dark Knight/Caped Crusader and the Crime Prince of Crime which is always worthwhile. Batman cartoon voice veterans Conroy and Hamill, along with Strong, are great casting, the animation is stylish, and to be fair, I did like both halves of the film. I knew it was a cartoon for adults, but it was still surprising to see the blood and violence, and the implied sex scene is interesting, comic book fans should be happy with it, it is a visually enjoyable animated superhero thriller. Good!

The trailer for this computer-animated movie about ducks from Illumination, the makers of Despicable Me and The Secret Life of Pets, looked good fun, and it was getting positive reviews, so I was up for flocking to the cinema to see it. Basically, in a forest in New England, a family of mallards lives in a large pond. The father of the Mallards, Mack (The Big Sick's Kumail Nanjiani) prevents his children, teenager Dax (Caspar Jennings) and duckling Gwen (Tresi Gazal) from venturing into the outside world because he is overly protective, which irritates his wife Pam (Elizabeth Banks). One day, the Mallard family meets a flock of migrating ducks who are heading south to Jamaica, Gwen and the children are interested, but Mack forbids it. Pam tells Mack that he must open his eyes to the outside world. That night, Mack talks with his aging Uncle Dan (Danny DeVito), he does not want to leave the pond but makes Mack re-evaluate his attitude. Mack has a change of heart and agrees to allow his family to migrate, wanting to embrace the adventure. Gwen is annoyed that is Uncle Dan joining them, but they are excited as they start their flight. But they see many birds flocking in the opposite direction, wanting to avoid an oncoming rainstorm. Taking shelter in a swamp underneath a boardwalk, they encounter a crazed elderly great blue heron named Erin (Carol Kane). They are frightened as she brings them to her shack to spend the night. But Erin and her husband Harry prove their good intentions by saving Dax and Gwen from a catfish. The next day, as they go on to fly south, the Mallards arrive in New York City. Uncle Dan falls behind, lands in Central Park and gets into trouble for trying to eat a discarded sandwich surrounded by a flock of pigeons. The aggressive leader of the pigeons, Chump (Awkwafina), has a change of attitude when confronted by Pam. Wanting help getting to Jamaica, Chump leads them to her friend Delroy (Keegan-Michael Key), a Scarlet macaw from Jamaica who is caged as a pet by a human chef. Mack and Pam want to set Delroy free, they enter the restaurant where the chef works to find a key to the cage. After evading the humans, they manage to get the key and free Delroy who gratefully guides them to Jamaica. While Gwen stops to go to the toilet, Mack finds the entrance to a paradise full of pekins (white ducks), led by GooGoo (David Mitchell). The duck family enjoys themselves until Dax finds out the whole place is a duck farm, and the chef from earlier intends to take many ducks for his signature dish, Duck à l'Orange. Dax helps the pekins and his family escape the farm, but the chef steps onto his wings, shedding many feathers and rendering him flightless. The birds stop to rest at a resort where Mack reprimands Dax for his carelessness, causing Dax to shun his father. The chef, flying in a helicopter, finds the birds and traps them in a net, but Dax and Gwen manage to evade capture. In the helicopter, the chef plans to kill Mack and Pam first as payback, Pam feels despair, but Mack raises her spirits. Using a salsa dance they learned at the restaurant, they try to push the button to release the birds, but the chef catches them. Then, Delroy, Uncle Dan, and the pekins arrive and pelt the chef with fruit and vegetables. The chef is knocked unconscious by a squash, hitting a button that causes the helicopter to drop him out. Pam and Mack are released from their cage by the kids with Dax having fixed his wings using other birds' feathers. Mack and Dax silently reconcile. The birds, now led by Dax and his colourful wings, arrive in Jamaica where Delroy reunites with his friends and the Mallards reacquaint with the duck family who visited their pond. The following spring, the family is planning to head home when a group of lost penguins turn up wanting to go to the South Pole and Mack is pleased to help them. Also starring Isabela Merced as Kim. Nanjiani as the overprotective father and Banks as the more open-to-opportunities mother are good fun, Awkafina makes an impression as the easily agitated disfigured mobster pigeon, and Kane is amusingly weird as the mad heron. The vibrant colourful animation is impeccable, the sight gags and witty script work well, and it has some slightly dark moments which add some tension, it is certainly something children and adults can enjoy together, a fun animated adventure comedy. Good!