Recently Watched Movies

[Headhunter]

Widows ---- A

This movie manages to do everything at a high level. Seamlessly blends popcorn action, family drama and big city politics to tell a pretty epic story. Really takes on a different tone than most heist films, with desperation being palpable in every scene. Daniel Kaluuya plays one of the better villains I've seen in a long time.

[Havok]

Possession Of Hannah Grace

Had some interesting elements and Hannah Grace herself looked cool and how she killed people were interesting. Kind of reminded me of the ghost girl from the film Some Kind Of Hate, but instead of cutting herself she's contorting/breaking her body to kill people. Besides that the film still lacks overall. It's your typical run of the mill esque jump scare film. It's not unwatchable, but I think with a better written script that there could've been a chance at making a better picture. There were many times I was thinking of The Autopsy of Jane Doe and Last Shift. Just movies with a similar idea that I guess were just tossed in a blender to churn out this at the end of November.

[Ava]

Sleep Tight

Not bad. Super creepy concierge guy breaks into a girl tenants apartment every night and chloroforms after she has fallen asleep. Sicko is under the bed before she gets in. Does whatever he wants then leaves before she wakes up. Had a pretty nice cringe worthy ending. I could have done without the cockroach scene though. Blech!

[Jmac Attack]

Sleep Tight

Not bad. Super creepy concierge guy breaks into a girl tenants apartment every night and chloroforms after she has fallen asleep. Sicko is under the bed before she gets in. Does whatever he wants then leaves before she wakes up. Had a pretty nice cringe worthy ending. I could have done without the cockroach scene though. Blech!

I watches that on Shudder a while back. Cockroach scene was bullshit. Roaches are my one boogaboo. I highly enjoyed the movie though.

[Havok]

All The Creatures Were Stirring

Pretty lame Christmas anthology with five main stories and a wrap around. The stories themselves leave a lot to be desired and if given the time to be fleshed out more could've been decent, but giving each story 15 minutes (Tops) didn't really make the film fun. There's one segment about a guy who ran over Blitzen and Rudolph stalks the guy who killed him and it could've been a fun Evil Dead 2 style short, but it kills the main guy right off the back and we'll left unfulfilled. The Dash Away All (Demon van) story was a solid idea, but doesn't deliver. That's really all I can, the film and stories just don't really deliver anything. It falls short and right into mediocrity.

I would much rather have Reigns film idea compared to this.

[Jigsaw]

Dead in the Water (2018).

Hideous.

[Jason]

Look Who's Talking Now

Childhood favorite. lol.

[Jigsaw]

I've not posted any reviews in a while, so I'll jump back into that. I'll post them in batches of five (and since I'm so far behind, it'll last some months, so it's all cool). Most of these are already up on Fight Evil (I really like the way the movie database is set up, for the most part), but they've not been posted here in full. Any new watches will be highlighted in red. The rest are rewatches.


Hostel: Part II (2007)

Looking a bit deeper into the business aspect of the torture industry, the second Hostel feels a bit more solid than the first, and doesn't skimp out of any of the gore or brutality.

Picking up with Paxton's life after his escape at the end of the first movie was an interesting beginning. I didn't love the first sequence, but I found it acceptable, given the circumstances. After that's dealt with, we dive into two plots: some young women decide to go to Slovakia to experience the hot spas, and two businessmen depart to Slovakia to torture and kill them. It's sort of interesting to get dual perspectives on this, and I thought it generally paid off.

In part, I suspect, because most of the main characters were done pretty well. Lauren German wasn't my favorite character, but as the main girl, she had guts. Heather Matarazzo, playing a geeky acquaintance of German's, did well as the sweet, quiet girl with a rather depressing and brutal end. Richard Burgi and Roger Bart, who played the two businessmen, worked well together, and while obviously both were atrocious individuals, I thought both of them did a great job with their characters. The only main character I didn't care for was played by Vera Jordanova - I didn't like her character, and while she was a fine actress, I just felt sort of blah about the whole thing. Lastly, famous Italian horror director Ruggero Deodato had a fantastic cameo toward the end.

Plenty of brutal scenes throughout the film. Occasionally some creepy ones pop up also. Insofar as gore, we get a pretty devastating bathing in blood scene, and you can't help but feel bad as the individual in question is slowly cut open with a scythe. Someone gets their, shall we say, equipment, clipped off, which was done well. Another gets torn apart by dogs. Overall, the gore was strong. As for more subtly unsettling scenes, there's a sequence where German wakes up in a misty hot spa, utterly devoid of others, which was filmed well. That leads into a chase scene that just sort of didn't lead anywhere, but the spa scene alone was pretty good.

Hostel: Part II takes the best elements of the first movie and expands on them. I'd have liked some more background on the origins of the business itself, but still, it was okay. The bidding sequence early on was fun enough, I suppose, to cover up any lost potential in exploring the business deeper. The gore was top-notch, and plenty of scenes were decently suspenseful. I liked the first Hostel, and the second holds up also, and thus, I'd recommend it. 8/10.


Something Beneath (2007)

For some reason, I've seen this television flick at least twice before I sat down and watched it this time around. I'm not sure why I'd have watched this again, but having seen it now at least three times, I will admit there's a little charm to it.

Something Beneath doesn't really have that interesting a story, and for the most part, the deaths and special effects aren't all that impressive. One of the sequences in particular reminded me of a scene from the 2003 Fear of the Dark (a personal favorite of mine), which was sort of amusing. Overall, you can certainly tell this film has an amateurish quality to it.

So where's the charm come from, you might ask?

Luckily, enough of the important actors were decent enough to bring some positives to this film. No doubt Brittany Scobie and Brendan Beiser were over-the-top, but Kevin Sorbo and Natalie Brown complimented each other decently well. Sorbo, playing an Episcopalian priest (a joke about it halfway through the movie always sort of made me smile) does a good job, and though he has some foolish things to say about faith now and again, Sorbo was certainly a highlight. Brown isn't a name I'm well-acquainted with, but she was pretty attractive in this role, and more importantly, worked well with Sorbo (though the cheesy ending was a bit much).

Some of the actors weren't great, but didn't do too shabby either, including Peter MacNeill, Gordan Tanner, and Brett Donahue. While none of these three really stood out that well, at the very least they were competent in their roles, which, for a movie of this quality, is commendable.

The ending was pretty blah, but again, that's sort of to be expected. Really, the movie is pretty generic throughout, and some of the characters are just, as I said, over-the-top. It doesn't help that occasionally the film has a whimsical tone to it. All of this said, Something Beneath isn't god-awful, and might be worth a look. Having seen it as many times as I've had, I find it below average, but it's not really all that atrocious. Like I said, there is some charm to be found here. 6/10.


Hellraiser: Bloodline (1996)

Quite possibly better put-together than the third movie, certainly with more ambitious ideas, my problem with Bloodline has always been that it just feels rather soulless.

Cenobites vs. the Merchant family during three different time periods (late 1700's France, 1990's New York City, and futuristic space time) didn't enthrall me. None of the three ages did much to interest me at all. Part of this is possibly because it seems wholly removed from the previous attempts.

And it brings far more questions than it even gets close to answering, such as why Angelique became a Cenobite after the New York sequence, and why exactly didn't the finale in New York finish up the Cenobite problem. None of these are really answered, and sadly, that's not all they brought forth without explanation.

Aside from Pinhead, Angelique, and the Siamese Twins, there's no additional Cenobites in the film, unless you count the Chatterer-based dog, which utterly sucked every time it was on-screen. Doug Bradley did well as Pinhead, again had some good lines ("Do I look like someone who cares what God thinks?"), but Angelique and the Twins bored me to death.

It's not as though the movie didn't have potential, especially with such an ambitious story, layered such as it is. There are a few solid performances, such as the aforementioned Bradley, Bruce Ramsay, and Kim Myers (Lisa from the second A Nightmare on Elm Street), but does anyone really stand out? Not quite. Possibly because, like I said, the final product didn't have much soul.

There was a troubled production behind this film, and the director himself rather disowned it and left before filming was finished, so as to why it occasionally feels as some topics are left untouched on, this strikes me as being the most likely reason.

Regardless, the movie, as it is, isn't worth much. Many of the death scenes were rather ehh (and that mirror scene was atrocious), and the special effects were, shall we say, not really worth mentioning in a positive light.

I didn't care much for the third movie. However, if I were asked to choose only the third or fourth to watch again in the future, without much hesitation, despite the ambitions this movie possessed, I'd go with the third. I've seen Bloodline something like four times now, and it's disappointed me for hopefully the last time. Might be worth a watch should you be a Hellraiser fan, but it didn't do it for me. 5/10.


The Severed Arm (1973)

This early-70's proto-slasher is a pretty enjoyable fair, especially if 70's horror is your thing.

Occasionally a bit dry, I think, for the most part, The Severed Arm keeps the interest of the audience. The gore is certainly lacking (though there are a few fun scenes, especially one toward the end), so that's certainly not a reason to recommend the film. Still, the plot itself is decent, and I think anyone can see how it's not too dissimilar from many slashers past this point.

There were plenty of enjoyable actors and actresses throughout. The two main characters, played by Paul Carr (later in The Bat People and Sisters of Death) and David G. Cannon (this is his sole film) - both do a pretty good job, Carr reminding me of Gary Oldman at times. Deborah Walley has a decent presence, mostly toward the end of the film, as her interactions with Bob Guthrie (who was in only one other film) were pretty enjoyable. And who couldn't get a kick out of Marvin Kaplan (who appeared in the comedy classic It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World from 1964) playing radio host Mad Man Marvin? His over-the-top hamminess provided most of the fun for this film.

Which is true mostly in part because, like most 70's horror movies, this film plays itself pretty straight. It even had a bit of a downer ending, which, given the sometimes television-feel this movie has, might take you by surprise. Still, despite the lack of solid gore, I still think anyone going to a drive-in to watch this probably got a kick out of it.

I liked The Severed Arm when I first saw it last year, and I still like it. The ridiculously lengthy flashback was good fun, and the final scenes really close this movie on a fun note. It's a solid proto-slasher with a moderately decent cast and story. Certainly a 70's movie worth looking into. 7.5/10.


Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night II (1987)

Nothing at all in tone or style like the first Prom Night, Hello Mary Lou drops the slasher aspect of the classic 1980 film and instead adopts a possession story, which actually works well to the film's benefit.

If you're a fan of 80's flicks in general, I can't see how this film would disappoint you. The story, while not overly original, is still pretty fun. Decent special effects, and even a good atmosphere at times. First, though, let's talk about the actors and actresses, who do quite a bit to boost enjoyment in this film.

There are a hell of a lot of solid performances here. Michael Ironside doesn't disappoint as the principle with a dark past. An early performance by Louis Ferreira is probably more enjoyable than it should be. Brock Simpson (who actually not only had a small role in the first movie, but has appeared in all four Prom Night films, each time playing a different character) does pretty well as a rather spaced-out and, shall we say unique, high school student. Always a pleasure when he came on screen.

The two best performances, though, go to the star, Wendy Lyon, and though with only a few appearances, Beth Gondek. Lyon did commendable throughout, and really got the most of her role as she could. She had a lot of heart, and really helped make the film more fun. Gondek, despite being a bit of a no one (including this film, she has a total of seven credits on IMDb), really stole the few scenes she was in. There's a rather emotional portion when she's talking to Lyon, and I'll be damned if I didn't buy every word. I really wish she got more screen-time than she did, as she did amazing.

Special effects throughout were generally pretty good. The rocking horse was a bit odd, and there was a dodgy-looking electrocution toward the end, but the blackboard scene was pretty cool, as was a mirror sequence. There was some legitimate suspense during the locker room scene, and it ended in a decently gory way. That said, gore wasn't a strong point here, but the deaths we do get all end up fun regardless.

At times, the film sort of felt like the fourth A Nightmare on Elm Street, albeit a bit more tepid. Lyon, all out of sorts after the death of a friend, keeps having visions while at school, and some of them are even decently creepy. Good atmosphere during those sequences also.

And if none of this grabs you, if you hold on long enough, there's some solid nudity nearing the end of the flick

Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night II is a lot of fun, certainly funner than the original. Solid performances, good story, and everything just seems to work out. It's not perfect, of course - at times, I can't pretend it doesn't drag a little bit. And the ending, while sort of fun, in a cheesy way, doesn't really do it for me. But overall, I really liked this when I first saw it some years back, and it still holds up. Definitely an 80's horror flick I'd recommend checking out. 8.5/10.

[Reign in Blood]

Slender Man C-

It did alright on the typical horror tropes, but the main chick you hire is not hot worth a fuck? Downgraded the whole fucking movie.

[DancesWithWerewolves]

The Mule .......... A+

Don't know what "seams are showing" that people are bitching about, but this was excellent. Amazing Clint put this movie together so quick too, saw no seams. Best movie I've seen in the theatre this year, so far (and probably will, since it's almost over with only a handful more I can get out and see)

[Jason]

The Mule .......... A+

Don't know what "seams are showing" that people are bitching about, but this was excellent. Amazing Clint put this movie together so quick too, saw no seams. Best movie I've seen in the theatre this year, so far (and probably will, since it's almost over with only a handful more I can get out and see)

I am so fucking tempted to see the 10 o clock showing and only get 3 hours of sleep before work. Ugggggh

[DancesWithWerewolves]

The Mule .......... A+

Don't know what "seams are showing" that people are bitching about, but this was excellent. Amazing Clint put this movie together so quick too, saw no seams. Best movie I've seen in the theatre this year, so far (and probably will, since it's almost over with only a handful more I can get out and see)

I am so fucking tempted to see the 10 o clock showing and only get 3 hours of sleep before work. Ugggggh

You can do it! You can do it all night long!

[Jason]

The Mule .......... A+

Don't know what "seams are showing" that people are bitching about, but this was excellent. Amazing Clint put this movie together so quick too, saw no seams. Best movie I've seen in the theatre this year, so far (and probably will, since it's almost over with only a handful more I can get out and see)

I am so fucking tempted to see the 10 o clock showing and only get 3 hours of sleep before work. Ugggggh

You can do it! You can do it all night long!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pyfeU8Xw8WI&t=17s

[Jason]

I'll probably try for a day off in the middle of the week or something. :p

[DancesWithWerewolves]

Oh, and my theatre was actually packed. I was surprised.

[Jigsaw]

Any new watches will be highlighted in red. The rest are rewatches.


Phantasm III: Lord of the Dead (1995)

A definite drop-off from the first two of this cult classic series, the third entry still has a lot of solid stuff that makes it worth checking out still.

By-and-large, this film isn't really that far removed from the second Phantasm. It's another road-trip, chasing down the Tall Man-type deal, with a few new characters thrown into the mix. It is, however, a bit lighter in tone than the previous film. It takes some odd turns (what they do with Jody - and perhaps Michael - was, shall we say, an interesting choice), and feels somewhat disjointed toward the end. Not even the dreamy disorientation such as the first film, but a 'I have no idea what's going on' type thing.

Before that, though, let's talk cast: Unfortunately, the stand-outs of this movie are pretty much the stand-outs from the last one: Reggie Bannister and, of course, Angus Scrimm. A. Michael Baldwin came back, but I'm not wooed by his acting. And as fun as Gloria Lynne Henry sometimes was as Rocky, more often than not, she came across as over-the-top. The young Kevin Connors did fine enough, but his character struck me as moderately pointless.

So you put together a, on average, less-than-stellar class with less-than-stellar plot points (those three zombies that popped up multiple times toward the end rubs me the wrong way), and you get a pretty flimsy Phantasm. Which isn't to say the film is particularly bad - despite the lighter tone, some of these characters can be pretty fun, such as Rocky - but compared to the first two flicks, this has been a let-down each time I've seen it. 6.5/10.


Beyond the Gates (2016)

As much as so many of the elements of this film work, it's main problem is that the story Beyond the Gates presents comes across as hollow.

There's a plethora of things to like about this film. The whole 80's aesthetic, from fantastic synth music to creative lighting, was fantastic. A few good gore scenes within also, and most of the characters themselves (especially the two bothers) are pretty decent.

Acting was a mixed bag. The brothers (Graham Skipper and Chase Williamson) worked well together, though Skipper's acting, at times, was a bit dicey. Williamson was pretty solid throughout. Barbara Crampton (Re-Animator, From Beyond, and Chopping Mall being her classics) was nice to see, despite most of the time she just stared awkwardly into the camera.

Matt Mercer (probably best known for his role in the Contracted films) didn't have much screen-time, but was decent when he appeared. While I didn't care for Justin Welborn's character (and he didn't really seem to add much), his resume's pretty impressive: aside from this, he was in 2007's The Signal, 2008's Dance of the Dead, The Final Destination, Halloween II, My Super Psycho Sweet 16 (despite the title, that movie was actually pretty good), Southbound, and some film's I've not seen, such as The Crazies remake, The Bay, V/H/S Viral, and Siren. Basically, if you've seen much modern horror, this guy might stick out. Lastly, there's Jesse Merlin, who plays a goofy store owner. He had a pretty fun presence.

Still, despite a moderately strong cast, the story still came across as rather shallow. Great gore at points, along with well-done 80's nostalgic aesthetics can only do so much when the story itself is lacking. Especially in the last 15 minutes of the film, things begin to fall apart, and the previous ominous feel the film had sort of gets thrown out the window. I did like the idea that the brothers were fighting to save their father's soul (given how different the two brothers are, it was a fun dynamic), but there's not enough meat.

Beyond the Gates certainly had potential. What they do well, they do really well. Again, I'll direct your attention to the film's score, filled with fantastic music. The special effects, lighting, and gore were all expertly done. But in the end, the film's just missing something, and because of that, despite all that this movie does well, it falls below average. 6/10.


The Bells (1926)

I've seen this once before many years back, and was rather bored by it. This time around, I was in a better state of mind to enjoy it, though I can't deny it's moderately derivative, as this movie doesn't have much that The Avenging Conscience didn't bring forth 12 years prior.

Plenty of solid performances can be found here: Lionel Barrymore (this was his first voyage into the horror genre - he later appeared in such classics as Mark of the Vampire and The Devil-Doll) does well here as the innkeeper. He's a good man put under immense stress, and snaps. It's easy to both feel pity for his characterization and to abhor his acts. Great with this role, Barrymore pulls it all together. Gustav von Seyffertitz (who we later see in the 1930 classic The Bat Whispers) does well here as a rather unlikable, but ultimately harmless, money-hungry individual.

The innkeeper's daughter and her soldier lover (played by Lola Todd and Eddie Phillips, respectfully) make a pretty cute couple, though they end up not really being all that relevant to the plot (despite Phillips' character being charged with finding the murderer). Of perhaps most interest, Boris Karloff makes a few appearances here. Most known for playing the Frankenstein monster in the 1931 classic, he's been in various horror films from the 1930's to the early 1970's. In his first horror role, he plays a mesmerist (taking more than a few cues from Caligari) who, despite his relatively short screen-time, does make quite an impression.

As aforementioned, though, the rough story here can be found earlier in The Avenging Conscience: or, 'Thou Shalt Not Kill', and a few other murder melodramas, where one's conscience effectively haunts the main character after they commit the ever-sinful act of murder. Despite this, though, I actually thought this film was put together more cohesively than The Avenging Conscience. It certainly looks better, and given it came out ten years later, it does feel a bit more fresh, insofar as cinematography goes.

Many find this just too derivative and perhaps even stale to stand out as a classic of silent cinema. They're right, in part - The Bells shouldn't be seen as a classic (especially the version I watched, which had a six-and-a-half minute piece of music looped through the whole hour and ten minute film). However, I think there's plenty of enjoyment to be had from the solid performances and some of the scenes (including a quick ax to the back, leaving drops of blood on the snow, or the epic dream sequence near the end).

I fully admit I was bored when I first saw this. Luckily, it broke past previous my previous views of the film, and ended up being, while not the best horror film of the 1920's (or even 1926), a pretty solid watch. 8/10.


The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning (2006)

I don't think anyone would posit that the TMC sequels are ever quite original. Some, such as the 1990 Leatherface: Texas Chainsaw Massacre III, can be quite fun, but original? Not so much.

This prequel to the 2003 remake doesn't really add much of anything, which, for a prequel, is sort of sad. Sure, we get an "origin" story of Leatherface, but it doesn't really mean much as this film and the remake are virtually identical. Hell, this even has a climatic fight in the meat packing plant, just like the 2003 remake did.

Certainly, the movie's not lacking in gore. Plenty of gore throughout this flick, and more than enough to go around. Related, the special effects are generally pretty good also. Like the remake, there's sort of a built-in grittiness here, which somewhat falters due to the polished nature of the movie.

The cast is generally pretty blah. Sure, R. Lee Ermey has some charm, but the four main protagonists, Jordana Brewster, Taylor Handley, Diora Baird, and Matt Bomer, are all pretty cookie-cutter, which, given the expected bleak ending, may well have been intentional. Aspects of the characters are interesting, such as the two brothers on different paths (one's going back to Vietnam, the other is burning his draft card and going to Mexico), but there's not much time to really touch on what makes the characters individuals.

Because the movie takes place in the late 1960's, it makes the film a little more unique. Not much, though, and while the gore is, of course, pretty good (let's be real - if a TCM movie can't do gore good, then why bother?), and Leatherface is appropriately threatening at times, The Beginning is pretty much as bland as the 2003 movie was, even after having previously enjoyed it. 6/10.


Wishmaster II: Evil Never Dies (1999)

The first Wishmaster film is a pretty enjoyable affair. There were portions I didn't care for, but overall, it's a solid piece of 90's horror. The second film, however, is nowhere near as pleasing.

In terms of special effects, there are occasionally some solid scenes presented here. But it's no comparison to the first film's beginning and ending sequence. In fact, a somewhat similar sequence here, which takes place in the final 15 minutes, is so much worse and uninspired than what they managed a few years prior.

The story itself isn't much to speak of. Honestly, it's not necessarily even that bad, it just didn't appeal to me. The idea of having to possess a thousand souls before the Djinn can do anything more is all fine and well, but when he gains 800 of those souls in the course of five minutes, it really takes away from the film. I didn't expect them to show him gaining hundreds of souls (which is good, because, for the most part, his obscene granting of obscure wishes never really did much for me, and here, very few of them are that interesting), but at the same time, giving him 80% of souls needed in such a short time felt akin to cheating.

Still not the biggest issue, though. I know his performance is what draws some people to this movie, but the Wishmaster himself, Andrew Divoff, just drives me up the wall. Throughout most of the film, he has that same little grin on his face, and his intentionally hammy acting, while in the first film wasn't that big a deterrent, goes overboard here.

Luckily, the other two main performances were decent: Holly Fields and Paul Johansson. Fields had that cute bad-girl look to her, and having her partner up with Johansson's priest character was somewhat fun. Neither one has had a particularly impressive horror resume (Fields was in Seedpeople, but that's about it), but for a movie of this caliber, they do pretty well. It's just a shame that the story isn't that impressive.

Evil Never Dies still manages to impress some people, and having seen it twice, I don't get it. Most everyone agrees it pales in comparison to the first movie, which is certainly true, but seeing a lot of value out of this movie, in itself? More power to you if you enjoyed this. I just wish I could have done the same. In short, it's not that it's a terrible movie. It's just not particularly good or even that memorable, which is a shame, as Jack Sholder, the director, also made Alone in the Dark (1982) and the second A Nightmare on Elm Street film, both of which were decent, if not good. It's a disappointment he couldn't do that here. 4.5/10.

[DancesWithWerewolves]

Aquaman ........... A

James Wan is the savior DC movies needed. I like Zack, but he clearly has a hard time connecting with general audiences and I can't deny that. James made Aquaman a damn fun and visually stunning looking movie. Hell, he made a better Indiana Jones movie than latter years Spielberg did, with fucking Aquaman. Not that I think Aquaman sucks, I've been championing the character before this movie-verse got rolling, since the 90's. The movie knows the ideas are silly, and it totally rolls with it, rather than trying to be too serious. Dolph is a regal SOB, and it brought a smile to my face noticing Creed II was still playing in the same theatre, so it was showing two Dolph Lundgren movies at once. Hell yeah. Black Manta was rad, and I loved the practical costumes. My only gripe: the actor that played teenage Arthur. He was pretty bad. Some of the song choices were iffy or too on-the-nose, but ultimately didn't bother me much. Awesome hybrid music score of synthwave and orchestral. My favorite of the DCEU movies right now, easily.

Oh, and a big bonus for managing to squeeze the Trench creatures in. Love those humanoids from the deep beasts. If there's no sequels, I'm okay, because they pretty much squeezed the highlights well into one movie.

James Wan also continued to flesh his badassness at one-shot-takes too.

Kudos to the OG Mary Poppins voicing the ultimate giant sea monster too.

[DancesWithWerewolves]

Venom ........ B+

Turned out way better than I expected. Still annoyed with the disconnect from Spider-man, but aside from a half-baked villain, a clearly rushed script (mostly with dialogue rather than story/pacing) and some dodgy CGI moments, it really was enjoyable. Tom's accent is odd, but I got used to it, and his banter with Venom is amusing. Interested to see more, but would really prefer Spidey there. I even liked the touch of homeless used as test subjects for experiments, as a way of "cleaning up the streets". Reminded me of C.H.U.D. for some reason.

If this were R rated, could've easily been an A-.

[DancesWithWerewolves]

You Were Never Really Here .......... A+

Didn't know what to expect with this one, kind of a random selection, but wow. Phoenix is a quiet brutal for-hire vigilante who's newest job has him rescuing a little girl from sex trafficking, and the plot gets tougher from there. Cerebral, dark, and you definitely root for Joaquin to kill every last girl-fucker, he's like The Punisher but with a hammer. Has a Taxi Driver vibe to it.

[Reign in Blood]

The Marine 6: Close Quarters... A++

The Miz, Mizing it up. HBK, HBKing it up (and more of a focal point than I thought he'd be), and the wondrous Becky Lynch (the chick in Havok's sig, for the uninitiated), lassing it up. You need not more, A++, yup, yup, yup.