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It (2017)

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The original 90 miniseries "It" worked mainly because of Tim Curry's memorable performance as Pennywise the dancing clown, there was some good acting by some, bad acting by others but it wasn't the worst adaptation of Stephen King's novel (there are a lot of bad ones "floating" around out there... no pun intended). This remake makes a smart decision, to keep the story focused on the kids and leave the adult story for another movie. 

This adaptation leaves a lot of the novel out, but it gets what's important about the characters in and manages to be atmospheric, scary, dramatic and even funny. This is probably one of the best King adaptations we've seen in quite some time. The child actors give strong, convincing performances and Bill Skarsgård's Pennywise is quite menacing. The opening scene with Georgie and Pennywise in the drain is unnerving, you know what's coming but you don't know how this film is going to tackle it and the scene takes its time working towards it’s horrific climax. 

I wouldn't say it is the scariest movie, some have been claiming it's the scariest film they have ever seen... not so much, but it's beautifully shot, well written and just well made. For anyone who's read the book the characters really come to life here, for anyone who hasn't they will likely get swept up in the story of underdogs fighting for their life and to save the lives of others. 

The plot focuses on seven young outcasts in Derry, Maine, who are about to face their worst nightmare! An ancient, shape-shifting evil that emerges from the sewer every 27 years to prey on the town's children. Banding together over the course of one horrifying summer, the friends must overcome their own personal fears to battle the murderous, bloodthirsty clown known as Pennywise.

Director Andy Muschietti makes great use of the Maine setting, doesn't over use CGI and when he uses visual effects it is done effectively, he knows that the best way to make Pennywise scary is to allow Skarsgård to perform. The only weak aspect of the film in my opinion would be the bullies, who play their roles so over the top I found myself laughing when I should have felt concern for these characters... although this is turned around later in the film when one of the bullies does something quite horrific. 

Finn Wolfhard is a standout as Richie, delivering some excellent one liners and providing the film's biggest laughs, I think this kid has a big future ahead of him. Another stand out is Sophia Lillis as Bev, her performance captures the venerability of her character as well as her strength in equel measures, but they are all fantastic. I do think "it" was the best horror film of 2017, it's certainly been made with love and care and it shows in the impressive final product.

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It (1990)

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Given all the hype surrounding the “It: Chapter 2” I thought it would be interesting to review the original 90's miniseries. The story revolves around a predatory shapeshifter which has the ability to transform itself into its prey's worst fears, allowing it to exploit the phobias of its victims. It mostly takes the form of a sadistic, wisecracking clown called Pennywise. The protagonists are The Lucky Seven, or The Losers Club, a group of outcast kids who discover Pennywise and vow to destroy him by any means necessary.

The series takes place over two different time periods, the first when the Losers first confront Pennywise as children in 1960, and the second when they return as adults in 1990 to defeat him a second time after he resurfaces. Directed by Tommy Lee Wallace, this miniseries works mainly due to Tim Curry's vibrant yet sinister performance as Pennywise, the actual plot and acting is where the film falls apart at times. 

The young cast come off better then the adult actors and the first half is far superior over the second. There are some really dodgy transformations as well that are more laughable then they are scary (like when Pennywise turns into a dog, or in the final confrontation when he's revealed to be a giant spider). A lot of the drama is handled in a very Made for TV way... making its dark subject matter less effective. 

Having said that there is something about this film that is quite likeable, I think it's easy for the audience to relate to a coming of age story (I mean we've all felt like outcasts and losers at one point or another), and as adults it's interesting to see how the characters have changed, or in some regards how they haven't changed at all. What makes "It" interesting is the idea that adults inflict pain on children without even realising it, for the most part the adults are absent or turning a blind eye to what's really going on, leaving these kids to face their fears alone. 

"It" falls somewhere in the middle of Stephen King adaptations, it's not a complete mess like Maximum overdrive or the mangler but it's nowhere near as good as Carrie, the shining or Salem's lot. When it works it works well and can allow you to forgive some of its dorkier or sillier moments (for which there are a few). For a film that runs 192 minutes it's a real shame that it's climax is so anti-climatic, it's like the filmmakers ran out of ideas and they go with something profoundly unimaginative, but "it" is good regardless of its shortcomings. 

Did I mention Tim Curry plays Pennywise?! He's fantastic!

[doctorpopculture-blog]

Gaga: Five Foot Two (2017)

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When I first saw the trailer for Gaga: Five foot two I couldn't help but think about Madonna's 90's self involved documentary truth or dare, ironic given Gaga does bring up Madonna and the parallels between them. What's more interesting however is that I never once felt that this documentary was vein or self righteous. Gaga has a vulnerable quality to her that Madonna doesn't possess. 

What this means is that five foot two comes across more human and stripped down, now obviously there is ego here, anyone who makes themselves the subject of a documentary has ego, but Gaga also has self doubt, she has all the qualities you would expect from a regular human being... only she happens to be one of the most famous people in the world. 

I enjoyed Gaga's albums the fame, the fame monster and born this way. I wasn't as impressed with Artpop, but I also wasn't one of the millions who couldn't wait to see Gaga's latest crazy outfit. She wasn't an artist like P!nk who is easy to relate to, who's music speaks directly to the human experiance, that's not to discredit her work, those albums were a lot of fun, but I only became a true fan of Gaga when she bought out the stripped down and emotionally rich Joanne. 

Gone were the theatrics in favour of something honest, where her talent as both of a vocalist and songwriter could shine without any of the other more distracting aspects she had bought to the table. I know there are many who loved her previous eras and didn't respond so well to Joanne, but I honestly think it's the best album she's done to date, no competition. So this documentary gives you a birds eye view into the making of that album, for anyone who's heard the title track what we see in this film may give a fan or casual viewer a new appreciation for that song and more importantly the album as a whole. 

The film leads up to Gaga's performance at the super bowl, we see what she must contend with in terms of fans, paparazzi, chronic pain and family. But for the most part Gaga chooses to lose a lot of the fame aspect in favour of more intimate or honest moments, the scene with her grandmother is quite touching as is the story of the woman the albums inspired by. As a huge music lover I found a lot to admire here, Gaga became more then just an artist with a gimmick when she released Joanne and with this film she takes herself further away from the gimmick and is all the more intriguing and frankly interesting because of it.

[doctorpopculture-blog]

The Phantom (2000)

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Sometimes a movie has to be seen more than once in order to be fully appreciated, this is true of many films I've seen and while I think I need to see the phantom again I also don't want to. It's not like the phantom is gory or disgusting or anything like that, but it is quite an unpleasant, or depressing experience. The central character is really sad, I found myself crying wondering what it would be like to feel so lonely, to feel so lost. 

I wanted a love interest to come in and sweep this character off his feet and take him away from the dark twisted sexual fantasies he had fallen into due to lust, obsession and unrequited love. The phantom is set in Lisbon, Portugal and revolves around a young garbage man named Sergio (played by a brave and engaging Ricardo Meneses). He's good looking, fit and seems smart enough, but he doesn't seem to have any friends and lives most of his life in darkness. There is a female co-worker who likes him, but he seems intent on doing anything he can to push her away. 

He has a cute dog, but Sergio seems to have an odd relationship with this dog that I can't fully comprehend, the impression I got was that Sergio is intrigued by the fact that the dog is an animal and Sergio wants to explore his own animal instincts... although I could be wrong. Sergio prowls the streets like an animal searching for gay men he can have anonymous sex with, and the film does not shy away from showing everything in graphic detail. There's even a scene where we see Sergio get a blowjob in a toilet, and while I wasn’t prepared to see a dick on screen it adds to the raw feel of the production. This hasn’t been made with the intention of stimulating you, it's all about showing us Sergio's seperation from society and even himself, as he becomes more about his next orgasm and nothing else. 

Sergio is also obsessed with and stalking Joao, he peers through his window, steals his underwear, watches him undress and seemingly wants him all the while knowing those feelings will never be reciprocated. Through a series of bizarre sexual encounters and a desire to give into his animal instincts, Serigio literally becomes a sexual prowler, he puts on a latex outfit and lives in the dump (no I'm not kidding) and loses any aspect of himself that's human. 

I don't know if I like the phantom, but it did make me feel something, I felt for this character and the journey, while strange was quite heartbreaking. I watch films for the story, the character, the direction and cinematography and the phantom is artistically rich. Depressing? Absolutely! Shocking? You bet! But the phantom is also a well made film, thin on plot but a fantastic character study of what loneliness and obsession can turn into.

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Prom Night IV: Deliver Us From Evil (1992)

⭐️1/2

Four students ditch their high school prom for a party at a summer home, unaware that a psychotic priest is on the loose, determined to punish sinners. That's right a killer priest, a peeping tom, a very VHS look and a made for TV feel, prom night has come a long way... in the wrong direction. 

There are some fun moments, that kind of fun that can only come from a bad slasher film but there's really nothing to keep you engaged, I found myself drifting off quite a bit. The film doesn't even have the smarts to bask in its own stupidity, it plays it all dead serious, even though it can't possibly be taken that way.

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Prom Night III: The Last Kiss (1990)

⭐️⭐️

Prom night 3 amps up the humour and tries to recapture what made the second film so surprisingly good, sadly it all falls very flat. The malevolent spirit of Mary Lou Maloney returns to Hamilton High, where she manipulates a naive male student into helping her wreak havoc on the school. 

For a horror comedy this doesn't even bother being scary, this is all ham! The heightened silliness gives freedom for the writers to do literally whatever they want, logic be damned! Not that it matters too much, try as they might the cast can't quite make these characters all that likeable or interesting leaving very little to admire here.

[doctorpopculture-blog]

Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night II (1987)

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Just when you think your in for another slasher sequel, prom night 2 shakes it up, instead heading into the haunting ghosts, supernatural arena. I can't help but feel this film would have done better had it not been thrown into the prom night franchise, if it were released on its own it may have attracted a wider audience, because it's not bad at all. 

Decades after promiscuous teen Mary Lou Maloney dies during a prank gone wrong, she returns as a spirit out for revenge and eager to punish the culprit, her one-time boyfriend, Billy Nordham, who is now high-school principal. Evil Mary Lou is perfectly content to kill other locals, and she eventually possesses the body of prom queen contender Vicki Carpenter, which allows her to wreak even more havoc.

There were a few scenes where I got a bit of a nightmare on elm street vibe, not quite as visually striking but I would say just as creative. It is fun that this deviates away from the standard slasher formula, it allows the audience to feel more surprised by the proceedings rather then ticking off what you expect. Prom night 2 is clever, amusing, surprisingly well acted, stylish, nicely shot and scored and has that all to loveable 80's-ness. In fact my biggest criticism would be the film's final moments, but that's easy enough to ignore.

[doctorpopculture-blog]

Prom Night (1980)

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Prom night came out when slasher films were big business, when they were all starting to look like one another and distinguishing one from another was becoming near impossible. That being said prom night is far better then many others of its kind, it's smart enough to present characters we like, and we get to spend enough time with them to actually care about who lives and who dies. 

This slasher movie follows a relentless killer who is out to avenge the death of a young girl who died after being bullied and teased by four of her classmates. Now high-school students, the guilt-ridden kids have kept their involvement a secret, but when they start being murdered, one by one, it's clear that someone knows the truth. Also coping with the past are members of the dead girl's family, most notably her prom-queen sister, Kim Hammond. 

Sure it is riddled with clichés and slasher tropes, I mean that scene where Jamie Lee Curtis investigates a noise with her heaving breast clevage is cliché slasher at its best, but we are also lucky enough to have good actors like Curtis here, it does help a lot when the actors can actually act. The film also benefits from a surprising reveal, albeit a bit Scooby-Doo.

It borrows from Halloween and Carrie but director Paul Lynch manages to elevate the material somewhat by attempting to create suspense and showing restraint when it comes to the violence displayed on screen, especially given this was during a time when each of these type of films were trying to out do each other on the kill and gore ratio... Lynch seems more concerned with character and creating tension... this doesn't make prom night a classic, but it does make it a respectable slasher in a sea of trash.

[doctorpopculture-blog]

Deliverance (1972)

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Before I get into why deliverance is a great thriller with a unique twist, I want to start by commenting on what the film is most well known for, which is a disturbing rape scene. There has been some graphic and disturbing rape scenes throughout cinema and this one is no different, but in the drama and horror genre it is often more regulated to women being the victims. Helpless pretty women who must rise up and fight the male oppressor. 

Deliverance flips that notion, and makes some grand casting choices in order to show classic "strong" men being put in a situation where their power is taken away from them and they, perhaps unknowingly become the victims. Men aren't often conveyed in this light and it gives the film an edge it wouldn't otherwise have. 

Four city-dwelling friends decide to get away from their jobs, wives and kids for a week of canoeing in rural Georgia. When the men arrive, they are not welcomed by the backwoods locals, who stalk the vacationers and savagely attack them in the woods. Reeling from the ambush, the friends attempt to return home but are surrounded by dangerous rapids and pursued by a madman. Soon, their canoe trip turns into a fight for survival.

Burt Reynolds, Jon Voight, Ned Beatty and Ronny Cox give excellent performances, and it's made more apparent in the film's closing moments. These men are forced to fight for survival, but it's not a case of "we made it we are strong again", the mental trauma of what's taken place lives on, and will haunt them for the rest of their lives. I don't want to call the film "brave" but it is nice to see men depicted in this light, not that we want to see rape of body or mentality in any capacity, but men aren't always what they are stereotypically depicted as (the strong archetype) just as women aren't always what they have are depicted as (the weak archetype) in the annuals of American cinema. 

Deliverance takes an idea and runs with it, it puts the male audience in a setting they are familiar with, a group of male friends bonding, but then flips it by placing them in real danger. This isn't the kind of guy picture where men will walk away cheering, they'll walk away thinking about it. 

Director John Boorman injects the film with a strong juxtaposition between civilised man versus the primitive. It asks some questions and it doesn't provide answers, the film would rather have you think about what's taken place as oppose to wrap everything up into a nice little package. It's well made and executed, but it's the film's subject matter, what lies underneath that will stay with you, rather then then the story it tells on the surface.

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Roadgames (1981)

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I’ve heard many attach the “Hitchcockian” label to this film while discussing it, which is a compliment it deserves. The characters are engaging and likeable and director Richard Franklin makes great use of lightning, sets and the outback which plays a crucial role within the film. Stacy Keach gives a solid performance and “Scream Queen” Jamie Lee Curtis manages to make a somewhat nothing role lively and interesting. Although it must be said that two Americans running into one another in the Australian outback seems like a bit of a stretch. 

Patrick “Quid” is driving through the Australian outback, with the help of a hitchhiker, Patrick intends to track down a serial killer who is butchering women and dumping their dismembered bodies along desolate highways. 

Roadgames is an exceptional thriller that seemed to be overlooked at the time of its release in 1981. It isn’t terrifying, like Hitchcock, Franklin seems more intersted in keeping the audience engaged and on edge, he even throws in a good sense of humour. The script is well written and the film has a nice pace, it unfolds well as it builds to its conclusion. My only complaint would be its jump scare ending that felt somewhat unnecessary in an otherwise slick package.

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I Still Know What You Did Last Summer (1998)

⭐️1/2

A year after killing vengeful hit-and-run victim Ben Wills, who gutted her friends with an iron hook, college student Julie James is still shaken by the experience. When her roommate, Karla, wins a vacation for four to the Bahamas, she plans to bring along her boyfriend, Tyrell, attractive Will and Julie. At the resort, Julie starts receiving threatening notes and realizes Ben is still alive.

Well... I mean what do you get when you make a pointless sequel to a painfully average slasher film featuring Jennifer Love Hewitt and Freddie Prince Jr? If your answer is not a lot then you are absolutely right. This fishermen must be able to pull some serious strings to get these characters on an island resort where he can kill them all. The funniest part of the film is that it's left open once again for another sequel... I mean I know there is one but... really? Also the title of the film makes no sense given the time the story takes place in.

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I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997)

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"I know what you did last summer... ooh scary" -Barry

Well Barry it's not scary in the slightest, but in the wake of screams phenomenal success a new wave of slasher films was inevitable. I know what you did last summer has a few things working for it, the fact that it's so stupid it's enjoyable and that unlike Scream this isn't meta, it's not winking at the audience, it wants to be a slasher film and nothing more. 

A year after running over a fisherman and dumping his body in the water, four friends reconvene when Julie receives a frightening letter telling her that their crime was seen. While pursuing who he thinks is responsible for the letter, Barry is run over by a man with a meat hook. The bloodletting only increases from there, as the killer with the hook continues to stalk Julie, Helen and Ray. 

There are so many "memorable" moments, like when Jennifer Love Hewitt screams at the sky "what are you waiting for?", and when Sarah Michelle Gellar's character wakes up to a hair cut (I mean why not just kill her?). The acting is poor, but Sarah Michelle Gellar comes off best as a beauty queen who hasn't been able to achieve any of her goals, and her chase sequence provides the film's best moments. 

Once Hewitt is in a fishing boat screaming surrounded by ice and Freddie Prince Jr, is trying to save the day things fall apart... but it's a mindless and fun slasher, one that actually harks back to the 80's where Scream tried to push forward with a new take. I know what you did last summer knows what it is, rather then trying to be anything else it embraces it and you can't help but get caught up in its absurdity.

[doctorpopculture-blog]

The Canyons (2013)

⭐️

"Seriously. C'mon, I need to get off, make it hard. This is what you want? Suck me off right now. You know you want it" -Ryan 

It’s hard to take this film seriously and it’s also fascinating when you consider that it’s by the man who co-wrote Taxi Driver, raging bull, the last temptation of Christ and bringing out the dead. The story deals with the discovery of an illicit love affair that leads two young Angelenos on a violent, sexually charged tour through the dark side of human nature... 

I know what your thinking, that premise sounds potentially dark and interesting, certainly could involve some interesting characters if nothing else! But it doesn’t, this is truly dreadful from start to finish. I mean the explicit sex scenes, violence and dreamy quality of the film all feel like it’s trying too hard to be edgy. Lindsey Lohan waltz through like she's hallucinating a completely different movie, and a real porn star is thrown in for... his penis? I guess... I mean his penis gives a better performance then anyone else here, and that's not saying much.

[doctorpopculture-blog]

Passengers (2016)

⭐️⭐️

Passengers is a very ordinary movie, wrapped in a slick package with two of the biggest names in recent memory. The camera likes to linger on Jennifer Lawrence's to appeal to male audiences and on Chris Pratt's for the female audience. It has some action and science fiction to appeal to genre fans and a love story to weave it all together. It's predictable and kind of annoying because there’s a good idea within this. 

On a routine journey through space to a new home, two passengers, sleeping in suspended animation, are awakened 90 years too early when their ship malfunctions. As Jim and Aurora face living the rest of their lives on board, with every luxury they could ever ask for, they begin to fall for each other, unable to deny their intense attraction until they discover the ship is in grave danger. With the lives of 5,000 sleeping passengers at stake, only Jim and Aurora can save them all.

Passengers is a perfect example of a movie that wants to be so much more then it actually is, it wants lines of dialogue turning into inspirational memes and wants to somewhat disguise its shortcomings by telling it's story in the far reaches of space. It works when it deals with isolation and when characters simply interact with one another, despite what people may feel about the leads they do have chemistry. 

It's just a shame that the movie winds up being a cliché riddled love story, how interesting it would have been if it followed Pratt's character through his life alone on a ship, watching the isolation and lack of human contact change him and his perception of self. Or if Aurora could never forgive him for waking her up, so both characters lived seperate lives on the same ship, but it is what it is, forgettable... and Aurora... really? My biggest question regarding the film is how it tries to play Pratt's character as an average joe, a nice normal guy... who just happened to wake the prettiest girl he could see up and potentially ruin her life... so romantic? But all the women I know really ate this shit up.

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Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull (2008)

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"I've got a bad feeling about this" -Indiana 

Don't worry Indy I have a bad feeling to, as soon as I heard Shia LaBeouf was in this I thought to myself "why?". But the kingdom of the crystal skull did coin a new term "nuke the fridge", granted that term is a variation on "jump the shark" but at least it achieved something. Actually that's not entirely fair, this isn't anywhere near as bad as some would have you believe but it has sequences that are out right terrible sprinkled throughout. 

It's the height of the Cold War, and famous archaeologist Indiana Jones, returning from his latest adventure, finds out his job at Marshall College is in jeopardy. He meets Mutt, a young man who wants Indy to help him find the legendary Crystal Skull of Akator, and the pair set out for Peru. However, deadly agent Irina Spalko is searching for the powerful artifact, too, because the Soviets believe it can help them conquer the world.

There's a mind reading Russian, actual aliens from inner space (whatever the hell that is), a scene where Shia LaBouef swings to the rescue with an assortment of monkeys and of course that scene where Indy survives a nuclear blast in a fucking fridge. These moments aside it is still so much fun to see Harrison Ford playing his iconic character, and there's plenty of fun and crazy scenes to get you through some of its sloppier moments, for which there are more then a few.

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Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade (1989)

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A tremendous return to form and a perfect pairing in Ford and Connery, the last crusade has everything we loved about the original but has a fresh story combining religion and fact with complete fantasy. 

An art collector appeals to Jones to embark on a search for the Holy Grail. He learns that another archaeologist has disappeared while searching for the precious goblet, and the missing man is his own father, Dr. Henry Jones. The artifact is much harder to find than they expected, and its powers are too much for those impure in heart. 

The chemistry between Ford and Connery is incredibly fun to watch, both stars bounce off one another like a well oiled machine, as if they have been doing this together for years. The story also allows us to care about their father/son relationship, we want it to work out through all the zany misadventures they embark on. 

The opening scene featuring Indiana as a young teen is great fun and there are plenty of memorable action set pieces throughout, but nothing can compare to that grand third act as Indiana ventures through a funhouse of booby traps and trickery to get to the holy grail. 

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade also includes the return of Indy's milder-mannered side, which was lacking in the temple of doom. It's also perhaps wisely not as dark, this is all about a fun adventure most would enjoy going on. If it ended here it would have been a near perfect trilogy, but unfortunately for fans the kingdom of the crystal skull would eventually be made.

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Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom (1984)

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The second of the Lucas/Spielberg Indiana Jones epics is set a year or so before the events in Raiders of the Lost Ark. Indy needs to retrieve a precious gem and several kidnapped young boys on behalf of a remote East Indian village. This time he teams up with a night club singer and a 12-year old boy. I've heard many complain that this sequel/prequel is a real let down from the adventure of the original, while I agree that it's not as good its hardly a let down. 

I think Lucas attempts to make a darker story here in much the same way he did with Star Wars the empire strikes back, and it's perhaps that darker edge that turns some fans of the franchise off this particular instalment. Having said that, the opening sequence is chaos! But its delightfully entertaining chaos as we go from a night club to a car chase to a plane crash... I mean these films could give you some serious whiplash. 

There's a memorable dinner party complete with monkey brains, secret passages and trap doors galore and perhaps most memorable... that epic mine shaft sequence... I mean come on, love or hate this film no one can deny that, that scene isn't gold! The temple of doom's short comings really come from some characters as oppose to the story it chooses to tell, I think a lot of fans would have liked Karen Allen's Marion to be in this as the chemistry between her and Ford was brilliant.

Here we get a new love interest and while Kate Capshaw has some funny moments, she's really just regulated to being grossed out and screaming. Then of course there's "Short Round" who may be one of the most annoying child characters ever committed to film, although I don't think that's any fault of actor Jonathan Ke Quan who certainly brings a lot of energy to his performance. 

So yes the temple of doom isn't as good as raiders of the lost ark, but it's still a well made, well written, well directed and vastly entertaining film that allows us to have another trip into Indiana Jones turbulent world, and who wouldn't want to go on another adventure with him?