Movies, Films & Flix

Quick Thoughts:

1. I may or may not have thrown my fist into the air and said something like “hell yeah” when a certain character made their first appearance.
2. Elise > The Avengers.
3. I love the Insidious franchise. I like watching nice people battle horrible demons.
4. Amelia Eve is a likable hero.
5. Grapefruit tattoos!
6. Pillow fort chase!

The Insidious franchise may be about horrifying spirits tormenting nice people, but there’s a comfort-food element to it that keeps me coming back. There are always jump scares, lanterns, fog, sleeping people, a final boss spirit who attempts to get into the real world, and it’s great. The franchise works because, at its core, it’s about innocent people dealing with something out of their control. It also helps that Lin Shaye plays Elise, a bada** ghost fighter who helps people because she’s the nicest and most noble person on the planet (her former partners Tucker and Specs are cool too). The Insidious movies are told with earnestness, and their PG-13 scares have helped them collect $741 million worldwide on an average budget of $8.5 million.

Insidious: Out of the Further focuses on what happens when a spirit from The Further (a terribly dark place between heaven and hell) attempts a jailbreak by using a “Traveler” (a person capable of astral projection) to escape the bleak dimension. The “Traveler” is a woman named Gemma (Amelia Eve), a hygienist who lives in a creepy house with her daughter Maya (Island Austin). Since it’s an Insidious film, the house is filled with shadows, long corridors, and rooms constructed to facilitate jump scares. Things take a turn for Gemma when a trio of maniacs starts lingering around the home (which isn’t haunted; moving won’t help anything), and she starts having nightmares in which she has to battle them whilst inside a never-ending pillow fort. The silent villains also visit her at her office, which results in a teeth-cleaning sequence that will be hard to forget. It would be a shame to spoil the rest; know that one night while traveling, Gemma comes across a super cool lady named Elise (Lin Shaye), who tells her to visit a tattoo artist named Clare (Maisie Richardson-Sellers), who can help her defeat the evil spirits with the help of Gemma’s police office boyfriend Nick (Brandom Perera).

Director/writer Jacob Chase sticks to the Insidious playbook by retaining the visual aesthetic (lots of fog) and maintaining its earnest storytelling. Insidious: Out of the Further isn’t trying to reinvent the franchise; instead, it’s a fun/familiar experience for Insidious fans who’ve grown to love the inventive jump scares and creepy spirits associated with the film series. In a unique twist, the $18 million production budget makes the film look super polished, which isn’t something normally associated with an Insidious film. James Wan directed the 2011 OG Insidious film on a $1.5 million budget, so it takes a while to get used to an Insidious movie with an actual budget (which is still small for most movies) to make The Further look like more than a dark room filled with fog. The lack of scrappy aesthetics works against the movie at first because the crisp aesthetic feels a bit generic. However, I quickly stopped worrying about the look and started enjoying that the film features a tattoo artist/medium explaining a plan with grapefruits (that have tattooed faces on them – it’s great).

The cinematography by David Garbett (Evil Dead Rise, Lee Cronin’s The Mummy) does a fine job of setting up jump scares without leaning into comedic territory. There’s a fun shot from the perspective of a mouth that works really well when combined with squishy sound effects. The practical effects and prosthetics created by Adam Johansen (Evil Dead Rise) and Chiara Tripodi (Upgrade, Send Help) are perfectly gooey, with the highlight being a dental scene involving a silent villain with horrible teeth/gums/everything (Joseph Lopez).

Garbett’s dedication to delivering an Insidious film for the diehards will prevent it from pulling in huge box office numbers. However, with an $18 million budget and a dedicated fanbase, Insidious: Out of the Further will be another success for the folks at Blumhouse, who will want to keep their successful franchise rolling. I’d love to watch five more of them so I can witness Elise beating up more demons.

Final thoughts – I love it.

Quick Thoughts:

1. Excellent usage of a Counting Crows song.
2. As always, Jane Schoenbrun’s visuals are unique, expressive, and handcrafted.
3. There’s a great bit about the perspective of a film being told through the shower curtain from Psycho.
4. Zombie IP is real.
5. Interesting tree burl work.
6. Best worst Zoom call of 2026. I’d hate to pitch a film to the executives.
7. We’re living in a golden age of gummy candy.
8. Schoenbrun describes the film as “Portrait of a Lady on Fire set in a Friday the 13th sequel,” and it’s a solid descriptor.
9. There’s a great Wes Craven’s New Nightmare bit.

Between We’re All Going to the World’s Fair, I Saw the TV Glow, and Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma, director/writer/producer Jane Schoenbrun has produced three thrillingly original and long-titled films. All three are deeply personal yet appeal to universal emotions. Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma is Schoenbrun’s most mainstream-accessible film to date and should be watched in a theater so you can immerse yourself in the world.

The film revolves around a young director named Kris (Hannah Einbinder) who is tasked with rebooting the dormant horror franchise Camp Miasma after her successful Sundance debut. Her film, which spent a large chunk of its screen time from the perspective of the shower curtain from Pysho (I love silly meta-commentary), gave her enough cred to reboot the franchise. In an interesting twist, Kris was hired to bring the “zombie IP” back to life because she’s a twenty-something queer director who can make the problematic material less problematic, which is wildly cynical. But she’s fully aware of why she was hired. Kris’s first bit of research involves interviewing Billy Presley (Gillian Anderson), the “final girl” of the first Camp Miasma film. Billy retired from acting shortly after appearing in Camp Miasma, and Kris wants to meet Billy because her memorable performance (Amanda Fix plays the younger version of Billy) greatly affected and molded Kris.

Kris sets up a meeting with Billy, the original “final girl”, who lives a hermit-like life in an isolated cabin located on the property where the first Camp Miasma movie was filmed. The two share a fried chicken dinner, smoke weed, and converse while eating loads of candy. From there, the two bond as they rewatch the original film and go on a bloody journey of self-discovery in the stylized world. Schoenbrun was smart to pitch a high-concept horror-ish idea so they could create a “meaningful exploration of desire, pleasure, and gender in genre filmmaking.” (thank you press notes). The easily digestible story allows for the film to be visually ambitious and genre-fluid. One of the best things to come out of my research is learning that Schoenbrun is incredibly well-studied in the horror genre. It’s neat that this film was influenced by Sleepaway Camp, Friday the 13th, Evil Dead II, A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: The Dream Warriors, Peeping Tom, Psycho (the OG and remake), Secretary, Psycho II, and Sunset Boulevard. It’s obvious that Schoenbrun loves horror cinema, but also understands its problematic history, which makes Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma a unique and worthwhile watch.

Shot over 25 days on Vancouver Island, the film is loaded with inspired matte paintings (inspired by the movie Kwaiden), lovingly constructed sets, and fake snow created by snow guru Kyle Moore. Costume designer Kendra Terpenning and Schoenbrun drew inspiration from the plastic surrounding Laura Palmer’s body in Twin Peaks to create Little Death’s plastic outfit, a visually distinctive and meta creation. Terpenning and Schoenbrun also loaded Gillian Anderson with furs, silks, and velvet outfits that are very Norma Desmond-esque. As always, Anderson looks great, and her Dolly Parton-inspired accent works perfectly in the surroundings. Also, it shouldn’t be spoiled, but one of the funniest wardrobe moments involves Einbinder leaning into the final girl trope by doing something unexpected in the woods (you’ll know).  

Horror franchises are known for their killers, and the killer here is Little Death (Jack Haven), who was once a camper, and now lives in a subterranean world in the middle of a lake. Decked out in a plastic body suit and wearing what looks like an air vent on his head, Little Death (which means a couple of things) stalks the campground and uses a harpoon to impale horny teenagers. Little Death’s backstory is that he was a gender-confused child who was bullied, drowned in a lake, and now stalks the campground. Little Death’s highlight is a fantastic one-take rampage soundtracked by a Counting Crows song. Haven’s physicality is admirable as they carried a 60-pound SnorriCam (body-mounted camera) on their back and moved gracefully during the murderous musical moment.

Final thoughts – Catch it in theaters and enjoy the world.

Quick Thoughts:

1. David Robert Mitchell loves featuring swimming pools in his films. 
2. It’s a good time. The world needs more 100-minute movies featuring dinosaurs.
3. Anne “Action Hero” Hathaway!
4. Don’t watch any trailers or look for spoilers.
5. Cinematographer Mike Gioulakis (It Follows, Us, Split, Old) deserves praise for some cool shots. The running scenes are legit.
6. Sit back, relax, and don’t think too much about the plot mechanics.

With a brisk running time of 100 minutes, The End of Oak Street is a fun creature feature that harkens back to Spielberg’s 1980s Amblin films, in which families were forced to deal with science fiction (or supernatural or horror) shenanigans. The high-concept films mostly took place in the suburbs, put kids in danger, and featured boring lives being upended spectacularly  (think E.T., Goonies, Back to the Future, etc..). After directing his Amblin-homage Super 8, J.J. Abrams teamed up with director/writer/producer David Robert Mitchell (It Follows, Under the Silver Lake) to bring the summer blockbuster to life. It’s nice to see Mitchell’s name in film credits again because he’s been in director’s jail since directing the $8 million budgeted A24 film Under the Silver Lake. Typically, director’s jail is meant for directors who helm massive stinkers, so it’s been a bit mystifying that an indie film (and now cult classic) sidetracked his career. It’s smart that he made his comeback with an accessible PG-13 monster movie that doesn’t feature hidden clues, a smelly protagonist, and homeless kings.The End of Oak Street was manufactured for summer audiences looking for a fun movie that keeps them out of the August heat for a couple of hours. The result is a fun summer popcorn film that has the potential to be a sleeper hit. During the press screening, the audience cheered multiple times (I won’t spoil anything) and genuinely seemed to be engrossed in the mayhem. 

The End of Oak Street begins with an idyllic summer barbecue in a well-manicured suburb. The main characters are Denise Platt (Anne Hathaway), a tough housewife (and secret writer), and her husband Greg (Ewan McGregor), who, despite having a day job, still spends his nights delivering pizza for extra cash. Their kids, Audrey (Maisy Stella – watch My Old Ass) and Brian (Christian Convery), are reasonably well-behaved and the family seems to exist in a pleasant world where the biggest problem is money and job security. Since it’s an Amblin-type film, the parents are having marital struggles, and it’s affecting their children who know exactly what’s going on when their parents step away to “talk.” Before the marital issues can be investigated further, a bright light appears, and the following morning Mel (P.J. Byrne), their grumpy neighbor, pounds on the Platts’ door to complain about a massive pile of poop in his backyard. The following day, there’s another bright light, and the family wakes up to a world that’s stuffed with hungry dinosaurs treating the suburbs like an all you can eat buffet. From there, they need to survive in a dangerous suburb that makes the post-apocalyptic world of Love and Monsters (wonderful movie) seem quaint. 

Once the action starts, the film never lets up and features solid athletic work from Anne Hathaway and Ewan McGregor, who must’ve been in great shape when the film wrapped. Together, they sprint around the Georgia-filmed suburbs (which were also used in Stranger Things) and evade huge snakes, hungry raptors, and slow-moving turtles. The production design by Maya Shimoguchi (Werewolf By Night, Hawkeye) utilizes on-location work and sound stages to recreate the 1980s. The costume design by Erin Benach (The Bikeriders, Roofman, Drive, Loving, The Place Beyond the Pines, Devil) is perfection, and I love how it incorporates Saucony shoes, short shorts, high socks, and nightgowns to capture the spirit of the 1980s. 

The cinematography by Mike Gioulakis (It Follows, Us, Split, Old) is the film’s MVP as it allows the various characters to run for their lives in expertly constructed wide shots. The chase scenes in The End of Oak Street were intelligently conceived, and when more information becomes available, I’m going to research how they were brought to life. There is something thrilling about watching actors test their cardio during long takes that see them sprinting across multiple lawns to avoid the hungry dinosaurs chasing them. Also, Anne Hathaway has showcased her physicality in The Dark Knight Rises and Mother Mary (excellent dancing), but it was a fun surprise seeing her play a tough-as-nails mom with cardio for days. 

Final Thoughts: David Robert Mitchell is back!

Quick Thoughts:

• It’s fun that director Eli Roth studied Saving Private Ryan while planning to film rampaging kids.
• Kiori Mirza Waldman, Charlie Zeltzer, and Shiloh O’ Reilly are solid.
• After watching a child saw off their parent’s head with a hacksaw, the rest of the bloody carnage is a bit monotonous.
• The film makes more sense when you learn that Roth made it for kids.
• Grade – 3 Evil Ice Cream Sandwiches out of 10.

Shot in 19 days during a Toronto summer, Ice Cream Man is a 20-year-in-the-making passion project from director Eli Roth. After almost 20 years of studios telling Roth that his “Pied Piper meets The Birds” splatterfest was commercially unfeasible, Roth started up an indie studio named The Horror Section so he could exorcise the idea from his head. It’s admirable that he chased his dream, but the result is loaded with too many scoops of plot cream which build towards a monotonous and unwieldy experience.

Ice Cream Man revolves around what happens when a mysterious ice cream man (Ari Millen) sells hundreds of frozen “treats” to the children of Bayleen Bay, an idyllic coastal town that will soon become a warzone. The frozen treats turn the children into homicidal maniacs who kill their parents and then spread throughout the town to kill the remaining adults. Amidst the carnage, it’s up to middle schoolers Jared (Charlie Zeltzer), Mia (Kiori Mirza Waldman), and Tommy (Shiloh O’Reilly) to save the town with the help of Jared’s sister Lizzie (Sarah Abbott – who has a fun but unnecessary Wolf of Wall Street-esque moment).

In the press notes, star Ari Millen describes the film as “Home Alone meets 28 Days Later,” and he’s not wrong because it features rampaging children inflicting creative pain on dozens of adults. Roth came up with the idea while dreaming, and the most memorable visual was children playing jump rope with intestines. So, he dreamt about children murdering adults, and then had to reverse-engineer the scenario to explain why the kids ripped open an adult’s midsection, pulled out their intestines, and then used them as a jump rope. The explanation shouldn’t be spoiled, but it involves town secrets, churches, and a school attack sequence involving 100+ children.

Fueled by high-key lighting and a hot August sun, the colorful-looking film goes hard on daylight horror, and had to happen so Roth could film with middle-school-aged kids. The nostalgic look is supposed to stand in opposition to the unrated violence involving bricks, shovels, garbage disposals, pencils, and hacksaws. However, the bright lights showcase Roth’s stretched ambition (you can’t hide anything in daylight). Roth wanted the film to feel like a fairy tale, but most fairy tales are fairly easy to explain and don’t need a bit about how hard it will be to defeat the Ice Cream Man. When you get into the plot mechanics of Ice Cream Man, it’s all a bunch of hooey, and they were clearly created around the initial ideas that Roth had 20 years ago. The biggest problem with building a 100-minute film around a feverish dream is that the elements don’t always fit organically. After directing for over 20 years, Roth knows his way around a successful production (Thanksgiving is a hoot), so it’s a surprise that he didn’t tighten the script to dedicate more attention to the seemingly simple premise.

It’s also worth noting that the majority of the townsfolk and students are terrible people before the evil ice cream is introduced. So, when the killing starts, nobody cares about the carnage because there are zero feelings involved when a person is attached to an ambulance and dragged through the street. The idea of Roth crafting a “Stand by Me” featuring deadly ice cream is fun, but the production was too rushed and stretched to do anything other than shoot really quickly. It’s neat that Roth was able to get this idea out of his head (with the help of a little bit of AI), and it will be fun to see what original idea he tackles next (or makes another Thanksgiving film).