Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story (2024) – Review
Quick thoughts – Grade – A – Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story is a super documentary that’s equal parts heart-wrenching and heart-warming. Directors Ian Bonhôte and Peter Ettedgui have constructed a beautiful doc that uses interweaving narratives, charismatic interviewees, and healthy doses of Christopher Reeve footage to create a wonderful experience that deserves its 100% Tomatometer Score.
One of the best things that can be said about Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story is how immersive it is. Produced independently by Bonhôte and Peter Ettedguim and later purchased by Warner Bros. for $15 million after its debut at the Sundance Film Festival, the documentary is an open and exhausting experience that doesn’t feel like Christopher Reeve propaganda. This isn’t a promotional piece made by Warner Bros. to drum up excitement for the upcoming Superman movie from James Gunn. This is a well-executed examination into the life of Christopher Reeve, who played Superman in four films between 1978 and 1987, and later suffered a tragic accident in 1995 when a horse riding accident left him paralyzed. Using licensed footage, old interviews, and narration from his books, ”Still Me” and ”Nothing Is Impossible,” the audience is given a warts-and-all look into the life of a man who cared deeply about playing an alien superhero.
While watching the documentary, you can help but have deep respect for directors Bonhôte and Ettedguim, who created a trusting atmosphere that allowed Matthew Reeve, Alexandra Reeve Givens and William Reeve (Christopher’s three kids) to deliver honest, heartfelt, and charismatic interviews that made me tear up multiple times. They are incredibly open and honest about their parents, and they don’t hold back when discussing how Christopher left for a skiing trip with his friends the day after Matthew was born, and split with his long-time partner Gae Exton (the mother of Matthew and Alexandra) after years of forcing her to essentially be a single mom. Nobody is perfect, and it’s nice that the filmmakers realize that three-dimensional people make for much more interesting documentary subjects.
Another wise decision made by the directors was to incorporate a non-linear narrative that tells the story of Christopher’s battle to cure spinal injuries, and Dana Reeve’s life as a caretaker, mom and stepmom. It works perfectly because it doesn’t become a doc that starts on a high (Reeve finds success and love) and ends on a low (paralysis, cancer, death). What’s interesting is that the two directors didn’t want Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story to be seen as a documentary, so they tried their best to create an immersive, and emotional experience that feels more like a “conversation” than a series of interviews. Kudos to editor Otto Burnham and his team of researchers for finding some wonderful clips and interviews that help tell the story (this interview is great – watch it).
Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story also incorporates interviews from Susan Surandon, Whoopi Goldberg, John Kerry and Glenn Close, who gives some very interesting insight into the friendship between Robin Williams and Reeve. Close believes that if Reeve’s were still around that Williams wouldn’t have committed suicide in 2014 (another tear up moment). In addition, the doc shines a light into the private life of Dana Reeve, a charismatic and loving partner/parent/actor who stayed by Christopher’s side and helped unite the family. I wasn’t familiar with her story, so it hit me hard when I learned about her death in 2006 due to lung cancer (she never smoked…which makes it even more tragic).
You will feel many feelings while watching Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story, which is a testament to its quality. It never feels manipulative or false, and I think it’s going to be a crowd-pleasing (albeit some tears) experience for the people who watch it in theaters. Check it out!
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The Movies, Films and Flix Podcast – Episode 583 – Raw (2016), Julia Ducournau, and French Horror Films
You can download or stream the pod on Apple Podcasts, Tune In, Podbean, or Spreaker (or wherever you listen to podcasts…..we’re almost everywhere).
If you get a chance please make sure to review, rate and share. You are awesome.
Mark and Zanandi (@ZaNandi on X) discuss the 2016 coming-of-age body horror drama film Raw. Directed by Julia Ducournau (AKA The Best – watch Titane), and starring Garance Marillier, Ella Rumpf and Rabah Naït Oufella, the movie focuses on what happens when a teenager goes to veterinary school and realizes she’s a cannibal. In this episode, they also talk about French horror films, cannibal sisters, and the excellence of Ducournau. Enjoy!
If you are a fan of the podcast, make sure to send in some random listener questions (we love random questions). We thank you for listening, and hope you enjoy the episode!
You can download the pod on Apple Podcasts, Tune In, Podbean, or Spreaker.
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Agatha All Along (2024) – First Four Episodes Review
Quick Thoughts – Agatha All Along is a unique limited series that allows Kathryn Hahn and Aubrey Plaza to showcase their abilities in a big budget Marvel show. The quality of the show comes nowhere near the excellence of WandaVision (which is a hard ask), but it’s a fun quest and a nice diversion from recent world ending MCU stuff (for the first four episodes at least).
One of the best things to come out of WandaVision was the popularity of Agatha Harkness (Kathryn Hahn), a cheeky witch with a great theme song who played the foil to Wanda Maximoff (Elizbeth Olsen). Hahn knocked the role out of the park and was rewarded with her own MCU show with WandaVision writer Jac Schaeffer stepping up to work as the director and showrunner. The nice thing about Agatha All Along is that since it’s an offbeat spinoff it doesn’t have to be a self-serious VFX smash-em-up, and instead relies on practical effects, cavernous sets, and a wildly selfish witch who occasionally walks around with no clothes (people are making a big deal of it) and uses others to get her powers back.
Much like WandaVision, the show kicks off as a show within a show. This time, Agatha is stuck in an episode of a detective program that seems a lot like the AMC show The Killing (an adaptation of the Danish show Forbrydelsen), where she plays a hard-nosed (and often suspended) detective who is investigating the murder of a Jane Doe. Her investigation brings her across returning characters from WandaVision, and eventually an FBI agent played by Aubrey Plaza. The fake show ruse doesn’t last long as we learn that Agnes is still being affected by Wanda Maximoff’s spell (three years later) and is brought out of her spell fog by a mysterious teenager (Joe Locke), who is mysterious because a curse literally prevents the teen from saying their name or share any personal details. About three-quarters through the first episode the detective show gives way to the actual show, which makes the fake cop program seem pointless. WandaVision episodes resembled classic sitcoms because Wanda watched them as a child and returned to them while coping with the loss of Vision, but it seems like Agatha All Along plays with cop show tropes for 30 minutes for no reason other than to remind viewers of WandaVision.
When Agatha wakes from her detective procedural spell, she’s attacked by fellow witch Rio Vidal (Aubrey Plaza), and told that coven elders will soon be on their way to kill her (she has MANY enemies). Before she’s killed by coven elders, the almost powerless Agatha puts together a makeshift coven of loner witches so she can attempt to complete a plot convenient task that will get her powers back to full force. The convenient task is completing the perilous Witches Road, a trail that is split up by deadly tasks that leave many dead, but awards finishers with what they are missing. The witches (and one random non-witch) joining her on her journey are Iilia Calderau (Patti LuPone), Jennifer Kale (Sasheer Zamata), Alice Wu-Gulliver (Ali Ahn) and Mrs. Hart (Debra Jo Rupp), Agatha’s neighbor who will soon be in way over her head. Together, with the unnamed Teen, they escape to the Witches’ Road and go on a very dangerous yellow brick road. I don’t want to spoil anything else, just know that episodes three and four feature wine drinking, musical numbers and Aubrey Plaza having fun.
What’s nice about Agatha is that she doesn’t want supreme power or to demolish half the population. In Agatha All Along, her main goal is to not be killed by the dozens (hundreds) of people she’s pissed off during her hundreds of years on earth. Don’t expect gigantic action, global intrigue or a massive budget. Go into Agatha All Along expecting a good time with cool actors who are clearly enjoying themselves. Schaeffer has said that the tone of the show is “Kathryn Hahn,” and she’s absolutely right.
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The Movies, Films and Flix Podcast – Episode 582: The Boy and the Beast, Mamoru Hosoda, and Deadly Darkness
You can download or stream the pod on Apple Podcasts, Tune In, Podbean, or Spreaker (or wherever you listen to podcasts…..we’re almost everywhere).
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Mark and Kiyon discuss the 2015 Japanese animated film The Boy and the Beast. Directed by Mamoru Hosoda, and featuring voicework from Kōji Yakusho, Aoi Miyazaki, Shōta Sometani, the movie focuses on what happens when a nine-year old orphan becomes an apprentice to a surly bear-man. In this episode, they also talk about stoic heroes, Japanese animation, and angry shadows. Enjoy!
If you are a fan of the podcast, make sure to send in some random listener questions (we love random questions). We thank you for listening, and hope you enjoy the episode!
You can download the pod on Apple Podcasts, Tune In, Podbean, or Spreaker.
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The Movies, Films and Flix Podcast – Episode 581: The Croods, DreamWorks Animation and Nicolas Cage
You can download or stream the pod on Apple Podcasts, Tune In, Podbean, or Spreaker (or wherever you listen to podcasts…..we’re almost everywhere).
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Mark and Nathan discuss the 2013 DreamWorks Animation film The Croods. Directed by Kirk DeMicco and Chris Sanders, and featuring voicework from Nicolas Cage, Emma Stone, and Ryan Reynolds, the movie is incredibly important because it features Nicolas Cage voicing a caveman named Grug. In this episode, they also talk about road trip movies, DreamWorks Animation, and rewatchable animated movies. Enjoy!
If you are a fan of the podcast, make sure to send in some random listener questions (we love random questions). We thank you for listening, and hope you enjoy the episode!
You can download the pod on Apple Podcasts, Tune In, Podbean, or Spreaker.
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Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (2024) – Movie Review
Quick Thoughts – Grade – B – Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is a crowd pleasing romp that features inspired direction from Tim Burton and committed performances from Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder, Jenna Ortega, Willem Dafoe, Justin Theroux, and Catherine O’Hara.
After a decade of movies like Dumbo, Alice Through the Looking Glass, and Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, it was a relief when Beetlejuice Beetlejuice immediately had audiences laughing. It’s a movie about ghosts and the people who can see them, but it feels very alive as Burton and his cinematographer Haris Zambarloukos (Belfast, A Haunting in Venice, Locke) unleash the camera and allow it to float like a ghost as it follows the journey of Lydia Deetz (Winona Ryder) and her teenager daughter Astrid (Jenna Ortega) as they deal with supernatural maniacs. There is a freshness to the proceedings that wasn’t initially expected and there are some genuinely funny moments that had the people in the theater clapping with delight.
The biggest flaw of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is that it’s loaded with an absurd amount of storylines and characters. However, their payoffs seemed to satisfy everyone in the theater and the extra storylines do a nice job of bringing everyone together at the end. The multiple storylines feature Beetlejuice (Michael Keaton – hilarious) dealing with his literal soul sucking ex-wife Delores (Monica Belucci) who is scouring the afterlife for her former husband so she can get revenge for her death (things ended badly between them). Then, there’s Lydia, who has become a world famous TV personality who visits haunted homes for her television show Ghost House. During the taping of an episode she learns from her stepmom Delia (Catherine O’Hara) that her dad Charles (Jeffrey Jones – not shown for obvious reasons) was eaten by a shark AFTER his plane crashed in an ocean. This forces Lydia, Delia, Lydia’s boyfriend Rory (Justin Theroux), and her daughter Astrid (Jenna Ortega) to return to their home in Connecticut (that is now Maitland free because Lydia found a convenient way for them to move on). While there Astrid meets a cute kid named Jeremy (Arthur Conti), and the two bond over classic literature and the Pixies. Toss in Willem Dafoe’s underworld boss Wolf Jackson (who loves coffee), Beetlejuice’s assistant Bob, Lydia’s dead husband Richard (Santiago Cabrera), and a weirdo minister named Father Damien (Burn Gorman) and there’s a lot of characters getting screen time. Normally, this would prove to be a film’s undoing, but Beetlejuice Beetlejuice moves so quickly that it doesn’t really matter because there are so many laughs.
All of these characters and storylines eventually converge, but it would be a shame to tell you how because there are some twists and turns that you should experience without spoilers. It’s worth noting that Ryder, O’Hara’ Ortega, Theroux, Dafoe and Keaton are all wonderful and their characters pop off the screen. A lot of credit goes to the screenplay from writers Alfred Gough, Miles Millar, and Seth Grahame-Smith (who got a story credit). They keep the film moving and the 104 minutes zip along towards a fun conclusion that had everyone in the theater clapping for Beetlejuice’s assistant Bob – who might be the film’s MVP.
As always the costume design from four-time Oscar winner Colleen Atwood (Chicago, Sleepy Hollows, Alice in Wonderland, Sweeney Todd) is perfect, and the production design by Mark Scruton (Wednesday) feels real and alive. Michael Keaton said he’d only reprise the Beetlejuice role if the gags were filmed practically and not in front of a green screen. He most certainly got his wish as the cavernous sets built in London soundstages look wonderful. Burton thought about retirement after making Dumbo, and after it’s nice seeing him enjoy himself again with Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. The movie feels alive, and despite way too many characters, you should see it with a packed audience.
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Movies, Films and Flix Podcast – Episode 580 – Infested, Deadly Spiders, and French Horror Films
You can download or stream the pod on Apple Podcasts, Tune In, Podbean, or Spreaker (or wherever you listen to podcasts…..we’re almost everywhere).
If you get a chance please make sure to review, rate and share. You are awesome.
Mark and John (@MFFHorrorCorner on X) discuss the 2023 creature feature Infested (AKA Vermines). Directed by Sébastien Vaniček, and starring Théo Christine, Sofia Lesaffre, Jérôme Niel, and hundreds of ill-tempered spiders, the movie focuses on what happens when a deadly spider causes mayhem inside a French apartment building. In this episode, they also talk about horrible hallways, French horror films, and interesting characters. Enjoy!
If you are a fan of the podcast, make sure to send in some random listener questions (we love random questions). We thank you for listening, and hope you enjoy the episode!
You can download the pod on Apple Podcasts, Tune In, Podbean, or Spreaker.
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MFF Random List – Ranking the 85 Times That Murphy “Murph” Cooper is Mentioned in Interstellar
The name Murphy Cooper (or just “Murph” or Murphy”) is muttered 85 times during Interstellar’s 169-minute running time. It’s a lot, but it’s not the number of times the name is spoken that’s important, it’s how the name is said. Matthew McConaughey, Topher Grace, Anne Hathaway, John Lithgow, Jeff Hephner, Michael Caine, Timothée Chalamet, and Cassey Affleck act their faces off when they say “Murph,” and it’s one of the most memorable movie names in recent memory and that ‘s why I decided to rank all the mentions of “Murph”
In Jonathan Nolan’s original Interstellar script, Murphy “Murph” Cooper was supposed to be Joseph “Coop” Cooper’s (Matthew McConaughey) son, but when Christopher Nolan got ahold of it, Murph became Cooper’s daughter. I like the switch because Mackenzie Foy, Jessica Chastain and Ellen Bursyyn are all wonderful as Murph, and the father/daughter relationship still feels like a breath of fresh air. In an interview with Dazed, Chastain said” Chris (Nolan) was able to use his personal experience of having a daughter to say, ‘Wait a minute, what about the father/daughter relationship?
Matthew McConaughey and Mackenzie Foy are so good together that when Coop takes off for some world saving shenanigans – you’re kind of pissed at him. Who cares about the world? You need to stay with Murph. Their relationship is a big reason why Interstellar works so well, and whenever Cooper says “Murph” you know that he loves his kid (and Tom) an incredible amount. It’s nice.
In honor of “Murph,” I rewatched the movie and pulled the 85 times her name is mentioned (Murphy Cooper – Murph – Murphy – Murphy’s Law when the phrase is lobbed at her)
Traditionally, it’s best to save the best for last, but this list is starting with the elite. It’s worth noting that none of these “Murphs” are subpar or lazy. They are all totally fine, and if they’re ranked low it’s because they didn’t make audiences cry enough tears to create their own water planet.
Quick Note – The timestamps might not match up for everyone because they were pulled from my Vudu digital copy. Because of this I found most of the top ranked “Murphs” in YouTube clips.
ICYMI – This list starts with my favorite “Murph” mentions and works its way down.
- “Aw, Murph…” (40:04) – Between Murph’s head turn and McC’s reaction, this is a powerful “Murph” – YouTube Clip – 2:42
- “Make him stay, Murph” (02:25:41) – The reason I picked this “Murph” is because it’s an absolute gut punch. It’s drenched in desperation and he goes hard on the “mURph” part of her name. YouTube clip – 48 seconds
- Murph! (02:22:26) – The way Cooper screams “Murph” hits hard. There’s a lot of emotion in it. – YouTube clip – 2:34
- “Murph!” (02:22:05) – I like the way Cooper screams “MUUURRPPHH.” It’s easily the most elongated pronunciation of her name – YouTube Clip – 2:12
- “Don’t let me leave, Murph!” (02:25:51) – The resignation in Cooper’s voice makes this a classic “Murph. – YouTube Clip – 56 seconds
- “Don’t let me leave, Murph!” (02:25:45) – I’m pretty sure 98% of people who watched Interstellar were either thinking or yelling “Yeah! Don’t let him leave Murph.” ” Youtube clip – 51 seconds
- “Murph is a bright spark.” (54:26) – I love how Caine says “MURPH” – YouTube Clip – 45 seconds
- “Well, this is, uh, Murphy Cooper we’re talking about.” (02:36:43) – Hearing that she became a boss is cool. YouTube clip – 1:53
- Sorry Murph Go Back to Bed” – (01:56) – First “Murph” – Sets a nice tone.
- “He’s coming, Murph!” (02:31:18) – The way Topher Grace says “Murph” really works for me. Towards the end of the movie Topher is relegated to yelling “Murph” a lot. I like that he found a new way to say it. – YouTube clip – 7:01. Also, when he picks up the tire iron it makes him a first ballot Nolan Side Character Hall of Fame inductee
- “Don’t make me leave like this, Murph!” (40:19) – Heartbreaking – YouTube clip – 3:01
- “It was me, Murph” (02:40:35) – Reunion Murph! – Clip – 40 seconds in
- “Hey Murph” (01:21:47) – McC works magic here. It’s a nice whisper ‘Murph”
- “Murph” (38:54) – McC whispers “Murph.” It’s so quiet that closed-captioning doesn’t pick it up.
- “Well, I’m here now, Murph” (02:41:22) – Yes you are!
- “Murph” (01:31:35) – Michael Caine lets out a sad little “Murph.” – YouTube Clip – 11 seconds
- “Forgive me Murph” (01:32:22) – Another sad Murph while a little extra “MurPH” on it
- “Murphy” (40:11) – McC with tear-filled eyes saying “Murphy” quietly is wonderful
- “You have to talk to me, Murph” (37:27) – I like how tired McC sounds.
- “Murph, they chose me. You saw. You’re the one who led me to them” (38:38) – He lays some guilt on Murph for guiding him to NASA
- “Murph, don’t… Don’t make me leave like this.” (40:15) – Super sad. It’s getting ugly
- “Come on, Murph!” (40:17) – Solid voice quiver
- “Hello Murph” (54:05) – Caine goes heavy on the “Murfff” aspect of her name
- “It only has to work once…..Murph.” (1:23:50) – Caine lets a second go by before he says “Murph.” Neat choice.
- “Are you calling my life’s work…nonsense, Murph?” (01:24:43) – I like how Caine trails off while saying “Murph.”
- “Murph” (02:21:52) – A solid out-of-breathe “Murph”
- “Murph!” (02:22:15) – McC lets loose a pleading “Murph”
- “Murph! (02:22:26) – A solid “Murph” scream (it’s not quite there yet though)
- “Make him stay Murph” (02:25:30) – McC is getting the “Murph” pleading ramped up
- “Murph!” (02:22:05) – I love a desperate “Murph”
- “I asked Murph to say hi.” (55:48) – Soul crushing news from Lithgow
- “Murph!” 02:22:05) – Another desperate “Murph”
- “Murphy’s Law” (05:32) – Sarcastic Murph from Chalamet
- “Hey, Murph?” (23:52) – McC whispers to wake up Murph
- “But Murph got into a fistfight with several of her classmates over this.” (12:53) – Murph will throw down!
- “Murph” (38:58) – Quiet “Murph”
- “I lied Murph” (01:32:32) – Sad Caine
- “Murph!” (02:24:08) – Desperate McC “Murphs”
- “Murph!” (02:24:09) – We Don’t have time for this – 02:24:09
- “Come on Murph” (02:24:30) – The desperate “Murphs” blend in a bit.
- “Murph come on” (02:24:31) – You keep hoping that Murph will hear him.
- “And your kids know it. Especially Murph.” (16:37) – Lithgow know that Murph is a smart kid
- “Tell him, Murph. Make him stay” (02:25:24) – Make him stay!
- “Murphy stole Grandpa’s car” (01:19:33) – I like a full “Murphy”
- “Well, It’s not very scientific Murph” (03:57) – I appreciate how McC trails off while saying “Murph”
- “Good, Good, Murph” (01:31:50) – More sad Caine
- “It’s not Morse, Murph. It’s binary.” (21:40) – A solid “Murph” correction
- “Murphy’s Law doesn’t mean that something bad will happen.” (06:05) – Making Murph feel better.
- “Murphy’s Law?” (06:02) – The rare moment when Murphy says her own name
- “This thing needs to learn how to adapt Murph” (09:29) – Murph learns a lesson
- “Get your Butt, back in bed, Murph.” (02:15) – McC loves telling Murph what to do
- “Murph, get a move on.” (03:31) – First Lithgow “Murph!”
- “That’s right, Murph.” (38:17) – Sad McC “Murph””
- “Not at the table, Murph.” (03:37) – Murph is a rebel
- “All right, Murph, you want to talk science?” (04:12) – Solid McC trying to be a supportive dad
- “All right, Murph, give me a second” (05:15) – The “Murph” isn’t great but I like that McC says “All Right.”
- “Murph, it is quantifiable. it’s the key!” (02:30:33) – McC loves Murph
- “Murph, look at me.” (38:24) – McC spending the final moments with his kid
- “What I’ve been doing for Murph, they’re doing for me.” (02:33:46) – Eureka! McC figures things out
- “What’d you do, Murph?” (05:27) – Sassy Chalamet “Murph”
- “What’s going on Murph?” (05:56) – Solid wide shot “Murph”
- “Miss Hanley’s here to talk about Murph.” (11:33) – Decent David Oyelowo “Murph”
- “Murph is a great kid. She’s really bright.” (11:35) – I like the way Collette Wolfe says “Murf.”
- “I know what Morse code is, Murph.” (15:10) – Condescending McC “Murph.”
- “Tom? Murph? Check?” (18:27) – McC very rarely says both names at the same time
- “Murph, Tom, you guys shut your windows?” (19:24) – McC does the double again
- “Murph!” (19:30) – Murph leaves her window open….
- Grandpa will be back in a couple hours, Murph (22:04) – McC would never leave Murph behind
- “Murph, the fire’s out! Come on!” (02:28:10) – Topher really wants to go
- “Murph?” (22:22) – MCc tries to find Murph to say goodbye
- “Murph.”..(23:54) – McC whispers “Murph”
- “Murph is feeling a little tired. I was wondering if she could take a nap in my office.” (29:37) – Hathaway loves Murph.
- “Murph.” (36:05) – A very gentle “Murph” from McC
- “Tom will be alright, but you gotta make things right with Murph” (37:10) – Lithgow making sense
- That’s why I’m here. I’m gonna find a way to tell Murph…(02:30:26) – McC is hopeful!
- “I don’t think so Murph” (53:54) – Lithgow gives Murph some bad news
- “Murph was there at the funeral.” (01:20:40) – Affleck Murph
- “I’m an old man..Murph.” (01:24:59) – Caine lets out a dismissive “Murph”
- “Is that Murph?” (01:40:55) – Hathaway “Murph”
- “Murph?” (01:45:04) – Topher askes Murph a question
- “You tried your best, Murph.” (01:55:42) – Topher lets out a defeated “Murph”
- “Murph?” (02:19:45) – Topher waits for Murph
- “Murph, come on!” (02:19:46) – Topher attempting to get Murph’s attention
- “Murph, I can see his car!” (02:31:15) – Topher is getting worried
- “Murph have you eaten enough?” (01:29:41) – Off-screen Murph
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Bad Movie Tuesday: Hell Hole (2024), boasting bad CGI tentacles, cephalopod Muppet parasites, and a generally bad Serbian B-movie.
MY CALL: A bad movie that I’d skip in lieu of more enjoyably bad movies. These aren’t the Lovecraftian tentacles you’re looking for…
MORE MOVIES LIKE Hell Hole: Not much directly compares really. Perhaps the internal symbiont movie Bad Milo (2013), the horror-comedy story of a rectal demon. Another bonkers wacktastic Bad Movie Tuesday featuring parasites and odd side-effects is Growth (2010)—which is much more satisfying as a bad movie selection. If you want the serious version of this movie, I’d recommend The Superdeep (2020), followed by Oats Studio’s Zygote (2017) and Harbinger Down (2015).
Oil-drilling crew leader John (John Adams; Hellbender) is having a tough time getting his latest drilling project started at a remote site in the Serbian wilderness that has an interesting history. In 1814, French soldiers lost in this Serbian territory were exposed to a squiggly parasitic monster. Two hundred years later the fracking crew digs up the somehow surviving remains of a French soldier encased in a slimy, organic membrane. He is clearly infected with something, an occasional CGI worm emerges from his orifices, and he desperately wants to die.
These rubber tentacled monsters are more than a bit silly-looking—like demonic octopus Muppets. But their comically erratic movement earns them some forgiveness. We see a CGI tentacle-worm-thing emerge from the Frenchman’s derriere a la Dreamcatcher (2003) and enter a crewman’s mouth. This butt-worm occasionally lassos out to defend its host a la Zombie Ass: Toilet of the Dead (2011). Bad movie connoisseurs may rejoice. But this bad movie just didn’t deliver enough enjoyment for me.
Sofija (Olivera Perunicic; Subspecies V) is the endearingly geeky biologist assigned to the project. Her specialty is parasitology, and this knowledge is most appropriate for this flick… not that it helps. Apparently, cephalopod DNA is recovered from the Frenchman’s slimy membrane. In a panic, the parasite literally explodes out of a human host, leaving a pile of guts where the man once stood.
The movie boasts some chunky, fleshy gore. But these scenes are infrequent, quick, and heavily CGI-complemented. And while the tentacle stuff is fun, the CGI skittering monster is less enjoyable. So, overall, this movie’s flaws noticeably outweigh the endearing campy effects. Not surprisingly, the writing is more than a bit dry, and the acting is rigidly unnatural-not that I don’t appreciate the effort.
There’s a cameo (Anders Hove; Subspecies V) of a major Full Moon icon. But it’s joylessly squandered. Comparisons to Lovecraftian movies feel quite misleading in that this is simply an octopus monster that lives inside its host. So, in the words of a Jedi driven to madness by gazing into the void until something gazed back: “These aren’t the Lovecraftian tentacles you’re looking for.”
Directors John Adams and Toby Poser (Hellbender) have certainly made something serviceable here in the “bad movie” realm. But I’m not sure I want to give it any real compliments. Hell Hole lies on the verge of regrettable. I didn’t hate it. But there was little to like. Or, more accurately, there just wasn’t enough of the things worth liking.
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John’s Horror Corner: Wes Craven’s New Nightmare (1994), the stylish early metamovie that closed out a franchise with flare.
MY CALL: This was a unique, ahead-of-its-time way of closing out a franchise with style! Very entertaining and a pre-Scream (1996) early metamovie. Plus, it does great honor to the NOES franchise.
MOVIES LIKE Wes Craven’s New Nightmare: First off, you should first see the original A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984), and then A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge (1985), A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987), A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: Dream Master (1988) and A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child (1989). Although you might opt to skip Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare (1991)… up to you. But Freddy’s Dead doesn’t enrich the franchise at all. There’s also the controversially divisive A Nightmare on Elm Street(2010), which I enjoyed.
In the spirit of past NOES films and the new beginning implied in the title, we open with the forging of a new clawed glove, more monstrous than ever before. Only in this opening, it is the opening scene of Wes Craven’s (A Nightmare on Elm Street, The Hills Have Eyes I-II, Scream, Cursed, Deadly Friend, Deadly Blessing) movie within the movie. Actually, it’s Heather’s (Heather Langenkamp; A Nightmare on Elm Street 1 & 3) nightmare about the movie within the movie. How’s that for dream layers, Christopher Nolan?
Starring in Wes Craven’s 1984 classic in her youth has taken a toll on Heather. She suffers nightmares of her fictitious co-star and, so it seems, her young boy (Miko Hughes; Pet Sematary) shares a linked trauma. At the height of the franchise’s fame, Heather is receiving strange phone calls, she and her son feel touched by Freddy (Robert Englund; Dead & Buried, Killer Tongue, A Nightmare on Elm Street 1-6, Galaxy of Terror, Hatchet II, The Phantom of the Opera), and Wes Craven contacts her wanting to resurrect Freddy in a new movie.
In this metasequel, Freddy manifests into reality, takes Nancy’s husband, and then comes for her and her son. Meanwhile, Nancy’s visions and her son’s behavior become increasingly troubling as Wes works on his secret script. Wes’ dreams and ongoing script ideas alarmingly match Nancy’s recent trauma. And as an ancient evil manifests in the form of Freddy Krueger, it seeks Nancy as its gateway into reality.
Freddy gets a bit of a makeover in this movie, with more stylized burn makeup, a trench coat and new leather pants, and a glove of bone and sinew now a part of his body. The goofy special effects gags are limited to the very end, when Freddy’s head and jaw distort to try to eat the child whole, and he lassos his prehensile tongue around Heather’s head. All this transpiring in a very Doom-like Hellscape videogame lair. I guess the serious veneer had to wear thin at some point. In the grand scope of the franchise, the death scenes are “okay”, and not numerous. I guess though, that’s less the point of this movie. Its strengths lie elsewhere, and they are appreciable.
At the end of the day, this is much more than just another sequel. It ignores all of Freddy’s in-movie shenanigans of the past six movies and only acknowledges that the movies were made, and that this fed into the lore of an ancient evil which assumed the form of that character. This Freddy is not silly, jocular or slapstick, but just plain mean. He’s a different kind of evil than we’ve seen before… or at least, that we haven’t seen since the 1984 original.
Fans of the NOES franchise should truly enjoy finding Bob Shaye, Robert Englund, John Saxon and Wes Craven playing versions themselves. In fact, I’d recommend seeing The Movies That Made Us episode on A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) before watching this to maximize one’s connection to the filmmakers. Not that this movie isn’t a classic on its own. This is just the send-off this franchise needed.
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