MY CALL: Another not-really sequel to chum the bad movie waters. This was not good, even subpar on entertainment value for bad movie connoisseurs. I’d skip it. MORE MOVIES LIKE The Amityville Curse: Uhhhhhh, when it comes to Amityville sequels, I’d stick to Amityville II: The Possession (1982) and otherwise tread carefully into the depths of the extended franchise. Part II has all the dumb fun you’re looking for with great pacing, but Amityville 3-D (1983) and Amityville Horror: The Evil Escapes (1989) are both boring slogs. Amityville Dollhouse (1996) is a solidly fun bad movie, but it truly has nothing to do with Amityville (it is neither sequel nor spin-off, it just has a similar theme and uses “Amityville” in the title for literally no good reason).
There’s a REMAKE?!? Yes. The Amityville Curse (2023) is a Tubi original remake of this 1990 non-sequel! I guess it couldn’t be worse than the original.
After the slaughter of now two different families, a botched paranormal investigation and exorcism, and a cursed yard sale lamp (from the house) shipped to California to raise Hell in another time zone, we now shift to more of a generalized haunted house paradigm as a group of people spend the night in the abandoned and infamous haunted house of Amityville.
Marvin (David Stein) and Debbie (Dawna Wightman) buy the fixer-upper Amityville house and invite their friends and co-investors Abby (Cassandra Gava), Bill (Anthony Dean Rubes) and Frank (Kim Coates; Fantasy Island, Resident Evil: Afterlife, Skinwalkers, Innocent Blood) to help renovate. The house is still fully furnished from its previous unlucky occupants, and our new owners have no idea what happened to them. I feel like their realtor wasn’t fully honest on the details.
Some strange (and unfortunately boring) things start happening during their renovations, including some lame broken mirrors. Nightmares, a bad fall down some stairs, and some eye-rolling tarantula shenanigans follow. PS: tarantulas don’t live in New York outside of pet owners’ terrariums. These effects are quite forgettable, technically awful, and the movie would be better off without them.
Most components of this movie are actually just fine from a filmmaking perspective. The acting, writing, general production value, etc., are more than up to snuff with horror movies of its time. However, the “horror” in this movie is piss poor. It’s like the budget couldn’t spare a single dollar for horror effects, and the director wasn’t even trying when it came to creepy atmosphere. One weird flaw of the film is how Kim Coates is always smoking. And I mean to such extent that it specifically feels awkward.
The effects eventually elevate to a level I’ll designate as “acceptable.” Maggots in a groaty wound, an acid-burned hand with the skin sloughed off, an acid-burned face, a frisbeed buzzsaw blade to the leg… these are the highlights. But they are not long-lasting pleasures. Moreover, as the movie progresses it plays out more like a bad slasher movie than a supernatural haunted house movie… and not in a way that I appreciated. Although, I guess it’s nice that they tried to change things up a bit for this leprosy-rotting franchise that just won’t die. Either that, or they took a haunted house script and slapped “Amityville” on the title with a quick and dirty re-write.
So, yeah, the plot feels rather incongruous. But that is a theme among the Amityville sequels. The cause of everything in the first movie was the angry Native American spirits (angry not evil) whose graves were desecrated by the building of the Amityville house. But the first sequel decided it was instead some Biblical demon of sorts (for no reason at all), the second sequel decided a Gateway to Hell was under the house, and in the third sequel we had a garage sale feisty lamp demon on our hands. Truly, with the Native American burial ground angle, Poltergeist (1982) was as much as sequel to the original as Amityville II: The Possession (1982).
To call this movie terrible is an understatement. I didn’t even enjoy this as a bad movie. It just wasn’t bad in fun ways (at least, not enough); mostly just bad in bad ways.
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Deadpool & Wolverine (2024) – Review
Quick thoughts – Grade – B – For better or worse, Deadpool & Wolverine is a lot. It’s not as subversive as it thinks (the budget is reportedly $275 million – it can’t be too insane), but it will make a lot of money and be a nice distraction while the MCU sorts itself out.
With a total worldwide haul of $1.56 billion it was only a matter of time until Disney got around to making another Deadpool film after they bought 21st Century Fox in 2019. In hindsight, Disney is lucky that they delayed a sequel because after a rough few years they now have a giant hit on their hands that will give the Marvel Cinematic Universe much needed momentum. Deadpool & Wolverine won’t save the MCU, but it gives the world a reset and opens up new possibilities for a universe loaded with multiverses, planet killing aliens, and a dead celestial wedged into the earth.
Deadpool & Wolverine focuses on Wade “Deadpool” Wilson (Ryan Reynolds) trying to save Earth-10005 (the home of the X-Men world) after learning from a Time Variance Authority agent named Mr. Paradox (Matthew Macfadyen) that it will be destroyed. The catalyst of the planned destruction was the death of Wolverine (in 2017’s Logan), who unknowingly was Earth-10005’s “Anchor Being.” Instead of waiting for the deteriorating planet to die naturally, Mr. Paradox plans on destroying the world in 72 hours so it can be put out of its misery. This forces Deadpool to scour the multiverse for a replacement Wolverine who can save Earth-10005. After a series of mishaps, they are forced to battle a wildly overpowered villain (who loves Enya) named Cassandra Nova (a fun Emma Corrin – who understood the assignment) who stands between them and saving Earth-10005. It’s a bunch of nonsense that gives Ryan Reynolds an excuse to unleash hundreds of profane jokes that will delight millions of Deadpool fans. Spoiling anything else wouldn’t be cool, so just know that the rest of the film features epic fights (that slow the movie down but provide welcome fan service), surprise cameos, mentions of The Proposal, and Hugh Jackman breaking the all-time angry-grunt record.
Between Real Steel, Free Guy, and The Adam Project, director Shawn Levy has worked with Reynolds and Jackman before and is used to directing successful big-budget films. His 12 movies have pulled in $2.7 billion worldwide, so it’s nice knowing that the $275 million budget was in safe hands with a director who doesn’t get lost on giant sets. Levy also realizes that the Deadpool world is safe in Ryan Reynolds hands, and his work as a director is to make sure that Reynolds is free to make as many jokes about nipple rings, butt slaps, and handsy tailors as possible. The return of Hugh Jackman is a bit of a bummer because it cheapens Logan (2017) a bit. However, with the introduction of the multiverse and influx of mutants being brought into the MCU, it’s a no-brainer that Jackman got jacked once again to play the grumpy mutant. Together, Jackman and Reynolds work well together and it’s nice that this might be Jackman’s first X-Men film to clear a billion dollars at the worldwide box office. He’s been part of the superhero cinematic world for 24 years so a victory lap is earned.
Like the other two Deadpool films, Deadpool & Wolverine will make a lot of money and that’s because Ryan Reynolds loves the Deadpool character. He also knows what Deadpool fans want (poop jokes, violence, drugs, blood, insensitive humor, quips, butt-shots), and he doesn’t hold back. That being said, know that this is a $275 million budgeted Disney film by the guy who directed the Night at the Museum movies. It’s not as edgy or bombastic as some critics are saying, but it’s nice seeing Kevin Feige and his crew letting Ryan Reynolds shake up the MCU a bit. It’s a good sign for things to come.
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The Movies, Films and Flix Podcast – Episode 572: Mission: Impossible III, MacGuffins, and Philip Seymour Hoffman
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 Tom discuss the 2006 action film Mission: Impossible III. Directed by J.J. Abrams and starring Tom Cruise, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Maggie Q and a mysterious Macguffin, the movie focuses on what happens when a super spy learns that it’s impossible to live a normal life. In this episode, they also talk about Italian accents, bridge battles, and the excellence of Philip Seymour Hoffman.
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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Twisters (2024) – Review
Quick thoughts – Grade – B- – Director Lee Isaac Chung’s Twisters provides plenty of action and spectacle, but it isn’t propulsive enough to be a memorable summer blockbuster.
Aside from the incredible VFX and sound design, Twister (1996) worked because of the simplicity of the meat-and-potatoes plot that put its characters directly in front of the finger of God (AKA giant tornadoes). All of the characters knew each other, and the introduction of Dr. Melissa Reeves (Jami Gertz) works because she was new to the tornado chasing world which allowed characters to dump expository dialogue on her while they drove towards impending danger. The familiarity of the characters, coupled with a slimy villain played by Cary Elwes, created a simple narrative that still feels refreshingly propulsive. With Twisters (2024), there are too many elements, characters, or issues that need to be dealt with or overcome. I’d happily watch Glen Powell, Daisy Edgar-Jones, Katy M. O’Brian, Sasha Lane, Anthony Ramos, Brand Perea, and Tunde Adebimpe battle tornadoes, but all the additional elements slow everything down.
Twisters focuses on an ambitious tornado chaser named Kate Cooper (Daisy Edgar-Jones) who gets coerced back into tornado chasing after a five-year hiatus caused by a tragic incident that saw her tornado chasing team get blown away by a gigantic twister. She’s called back into action by Javi (Anthony Ramos), the other survivor of the incident who now owns a company with some expensive tornado tracking technology that could save many lives. Once in Oklahoma, she meets Javi’s well-funded crew (they all have matching polos – which isn’t a good thing in this world), and a rival tornado chasing crew led by Tyler Owens (Glen Powell), a truck driving maniac who loves driving into the middle of tornadoes so he can set off fireworks in their cone. Together, they navigate a rough tornado season that leads to a burgeoning romance and a gigantic tornado that hates movie theaters. On the surface this all sounds great, but toss in corporate greed, family issues, farmhouse flirting, t-shirt jokes, a friendly journalist, and an entire subplot about people from Arkansas not being dummies (it turns out that Tyler and his crew are great people), and you have a little too much plot.
Originally planned to film in Atlanta, Isaac Chung (watch Minari now) convinced the studio to film in Oklahoma and it was a smart idea (it did force him to have a smaller budget and less shooting days though). The wide open landscapes provide a welcome dose of on-location work that works well with the VFX tornadoes that pummel everything in their way. There are some fun set pieces that involve Owens’ tornado-rigged Dodge Ram that can screw itself into the ground to prevent it from being tossed into the air, and the movie hits on all cylinders whenever Glen Powell is on screen. Whenever Owen and his team (and his Dodge Ram) are visible the movie feels alive and it makes me wish that writer Mark L. Smith leaned into the sillier aspects of maniacs who chase tornadoes into open fields so they can unleash fireworks inside them. It’s an interesting idea to focus on tornado-related trauma, but it slows down the summer blockbuster and makes it less enjoyable than its predecessor.
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The Movies, Films and Flix Podcast – Episode 571 – Any Given Sunday, Oliver Stone, and 1999 Movies
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 Norbert discuss the 1999 sports drama Any Given Sunday. Directed by Oliver Stone, and starring Al Pacino, Jamie Foxx, and LL Cool J, and several excellent speeches, the movie is what happens when Oliver Stone directs a football movie. In this episode, they also talk about football parties, movie soundtracks and 1999 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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The Movies, Films and Flix Podcast – Bonus Episode – The Kitchen Fight Michelin Star Guide – The Raid 2
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Mark and Nick discuss whether or not the kitchen fight from The Raid 2 is Michelin Star worthy. This is the beginning of a fun new series that will include the kitchen fights from Sudden Death, Gremlins, Deep Blue Sea, Monkey Man, Under Siege and many more! 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!
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John’s Horror Corner: Thanksgiving (2023), a solidly entertaining holiday horror with great death scenes.
MY CALL: This was good. Pretty good, in fact. I really enjoyed it, it’s very well made, and the death scenes were wonderful and mean and graphic. The only problem is that there is nothing special about this movie. So I’d keep this at a “popcorn horror” recommendation.
We find ourselves in the quaint town of Plymouth, Massachusetts, where the historical figure John Carver is honored for his involvement in Thanksgiving. Director Eli Roth (Cabin Fever, Hostel I-II, Green Inferno) ushers in the holiday season with heaps of New England accents for anyone who hasn’t had enough since Good Will Hunting (1997). The locals are shifting gears from Thanksgiving to preparations for Christmas and tension is rising leading up to the store opening at RightMart for the sale-hungry soccer barbarians to pillage!
Not since Black Friday (2021) have I seen such a brutal Black Friday montage. This is a spectacle! People are literally trampled to death, limbs are stomped and broken, and hair clumps (of Gina Gershon; Voodoo Dawn) caught in shopping cart wheels are yanked out leaving a bloody flopping scalp behind. This scene just made the movie for me!
One year after the RightMart massacre, someone is out for revenge. The teenagers who posted Youtube videos of the catastrophe are being tagged in strange social media posts from a mystery account (TheJohnCarver), there are curious sightings of a man in a John Carver mask, and the strange unannounced return of a young man whose career was ruined by his injury from the event is arousing suspicion. The killer could be anyone. So our local sheriff (Patrick Dempsey; Scream 3) has his hands full while the RightMart owner (Rick Hoffman; Hostel) is handling PR damage control.
Our social media-savvy co-eds are killed one by one, with the survivors tagged in posts with images of the brutally murdered remains as the killer works through his “naughty list” of Black Friday offenders.
The gore and death scenes are more than worthy of our time. After having her face dunked in a water bath, a victim’s face is pressed on the icy door of a walk-in freezer, from which she tears her skin freeing herself only to have her body gorily severed in half at the waste by a dumpster! There’s also a delightfully juicy decapitation, a looney 180-degree neck break, a cleverly stabby trampoline death, a gutty buzzsaw death, an amazing impalement through the face, and an extra messy head smashing. Yeah, this movie is fun.
While movie is pretty basic in concept, it’s also really well-made and features delightful death scenes. The finale is so incredibly hokey, but campily enjoyable so I just don’t care. The great death scenes make it worthwhile. And while there’s nothing particularly special about this movie, it remains well worth a watch, especially approaching the holidays.
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The Movies, Films and Flix Podcast – Episode 570: Fear, Chocolate Cake, and Reese Witherspoon
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Mark and Zanandi (@ZaNandi on X) discuss the 1996 thriller Fear. Directed by James Foley, and starring Reese Witherspoon, Mark Wahlberg, William Petersen and a fancy house, the movie focuses on what happens when a yuppie family is stalked by a maniac. In this episode, they also talk about Wahlburgers, comical demises, and cheap chocolate cake. 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!
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MaXXXine (2024) – Review
Quick Thoughts – Grade – B – MaXXXine ditches the rural Texas settings and immerses itself in the grime and glitz of 1985 Los Angeles. The new location is welcome and there’s enjoyment to be had watching Maxine battle old demons and beat up Kevin Bacon.
One of the most pleasant surprises of recent years is the release of Ti West’s X trilogy made up of X, Pearl and MaXXXine. Taking place in 1979, 1918, and 1985, the Mia Goth (who also co-wrote Pearl) starring films have offered up some truly delightful gore, laughs and alligator action. X and Pearl were pleasant surprises that built up massive expectations for MaXXXine, which doesn’t have the luxury of being a surprise film (Pearl) or an under-the-radar A24 movie filmed in New Zealand during the pandemic. While the reviews so far have been mixed, I’ve found myself appreciating the movie more since my screening several days ago because of the evolution of Maxine Minx.
Maxine is now living in Los Angeles and has become a famous adult film star who dreams of breaking into Hollywood. The film opens with her nailing an audition for a prestige horror movie sequel directed by Elizabether Bender (Elizabeth Debicki), and then she’s followed around as she drives her 1985 Mercedes-Benz 380SL convertible around town to her various jobs at peep shows and adult film shoots. This isn’t the young and naive Maxine you remember from X. In MaXXXine, she’s become a badass 33-year old who when cornered by a creepy actor dressed as Buster Keaton, pulls out a gun and makes sure the buster will always remember her (and have to go to the hospital). Maxine is still haunted from the events in 1979, and they come back to haunt her during rehearsals, set visits, and pretty much every waking minute of her life. Her antics on the Texas farm really come back to terrorize her when a VHS tape of the movie she filmed on the farm is delivered to her apartment. What follows is a cat-and-mouse game between Maxine, a private detective named John Labat (Kevin Bacon), and a serial killer who kills Maxine’s associates in ways similar to the infamous Night Stalker who stalked Los Angeles between 1984 and 1985. Spoiling more of the plot wouldn’t be cool, just know that Giancarlo Esposito (who might be the MVP of the movie), Michelle Monaghan and Bobby Cannavale also pop up and make the most of their roles.
Filmed in a quick seven weeks in Los Angeles, Ti West decided to give the film a bigger scope so that the films didn’t repeat themselves. The bigger scope means less of a laser focus on characters, but I’m happy that this isn’t another Texas Chainsaw Massacre homage. X is about an indie film crew shooting a porno on a secluded farm, and Pearl is about the debilitating mental state of a woman who lives on a secluded farm. MaXXXine is about a woman who has entrenched herself in the Los Angeles film industry, so the film naturally has more scope as Maxine finds herself in movie studios, large mansions, and dingy apartments. Also, Maxine was hunted in X, and Pearl went insane in Pearl, so it’s nice watching Maxine become the hunter when her past comes back to haunt her. At first I wasn’t a fan of the expanded world, but I’ve grown to appreciate the film more because it allows Maxine to own the situation and finally become famous.
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The Movies, Films and Flix Podcast – Episode 569: Twister, Extreme Weather and Philip Seymour Hoffman
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 Jay discuss the 1996 disaster film Twister. Directed by Jan dBont, and starring Helen Hunt, Bill Paxton and an unlucky cow, the movie focuses on what happens when a group of storm chasers enter the suck zone. In this episode, they also talk about catapults, sound mixing and the excellence of Philip Seymour Hoffman. 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.
Movies, Films & Flix 