The Movies, Films and Flix Podcast – Episode 575: Unlawful Entry, Classy Thrillers and Yuppie Kurt Russell
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 discuss the 1992 thriller Unlawful Entry. Directed by Jonathan Kaplan, and starring Kurt Russell, Ray Liotta, and Madeleine Stowe, the movie focuses on what happens after “a burglar holds a knife to Karen’s throat while her husband does nothing (the IMDb synopsis is insane).” In this episode, they also talk about class thrillers, Kurt Russell, and the excellence of Ray Liotta. 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.
Share this post:
John’s Horror Corner: Amityville 1992: It’s About Time (1992), this 6th Amityville Horror movie is… a watchable bad movie.
MY CALL: Yet another not-really sequel to chum the bad movie waters. But this was definitely not unwatchable at all. I enjoyed it for its badness. I just wish there was more in the way of passable horror effects. MORE MOVIES LIKE Amityville 1992: 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. Definitely skip The Amityville Curse (1990), the worst of the first five Amityville movies. 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).
I’m pretending that The Amityville Curse (1990) didn’t happen. So, 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, we have another cursed antique from the Amityville house. So, I’ve gotta’ ask, was this clock from the same yard sale as that lamp from Amityville Horror: The Evil Escapes (1989)!?!
Returning home from a business trip, Jacob (Stephen Macht; Graveyard Shift, Trancers 3-5) brings an antique clock to accent his living room. In case the title of the movie didn’t give it away, the movie makes sure we know it was from the original Amityville house just before it was torn down. The clearly bewitched clock literally drills itself into place, as if to anchor into its new haunt. But the first thing the clock seems to affect is the neighborhood dog, which ends up hospitalizing Jacob after a violently bloody attack.
Conveniently, Jacob’s on-and-off-again ex-girlfriend Andrea (Shawn Weatherly; Shadow Zone, Love in the Time of Monsters) was around, and now she’ll be reluctantly taking care of him during his painful recovery. Jacob pressures her to get back together, his kids Lisa (Megan Ward; Crash and Burn, Trancers 2-3, Arcade) and Rusty (Damon Martin; Ghoulies II) reconnect with Andrea, and we begin to see more influence of the clock’s presence, which seems to distort space and time, but not in any interesting way.
The special effects are, well, not great. There’s a door-slam and we see the wire pulling the door clear in the shot. There’s some mucky thing under some bedsheets that I cannot explain and it doesn’t even lead to anything, a muck-bleeding mirror that I cannot explain and it doesn’t even lead to anything, a weird hallucination (by Andrea’s current boyfriend) that I cannot explain and it doesn’t even lead to anything, and Lisa becomes possessed and apparently filled with incestuous lust… it’s all dumb and empty. Meanwhile, Jacob (a corporate architect) begins to obsess over his housing development project, scribbling sketches of the original Amityville house and behaving erratically.
The one effect that got me to want to watch this (from screen grabs shared on social media) shows a teen boy essentially melting into a goopy puddle on the floor. It’s pretty gross and rather entertaining. If only more scenes could have been so worthy. That was exactly the kind of gross horror scene I’d expect from director Tony Randel (Children of the Night, Hellbound: Hellraiser II, Ticks). But I guess the budget only allowed for so much.
This movie is really bad. But I didn’t mind watching it. Truly, the odd relationship dynamic between Jacob and his kids with his ex Andrea, and then with Andrea’s current boyfriend (Jonathan Penner; The Bye Bye Man, Jason Goes to Hell) and Jacob and his kids, and then the psychic lady (Nita Talbot; Puppet Master II) down the street was all just entertaining enough for me not to regret this movie.
I’m not sure what the clock wants. What is its motivation? Jacob says it’s all about power, and not Hell. No clue what that means. But Jacob slipped into homicidal madness with his gnarly evil-infected bite wound.
The ending is dumb, but not completely unsatisfying. I’m not recommending this. But I also won’t warn you away from this if you’re looking for an entertaining bad movie night.
Share this post:
Movies, Films and Flix Podcast – Episode 574 – Lisa Frankenstein, Diablo Cody, and The Cure
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 2024 horror comedy Lisa Frankenstein. Directed by Zelda Williams, and starring Kathryn Newton, Cole Sprouse, Liza Soberano, and a deadly tanning bed, the movie focuses on what happens when a gentlemanly zombie and a teenager cause some chaos. In this episode, they also talk about Diablo Cody’s screenplay, Carla Gugino, and the excellence of Liza Soberano. 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.
Share this post:
John’s Horror Corner: Pearl: An X-traordinary Origin Story (2022), the prequel story to X (2022).
MY CALL: This film is a fine character study, and Mia Goth gives the performance of her life (so far). Still, this film titillates far less than its predecessor. I admire what was done here, but I don’t really see myself returning for subsequent viewings. MORE MOVIES LIKE Pearl: Well, hopefully you’ve already seen X (2022), which occurs in 1979 long after the events of Pearl. And then move on to Maxxxine (2024).
Mia Goth (X, Infinity Pool, Suspiria, A Cure for Wellness) portrayed both Pearl and Maxine in X (2022), a very pleasant surprise for movie fans. Swiftly becoming quite the horror icon, Mia Goth reprises her elderly role with the youthful prequel story of Pearl, now also as a co-writer. Director and writer Ti West (X, The Innkeepers, House of the Devil, The Sacrament) has clearly found his muse and favorite colleague in Goth, as this would be the second of his X trilogy starring Goth (with Maxxxine to follow).
Such a strong start! Down to the classic scoring and on-screen font of the opening credits, this film begins with purity, innocence, and the wholesome feels of a 30s to 40s-era family film. Even when the cinematic rug is briefly yanked from beneath young Pearl’s feet by her draconian German mother (Tandi Wright; Alibi), the bright technicolor and timely music persists as she practically wishes upon a star to escape her family farm and find fame. A perfect, stable ziggurat-staircase of haystack allows her to strut to the top as if in a Broadway musical, and the timely arrival and bloody fate of a goose harbingers the change in tone to come.
Safe at home in 1918 while her husband (Alistair Sewell; Bad Behaviour) is away at war, Pearl helps tend to the farm chores, caring for her invalid father, and dreaming of motion pictures. She swoons scarecrows with musical numbers, fantasizes physical affections, and enjoys a curiosity in the macabre. As Pearl yearns for fame and love, she seems to be living an adult fairy tale with a wicked, disapproving mother.
In her rebellious journey, she frees herself of her abusive mother. As Pearl finds a lustful love (David Corenswet), we come to find her true madness within. She is sociopathic, generally disturbed, obsessive, and overwhelmed with a sense of inadequacy.
The violence includes a healthy dose of bloody farm-implement stabbery and some horrible moist burn wounds. While a few scenes are quite brutally graphic, this is overall less horror-ish in tone than X (2022), with a more limited sense of dread. Instead this film focuses on the exploration of Pearl, the character who we meet in her venerable years in X (2022).
I’ll hand it to Mia Goth, she does crazy fantastically. Manic, hysterical, sociopathic, lovelorn… she nails them all. This was an impressive film experience. But I’m not sure I’d recommend it, whereas I strongly recommend X (2022).
Share this post:
The Movies, Films and Flix Podcast – Episode 573: Skinamarink, Jerky Demons, and Experimental 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 Lisa discuss the 2022 experimental supernatural horror film Skinamarink. Directed by Kyle Edward Ball and starring two kids, a jerky demon and a toy phone, the movie focuses on what happens when a jerky demon decides to play a horrible game with two kids. In this episode, they also talk about experimental horror, disappearing toilets, and 2022 horror films. 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.
Share this post:
MY CALL: If you’ve never seen or heard of this movie, make this a priority. This is a goulash of 80s Sci-Fi action influence and a pinata of crazy enjoyment mixing slick drug dealers, alien drug dealers, and cop flick one-liners. MORE MOVIES LIKE Dark Angel: For another cop vs alien movie in which the cop doesn’t know he’s hunting an alien, try Split Second (1992). Maybe also consider Screamers (1995).
Director Craig R. Baxley (The A-Team, Action Jackson) seems to be responding to Die Hard (1988) with his own Christmas action movie as a businessman crashes his car into a Christmas tree lot in the city. Meanwhile, a bunch of criminals sporting welding torches spelunk elevator shafts and air vents just like Bruce Willis and those Germans did a few years prior. Only instead of the giant blonde Viking Karl Vreski we have the alien Talec (Matthias Hues; No Retreat No Surrender 2, Kickboxer 2), and instead of Bearer Bonds we’re heisting stacks of cocaine from the police evidence room with Christmas music playing in the lobby. Even the movie poster smacks of Die Hard (1988) more than just a bit. And did I mention Al Leong (Die Hard, Big Trouble in Little China) is in this, too?
Detective Caine (Dolph Lundgren; Red Scorpion, Rocky IV, Skin Trade, Universal Soldier) gets caught between two crimes happening at once: an armed robbery and an undercover drug sting. While Caine handles the gunmen in the robbery, his undercover partner is murdered by a team of no-nonsense cop-killing criminals in slick suits. But before Caine can respond, a giant white-eyed alien launching a Batman Returns (1992) meets Krull (1983)-bladed frisbee-battarang thing slits the throats of many drug dealers and… takes all the heroine for himself? Caine’s ex happens to be the coroner Diane (Betsy Brantley; The Princess Bride, Deep Impact, Double Jeopardy), and she is baffled by the wounds at the crime scene. I also suspect they deliberately cast someone who looks like Linda Hamilton from The Terminator (1984) down to the hairstyle. After all, it seems like every major Sci-Fi action movie that ever was or will be is echoed in at least some small part in this glorious mash-up.
Forced to team up with the FBI, Caine and special agent Smith (Brian Benben; Dream On) begrudgingly work together to apprehend who they reasonably presume to be more criminals while Talec forcibly overdoses victims on heroin and then sucks out their dopamine-rich brain juice with an effect much like the brain bug in Starship Troopers (1997) using his weaponized bracer like in Predator (1987). And speaking of Predator, Talec’s size, roaring (at minute 73), and tossing around of an otherwise large-muscled Germano-slavic hero also feels distinctly modeled. It’s easy to see what movies influenced this. But did this influence the remote battarang in Batman Returns (1992), or the brain bug’s rostral brain juice straw???
But wait, there’s more. Another giant alien (Jay Bilas), this one balding but with dark long hair and matching white eyes, arrives in a manner reminiscent of the Terminator movies, disintegrating matter in its path of arrival. The brunette alien is here to hunt down the blonde, and seems to be willing to apprehend him at any destructive cost necessary. The whole bad alien hunted by the good alien feels like the Critters (1986) dynamic between the Crites and the Bounty Hunters, or like in The Hidden (1987).
Diane, Caine and Smith are coming to learn that their perp has access to dangerous technology, kills people with heroin, shoots explosive bullets with horrible aim, is even bigger and stronger than Dolph Lundgren, bleeds cottage cheese (maybe an Alien(s) android or Predator nod), and is being chased by the brunette giant alien. Meanwhile, Caine is also being hunted by the criminal syndicate that thinks he stole their heroin! THIS. IS. WILD.
Truly, this is such a super fun movie, and it holds up shockingly well among 80s action movies. The fighting, violence, explosions and effects are all up to snuff. Despite the typical eye-rolling tropes, this is decently written, acted, produced and directed. I love this movie. It may be second tier to the likes of The Terminator (1984), Predator (1987) and Total Recall (1990), but it still deserves a lot of love.
Share this post:
When it comes to ranking shark films the clear #1 is Jaws. It’s not even close because the movie is an all-timer that features some of the most iconic movie moments of all time and is one of the few horror films to be nominated for Best Picture. Any “Best Shark Movie” list only gets interesting when it comes to picking the second best shark movie as Deep Blue Sea, The Shallows, Under Paris, Jaws 2, The Reef, Open Water, and The Meg all have sound arguments to be in the #2 spot.
Since Jaws makes it almost impossible to make an interesting “Best Shark Movie” list. I decided to analyze 15 theatrically released shark films (and Under Paris because it’s awesome) to see which shark movie features the most shark carnage and screen time. Basically, I wanted to know which shark movie is the MOST shark movie.
Quick Note – If you’ve followed my data posts since 2017 you’ll know that I love Deep Blue Sea and have written many articles about it. I also started Deep Blue Sea – The Podcast in 2020 and I think you should listen to it wherever you listen to podcasts. That being said, I had no idea which movie would be the “Most Shark Movie” and would’ve been totally fine if DBS lost to Jaws 2, The Shallows or The Meg because I love them all.
Here are the five things I examined:
- Amount of shark screen time – The shark has to be alive (the dead Megalodon in The Meg doesn’t count) and I counted the time of the entire scene in which the shark is featured. There are moments when the camera cuts to a reaction shot of a human and then back to the shark. I counted it all.
- How long until we see the entire shark. In Deep Blue Sea, the ~first full sighting of a shark~ occurs at 3 minutes and 28 seconds. It’s quick! Renny doesn’t mess around.
- First Attack – ~The first attack in~ ~Jaws~ ~happens at the 4:05 mark~
- Longest time gaps between shark sightings – In Jaws 2, there’s a 45-minute gap between the first full shark sighting and its next appearance.
- How many 10-minute gaps are there between shark sightings?
*Quick Note – I considered a “Most Kills” category but I didn’t want to penalize movies like Open Water and The Reef for having relatively low body counts because they aren’t that kind of shark movie.
I created a ranking system to see which theatrically released shark movie is the MOST shark movie. The movie with the lowest amount of points wins because it typically ranked #1-3 in every category.
I chose to leave movies like Ghost Shark, Sharknado, Tintorera, Black Demon, and Shark Bait (which I’ve all watched) because it opens a vast world of shark movies that differ in quality.
Fun quotes
- “My whole approach to this movie was no more hiding sharks. This time you’re going to really see them.” Renny Harlin – ~DBS extras~ (fun BTS doc about how they made the sharks).
- In the wet labs, there’s an incredible long scene where the shark is basically there in broad daylight for many mand pages of dialogue – Walt Conti (~same DBS shark BTS doc~)
- “Yes! It does look like a Mako Shark! Congratulations! And even got the teeth right. Good job people!” – Marine Biologist ~Melissa Cristina Márquez during a Marine Biologist Breaks Down Shark Scenes From Movie GQ video~
The overall winner is Deep Blue Sea because the sharks have almost 27 minutes of screen time and play a major role throughout. Movies like Open Water (divers are left behind while scuba diving and have to deal with sharks), The Reef (A boat sinks and characters have to deal with sharks) and 47 Meters Down (a shark cage sinks and the characters have to deal with sharks) introduce sharks as hurdles to deal with. In Deep Blue Sea, the sharks are front and center as they drive the plot and use a gurney (with Stellan Skarsgård attached to it) to flood a large chunk of the Aquatica facility.
Director Renny Harlin has always been open about how it pays homage to the Jaws (license plate, similar shark kills) and Jurassic Park (genetic modification, Samuel L. Jackson is eaten, separated arms, clever animals, big rainstorms, kitchen fights) franchises, and he made sure to follow their footsteps by creating a wonderful summer blockbuster that pulled in $165 million during the loaded 1999 summer. It’s the type of film that makes it impossible to say something like “It needed more shark action” or “The trailers were misleading. I thought there would be more sharks.” For better or worse, Harlin loaded the film with sharks and I love him for it. I’m happy that this data backs up what Brian Raftery wrote about for Wired in 2017 (~Forget Jaws. The Real Shark Movie to Beat Is Deep Blue Sea~)
Here’s a quick timeline of DBS to prove how much shark action there is (Timestamps were pulled from my digital copy)
- 00:02:38 – Gen-1 shark attacks a boat
- 00:03:28 – We see the entire Gen-1 shark
- 00:07:15 – Tiger Shark is lowered into a holding area
- 00:09:10 – Carter Blake takes a license plate out of its mouth
- 00:11:10 – silhouette of the giant Gen-2 shark
- 00:13:18 – Sharks are seen swimming around
- 00:18:00 – The tiger shark is eaten
- 00:19:28 – During the surprise party and the following conversations the sharks are swimming around in their cages
- 00:25:88 – 00:34:28 – Lots of shark action
- 40:45 – Gen-2 shark uses Jim’s gurney to destroy wet lab
- 47:00 – Gen-1 shark enters the Aquatica
- 51:30 – Gen-1 shark chases Preacher and a shark fight ensues
- 57:00 – Preacher blows up a Gen 1 shark
- 01:00:10 – Samuel L. Jackson is eaten by the gen 2 shark
- 01:06:46 – Gen-2 shark kills janice
- 01:13:45 – Random shot of a shark fin
- 01:17:00 – Gen-2 eats Scoggins
- 01:21:00 – Dr. Susan battles and kills a Gen 1 shark
- 01:27:00 – The Gen-2 bites Preacher and gets stabbed in the eye with a crucifix
- 01:33:30 – Gen-2 eats Susan
- 01:35:50 – Gen-2 shark blows up
It’s worth noting that the shark films ranked 11-15 have a higher Tomatometer, IMDb, and Letterboxd averages than the films ranked 1-5. So, being the MOST shark films isn’t always ideal.
11-15 ranked movies – Shark Night, Open Water, The Reef, 47 Meters Down, Jaws
- Tomatometer Average – 63.8
- IMDb Average – 5.88
- Letterboxd Average – 2.92
1-5 ranked movies – Deep Blue Sea, Meg 2: The Trench, The Meg, Bait 3D. 47 Meters Down: Uncaged
- Tomatometer Average – 44.4
- IMDb Average – 5.36
- Letterboxd Average – 2.34
Here are three highest ranked film in each category.
Conclusion – Jaws is the best shark movie and Deep Blue Sea is the MOST shark movie.
Share this post:
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.
Share this post:
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.
Share this post:
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.
Movies, Films & Flix 