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 Twitter) discuss all things Nicolas Cage and break down how far Cage traveled while dressed as a bear in The Wicker Man remake. In this episode, they also talk about their love for Willy’s Wonderland, and share their five favorite Cage performances. 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.

Ambulance (2022) Review: Bayhem at its Finest

Quick Thoughts – Grade – B+ – The Michael Bay directed Ambulance is an absolute blast. If you’re looking for a fun action thriller that stretches its $40 million budget, go watch this remake on the biggest screen possible.
I recently rewatched all 14 Michael Bay movies and counted every explosion featured in them for a Rotten Tomatoes data editorial. I had a blast rewatching every film and it reminded me of why Michael Bay has been a household name for over 27 years. His films are hyper-kinetic, loaded with action, and feature so many camera angles you almost feel bad for the camera crew. The Bay rewatch made me appreciate Ambulance more because it reminded me of how he can make a $40 million dollar movie look like a $100 million dollar blockbuster. Also, after the extremely cold and cynical 6 Underground (which I enjoy because it’s so insane) Ambulance brings back a welcome dose of heart that made movies like Armageddon and 13 Hours so good. I legitimately cared for the people in the ambulance, and as the movie came to its conclusion I felt my emotions swelling (Jason Momoa felt the same way too). What’s wild about Ambulance is that it’s one of two Fresh films that Bay has on Rotten Tomatoes. Only The Rock and Ambulance have scores above 60%, and they both have under 10 explosions, which based on my data means critics and audiences are more likely to like them. The only problem is his less-explosion-y movies typically make less money, and after a disappointing opening weekend that saw it only pulling in $8.6 million, I hope word-of-mouth helps save it from being lost in movie oblivion.
The movie focuses on what happens when a bank robbery goes awry and leads to a 90-minute car chase that involves explosions, high-speed collisions, and a decent amount of body horror. The two bank robbers are brothers Danny (Jake Gyllenhaal) and Will Sharp (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II), who grew up under a mythically violent father who was known for his bank robberies and trail of dead bodies he left behind. Prior to the robbery, Will left for the military and came back to no job, a sick wife, and over $100,000 needed for an experimental surgery for his wife that insurance won’t cover. He’s coaxed back into a major bank robbery by the cashmere wearing Danny, who has continued the family trade of stealing money from people. Since it’s a movie, and the robbery can’t go smoothly, the well-planned out heist goes awry when a young police officer named Zach (Jackson White) enters the bank in an attempt to get the phone number of a bank teller he has a crush on. This leads to him being shot and placed inside an ambulance staffed by Scott (Colin Woodell) and Cam Thompson (Eiza González). The ambulance is taken over by Will and Danny, and this leads to a wild chase between the robbers, and a gigantic police force led by Captain Monroe (Garret Dillahunt) and Agent Anson Clark (Keir O’Donnell). What’s wild is that in addition to all the car crashes, bullets and explosions, we’re also treated to a whole lot of bloody surgery as Cam fights to keep Officer Zach alive inside the fast movie vehicle.
The performances by González, Abdul-Mateen II and Gyllenhaal (or villain-haal) are top-notch as they turn up their energy (it’s a Michael Bay film. Many people yell) and seem to enjoy being filmed at every conceivable angle. When I heard that Gyllenhaal was going to be in a Michael Bay film it made perfect sense as his occasional manic energy fits well inside the stressful world of Bay. The three make for a solid trio of competent humans who are stuck in a horrible ordeal that will see some of them dead before the closing credits. Their highlights include singing an off-tone rendition of the Christopher Cross song Sailing, and a moment when Cam has to use her hair clip to clamp a major artery during a surgery aided by facetiming doctors who are taking a break from their golf game to help her. Also, seeing Gyllenhaal lose his mind when his cashmere sweater is blasted by a fire extinguisher is pure gold.
The technical aspects are also excellent (aside from WAY too many drone shots) as cinematographer Roberto De Angelis (steadicam operator on Avatar, 13 Hours, Baby Driver, 6 Underground) finds ways to make life stuck inside an ambulance seem frantic, and stunt coordinator Mike Gunther does a beautiful job of destroying what feels like hundreds of vehicles in spectacular fashion. All in all, this might be one of the best looking $40 million budgeted films I’ve ever seen because the budget never feels stretched and there is so much action that looks expensive.
Final thoughts – Go watch Ambulance on a giant screen. It’s wonderful.
The Movies, Films and Flix Podcast – Episode 420: Color Out of Space, Nicolas Cage, and Cosmic Horror
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 Leavengood (@MFFHorrorCorner on Twitter) discuss the 2019 cosmic horror film Color Out of Space. Directed by Richard Stanley, and starring Nicolas Cage, Joely Richardson, Madeleine Arthur, and a destructive meteorite, the movie focuses on what happens when Richard Stanley gets his hands on a Lovecraft short story (it’s a wonderful movie). In this episode, they discuss bourbon, farming, and the wonderful hot dog David Cross (of the Award Wieners Movie Review Podcast) cooked up for the episode. 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.

Uncharted (2022) Review – An Amiable Treasure Hunt Movie Featuring a Fun Performance From Mark Wahlberg
Quick Thoughts: Grade C+ – Uncharted is a wildly safe adventure film that is saved by a motor-mouthed Mark Wahlberg and a breakneck pace that gives the film constant momentum. It’s overly glossy and loaded with CGI-reliant action scenes (partially due to the pandemic), but the likable cast and amiable spirit make it worth watching.
I love treasure hunt movies. If I was stuck on a desert island with only National Treasure, Sahara, Tomb Raider, Fool’s Gold, The Mummy, or any Indiana Jones film I’d be totally fine. There’s something about adventurous characters traversing the world in an attempt to find treasures that I love. The movies provide a welcome and comforting dose of treasure maps, shady characters, double-crosses, wild action set pieces, and the thrill of discovery. While I can’t say that many of them are examples of expertly crafted cinema, I can say that I love the heck out of them, and I hope they never stop making them because I’ll keep watching them for as long as they are being produced. I’m such an easy mark that I was sold on an Uncharted sequel during the opening moments of the movie that feature a cargo plane action scene involving pallets of military supplies dangling from an open cargo bay that is thousands of feet in the air (also, some henchmen meet horrifying ends while Holland cracks jokes).
Based on the popular video game Uncharted, which has sold over 41 million copies since 2007, and has spawned into a vast universe of sequels and prequels, Uncharted (the movie) focuses on the exploits of Nathan Drake (Tom Holland), an orphan who becomes a petty thief and one of those bartenders who loves the Tom Cruise movie Cocktail. During one fateful night, he’s recruited by fortune hunter Victor Sullivan (Mark Wahlberg who was originally supposed to play Drake in 2010), and he’s tasked with helping Sullivan and his frenemy Chloe Frazier (Sophia Ali) steal a cross that holds a clue for billions of dollars of treasure. This puts them in the crosshairs of billionaire treasure hunter Santiago Moncada (Antonio Banderas) and his bodyguard Jo Braddock (Sophia Ali), who may have something to do with the demise of Nathan’s brother Sam Drake (Rudy Pankow). What follows is a globetrotting adventure that takes them to the Philippines, Spain, and New York City. The non-spoiler highlights include Holland hanging from light fixtures, flying boats, and Wahlberg unleashing a plethora of insults aimed at Holland, whom Wahlberg considered to be a little brother on set.
Director Ruben Fleichser excels at creating intriguing friendships in movies like Zombieland and Venom, and here he does a mostly solid job of crafting a treasure hunt movie that flies by and allows Wahlberg and Holland to banter. What’s interesting is that Holland doesn’t seem totally comfortable riffing with Wahlberg andI noticed something off about Holland’s performance. While I was doing some research I came across a GQ interview where Holland mentions he tried too hard to look cool in the movie, and it kind of shows. There are moments in which he’s all puffed up and doesn’t seem comfortable in his skin. It’s nice to know he learned from the experience and hopefully a future Uncharted film allows him to relax a bit and enjoy the treasure hunt.
Final thoughts – Uncharted is a fun watch if you’re looking for an undemanding treasure hunt movie that is loaded with likable actors.
MY CALL: This horror comedy definitely has some fun with its source material, gender-centric horror tropes, and the very premise of the franchise. No, it’s nothing special. But it’s entertaining enough for at least one viewing if you enjoyed any of the franchise predecessors. MORE MOVIES LIKE Slumber Party Massacre: In terms of the goals of the writer and director, this reminds me of The Final Girls (2015)—a good film. If you want to go see where this franchise got started, visit The Slumber Party Massacre (1982) and Slumber Party Massacre II (1987).
In 1993, Trish’s friends were slaughtered by the driller killer at their cabin by the lake. Now a mother, Trish (Schelaine Bennett; Monster Hunter) sees her daughter off for a girls’ weekend in a remote cabin by the lake. Trish was the name of the main character hosting the slumber party in The Slumber Party Massacre (1982).
Almost 30 years later, young Dana (Hannah Gonera; Spell), Maeve (Frances Sholto-Douglas; Black Mirror), Alix (Mila Rayne), Ashley (Reze-Tiana Wessels) and Breanie (Alex McGregor; Blood Drive) plan a slumber party. But there’s a fun spin on this remake: they’re setting a trap for the driller killer to put an end to him for good!
REMAKE/REIMAGINING/REBOOT SIDEBAR: For more horror remakes, I strongly favor the following: Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978), An American Werewolf in London (1981), The Thing (1982), The Fly (1986), The Blob (1988), The Mummy (1999), The Ring (2002), The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003), Dawn of the Dead (2004), The Hills Have Eyes (2006), Mirrors (2008), Friday the 13th (2009), Piranha 3D (2010), Let Me In (2010), Evil Dead (2013), Carrie (2013), The Town That Dreaded Sundown (2014), It (2017), Suspiria (2018) and Child’s Play (2019). Those to avoid include Body Snatchers (1993; the second remake), War of the Worlds (2005), The Invasion (2007; the third remake), Prom Night (2008), Night of the Demons (2009), Sorority Row (2009), Patrick: Evil Awakens (2013), Poltergeist (2015), Martyrs (2015), Cabin Fever (2016), Unhinged (2017), The Mummy (2017) and Wrong Turn (2021). I’m on the fence about An American Werewolf in Paris (1997), The Grudge (2004), Halloween (2007), It’s Alive (2009), My Bloody Valentine (2009), A Nightmare on Elm Street (2010), Fright Night (2011), The Thing (2011; a prequel/requel/remake), Maniac (2012), Rabid (2019), Pet Sematary (2019) and Castle Freak (2020), which range from bad to so-so (as remakes) but still are entertaining movies on their own. For what it’s worth, I also enjoyed the recent “requels” of Scream (2022) and Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2022).
In the spirit of the franchise, this was written (Suzanne Keilly; Ash vs Evil Dead, Leprechaun Returns) and directed (Danishka Esterhazy; The Banana Splits) by women. Not that anything about this franchise would lead us to expect more, but the writing for this remake… isn’t the best. I’d put the original above it. However, in terms of visual effects, gore, and on-screen death scene quality, this is a welcomed improvement to its very low budget source material.
The real success of this remake is that, unlike parts 1-2, this actually seems to have captured the slasher parody atmosphere. For a little history, it was the intention of 1982’s script to be a parody, but this idea was squashed by the producers who insisted it be “serious.” The girls are here to kill the killer, the guys in the cabin across the lake literally have a topless slow-motion pillow fight, the killer always has a comically exaggerated side-faced glare, a guy trips over a rock and helplessly crawls from the killer, a man is literally named “Guy Two” and referred as such in the dialogue, toxic masculinity is practically a character in this movie, and there is a shower scene… of a dude. I enjoyed the silliness and commentary of the slasher subgenre.
The gore is decent enough. Drilled eye sockets spew blood, all that fun stuff. As honoraria to the franchise, the killer’s drill itself is a good replica of 1982’s killer, a guitar in the cabin seems just like 1987’s, and the killer is acted with more convincing weirdo demeanor.
The movie comes to a rather unexpected turn in the third act, followed by a pretty fun and satisfying finale… even if I wasn’t wowed by the movie, that should be acknowledged. Still, a fun watch for me having recently revisited the franchise.
John’s Horror Corner: Pieces (1982; aka Mil gritos tiene la noche), a campy, bloody slasher classic from Spain.
MY CALL: A campy 80s slasher classic that douses the screen in boobs and blood as well as a feisty who-done-it mystery to fill in the gaps between the guts. Strong recommendation for fans of early era slashers. MORE MOVIES LIKE Pieces: For more lower budget early 80s slashers, consider Maniac (1980), The Prowler (1981), Madman (1981), or maybe The Slumber Party Massacre (1982).
Director Juan Piquer Simón (Slugs, The Rift, Cthulhu Mansion) has made some pretty fun, campy, gory movies—and this is likely his most favored work. From scene one, this mean slasher classic is pulling no punches as a blood-covered boy with a love for puzzles and the female form brings an ax to his mother’s head for some bloody on-screen impact. Cut to 40 years later on a college campus and the killer is still up to some decapitating shenanigans as he chainsaws a co-ed’s head off in broad daylight. All this in the first 10 minutes of the film cultivates much promise for gorehounds.
After some gruesome incidents, anatomy professor Brown (Jack Taylor; The Ninth Gate, Conan the Barbarian) is consulted at crime scenes and undercover cop Mary Riggs (Lynda Day George; Beyond Evil, Mortuary) scours the campus on the case with a maniac on the loose with a taste for naked girls. The over-sized gardener Willard (Paul L. Smith; Dune, Red Sonja, Gor) is highly suspicious and always seems to be near the crime scenes right after the murders. Equally suspicious is Kendall (Ian Sera; Extra Terrestrial Visitors), a college student who seems to be systematically sleeping with all the women on campus. The accusations are frequent, frivolous, and even a bit feisty.
Our masked killer’s Leatherface influence is worn on his sleeve as he murders a college skinny dipper and leaves her in a bloody chopped-up poolside pile, but less one body part. The killer claims different parts of each victim. We see head and limb bloodily separated from their bodies via chainsaw, an on-screen rarity for a low budget early 80s movie. And for those who care, there is a lot of nudity, which is actually somewhat linked to our killer’s piecemeal motive. The macabre highlight is the discovery of the severed torso of a girl, doused in blood and entrails dumped out on the floor. There is even a decomposing stitched-up Frankenstein girl formed from all the stolen body parts and an utterly ridiculous crotch-ripping closing shot just for funsies.
This movie is very basic and its budget is humble. But it’s pacing, on-screen action and gore make it more than engaging enough. As a fan of the era, I rather enjoyed it. I hadn’t seen it in at least 20 years, yet it held up well for me. For context, it’s not as good (of a ‘film’) or intense as the likes of Maniac (1980) or Madman (1981), but far better than The Slumber Party Massacre (1982)… in my opinion, at least.
John’s Horror Corner: Fresh (2022), a charming relationship movie turning into medical horror-LITE.
MY CALL: An excellent choice for people who don’t like horror, yet still very enjoyable for this horror fan—probably because I also enjoy RomComs.
Delightful! The first scene of this film is outstandingly written as we meet Noa (Daisy Edgar-Jones; War of the Worlds) on a nightmare of a one-and-done first date. It’s simultaneously hilarious in being too real and mildly farcical of modern dating. I don’t claim to understand what it’s like in the Dating App world as a woman today. But this feels like a pretty on-point representation. Dear lord, I don’t miss dating! Thankfully, Noa’s post-date meet-cute with Steve (Sebastian Stan; Pam and Tommy, I, Tonya, The Covenant, The Apparition) in the grocery store is awkwardly sweet and kindly grounded. This more readily feels like the opening for a smartly written, quick-witted HBO RomCom series than a horror movie right now. Nothing about their first date is smooth. Its charm is steeped in refreshingly humanized clunkiness; the sincerest of flawed moments that draw us closer to one another.
But fret not, horror fans, this takes a cold hard turn right quick, and we wander into some kind of kidnapping, medical horror, polite-and-charming Hannibal Lector situation. I say medical horror and you might think of American Mary (2012). Relationship horror? Honeymoon (2014), Let Me In (2010) or Thirst (2009) likely spring to mind. But this film is nothing of the sort.
The scoring and soundtrack are energized and really keep this film light despite its darker nature. Complementing the film’s oddly positive energy is the cast (incl. Jojo T. Gibbs)—everyone does a great job! Edgar-Jones plays the frustrated, angsty dater and likewise handles horror situations excellently, and Stan is a pleasure as her idiosyncratic counterpart.
This film is very linear and far from confusing, yet… I found myself often shocked by the next logical step. I guess I kept expecting to have the rug pulled out from under me, and it just never happened. Not a bad thing. Just… I was very shocked by how unshocking it was. Practically goreless, not mean… it’s actually a rather compassionate tone for the genre. Tender even. And the dance scenes—yes, scenes, plural—transcend into this weird sweetness that makes you want to grab your love and slow dance in the living room.
I don’t want to spoil what this is about, and it’s hard. But the reveal is just a pleasure. What’s important to note is that I’m a hardcore brutal gore fan, yet I managed to truly enjoy this very ungory, horror-LITE, relationship horror. It’s great for those who generally don’t like horror for its meanness or gore or inane premises. And like I said, there’s dancing scenes! Not just dancing. But, rather unexpectedly, there are some lovely food and dining scenes—like Chef’s Table lovely. Watching this movie truly made me hungry.
Director Mimi Cave approaches her first feature film and spins the horror genre in a fresh new direction. The closing 30 minutes were very satisfying. Again, good energy to this film. Overall a highly entertaining light thriller that should be great for people who don’t like horror.
The Movies, Films and Flix Podcast – Episode 419: Grosse Pointe Blank, Hallway Fights and Assassin Unions
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 Niall discuss the 1997 cult classic comedy Grosse Pointe Blank. Directed by George Armitage, and starring John Cusack, Minnie Driver, and Dan Akroyd, the movie focuses on what happens when a hitman returns home for his high school reunion. In this episode, they talk about John Cusack, movie soundtracks, and potential assassin unions. 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.

Jackass Forever (2022) – Review: A Worthy Sequel That Features a Healthy Dose of Laughs, Camaraderie, and Concussions

Quick Thoughts – Grade – B – Jackass Forever doesn’t match the comedic heights of Jackass: The Movie, Jackass Number Two, or Jackass 3D, but, after 20+ years, hundreds of stunts, and a new cast, it’s still surprisingly fresh and fun. The reunion of maniacs never feels like a nostalgic cash grab, and it’s admirable the lengths the cast and crew go to make people smile.
A couple months ago, I was tasked with rewatching the Jackass movie franchise so I could pull fun stats and research for a Jackass quiz with Johnny Knoxville (It’s a beautiful interview, Fandom crushed it). The rewatch reminded me why I love the franchise so much. What makes the movies work so well are the camaraderie and chemistry between the jackasses who step in front of rampaging bulls to get a laugh. It’s also nice that they don’t seem to love the pain and punishment that come from bungee wedgies, or skateboarding into walls. They hurt themselves against their better judgment, and the laughs come from the reactions of their peers who can’t believe they just saw a snapping turtle latch onto someone’s butt cheek. A great example of a skit getting laughs is the High Five prank in Jackass 3D. Knoxville helped set up a gigantic hand that levels his unsuspecting friends when they’re walking through the production office. The best part of the prank is the laughter (86 total seconds) that comes from the prank perpetrators and people who got pranked. There’s something refreshing about watching Bam Margera laugh hysterically while almost every inch of his body is covered with flour.
Jackass Forever lacks the surprise and chemistry of the past films, but it still features welcome comradery and laughs. I did find myself missing Ryan Dunn, who died in 2011, and Bam Margera who reportedly couldn’t get sober for the shoot. The two best friends were experts at getting hurt, and I missed the chemistry they had with the rest of the group. The new additions Rachel Wolfson (my favorite new addition), Zach Holmes, Eric Manaka, Jasper Dolphin and Sean “Poopies” McInerny (who got bit by a shark during a Shark Week Jackass gag), blend in well, and despite some hero worship, they step up and get knocked down with the best of them. The best stunts featuring the new crew are The Quiet Game, which features Wolfson and Poopies being totally silent while licking stun guns or getting bit by snakes, and The Dum Dum Game that features Poopies getting hit in the balls multiple time with a devilish device that pulverizes him when he gets a trivia answer wrong.
Many of the original stars have their moments to shine as well. Knoxville gets DESTROYED once again by a bull, Steve-O gets covered in poop, Dave England poops, and Chris Pontius attacks a city for the Cockzilla sketch. The most pleasant surprise of Jackass Forever is that Ehren McGhehey gets several moments to shine, Whether he’s getting punched in the balls by MMA champ Frances Ngannou, or having a spider bite his nipple, it’s nice seeing Ehren not be the butt of every joke or prank. It is really interesting watching men who once seemed immortal becoming mortal, and sometimes it backfires. For instance, Preston Lacy craps himself before a stunt begins (it’s sad watching a man become despondent because he pooped before a stunt), or when Johnny essentially sacrifices himself to a bull that turns his bones into jelly. The painful stunts aren’t as fun as they used to be because these men don’t just bounce back up anymore. Nowadays, they thud harder, yell louder, get hurt harder, and it’s not as fun. If there are future installments I’d love to see the new blood getting obliterated while the old crew laugh riotously and occasionally show the young kids how to do it. I’m by no means saying they should step aside because that would be a very sad day, I just don’t want to see Knoxville get hit by any more rampaging animals. That said, the grandpa gag involving him being shot through the ceiling of a furniture store is beautiful, and I hope he never stops flying through various objects.
*Quick Note – My least favorite Jackass sketch happens in Jackass: The Movie. It’s when Knoxville boxes famed puncher Butterbean. It’s an absolute squash match and there’s zero joy in it. It’s just Johnny being punched in the head by a world class head puncher. I’ve never enjoyed stunts like this. They only exist to give someone a concussion, and I’ve always thought they were pointless. This might give you a point of view into my enjoyment of the franchise.
Final thoughts – Jackass Forever is a solid entry to the franchise, and I want more.
















