MY CALL: I love this flick! There’s nothing groundbreaking here, but it’s still a solid movie. We have an awesome cast giving good performances in a well-directed, deliciously gory killer plant movie. What more did you want? MORE MOVIES LIKE The Ruins: Well, for more killer plant movies I’d aim for Splinter (2008), Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978), Seed People (1992) and The Girl with All the Gifts (2016). I’d skip The Crawlers (1993). For more Central American horror, consider Dolly Dearest (1991) and Indigenous (2014). I’d also strongly recommend Cabin Fever (2002, 2016).
Approaching the end of their vacation in Mexico, a rather likable group of college students (two couples) meet two European tourists who lead them to an off-the-maps archaeological dig site deep in the jungle by a Mayan village. Off-grid in the wilderness of southern Mexico… wandering down some hidden path… to a site not on any maps… what could possibly go wrong?
Our tourists are played by Jonathan Tucker (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre), Jena Malone (The Neon Demon), Laura Ramsey (The Covenant, Venom), Shawn Ashmore (The Day, Mother’s Day), Joe Anderson (The Crazies) and Dimitri Baveas. The entire cast serves the film well with their performances.
The adventure proves worth it when they approach the Mayan ruins: a vine-enshrouded pyramid. Facing a significant language barrier, the Mayan villagers are enraged when the tourists get too close to the structure, threatening to kill them by gun or arrow and forcing their retreat to the top of the ruins. Now marooned atop the structure where they find a dead body cocooned in vines, the tourists are besieged by the armed villagers who clearly will not let them leave.
A gunshot tearing off a jaw-dropping chunk of someone’s head kicks off our gore expectations for the movie well. But there is still much fun to come! Our tourists come to learn their exposure to the plants has contaminated them. And when idle (or sleeping), the vines will parasitize flesh wounds and grow into their victim flesh! One guy’s broken legs get gnarly-rooted up!
And as for surprises, I love the part with the cell phone! THAT I won’t spoil. And then there’s the medical “amputation” scene, which seems heavily inspired by From Beyond (1986) and Cabin Fever (2002, 2016) in combination! Just gloriously gory and shocking! There is, in fact, another surgery scene that is very different but still satisfyingly gross! These vines are full of surprises, they attack to murder slowly and quietly, but most of the time they just keep to themselves lying in wait. It’s very satisfying (and sort of impishly feisty) when the vines drag human remains into their masses. We also enjoy some very bloody gashed-up self-mutilation—a typical trope of infection movies.
And while nothing groundbreaking in concept, I really enjoyed the simple execution of the ending. It’s really nice when horror finishes well as feisty vines drag body parts and cadavers deep into their freshly fertilized brambles. Strong recommendation for fans of Cabin Fever (2002, 2016) and Splinter (2008).
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Quick Thoughts – Filmed in July 2020, The Alexandre Aja (Crawl, High Tension, Piranha 3D) directed film is a visually impressive experience that features an excellent performance from Mélanie Laurent. Also, the script by Christie LeBlanc is constantly entertaining, and does a fine job of adding constant tension
Oxygen centers around what happens when a woman named Elizabeth Hansen (Laurent) wakes up in a medical cryo unit, and realizes she only has 42-72 minutes of oxygen left in her claustrophobic medical tube. To make matters worse, her memory is foggy from the cryo-sleep, so she has to waste valuable time remembering who she is, and why the heck she is stuck in a cryo unit. Her only companion is M.I.L.O. (voiced by Mathieu Amalric), the unit’s AI who is extremely literal, and doesn’t give her much in the way of information. What follows is a thrilling 90 minutes as Hansen makes frantic calls, gets electrocuted, and slowly regains her memory which leads to some fun revelations.
The film which has been in development since 2017, and originally had Anne Hathaway, then Noomi Rapace (also an executive producer) set to star, is worth a watch because of the way Aja and cinematographer Maxime Alexandre (Crawl, Maniac, Shazam!, The Crazies) found ways to keep the film visually impressive, despite having a tiny spot to work with. The amount of camera set ups seems uncountable, and that makes Laurent’s performance more impressive as she had to keep up a frantic and scared appearance while stuck in a box. After Inglourious Basterds, Beginners, Enemy, and 6 Underground, it’s neat seeing Laurent in a popular Netflix film where millions can see how great she is. As an actor, it must’ve been a welcome challenge for Laurent, and now she joins the ranks of Ryan Reynolds (Buried), Tom Hardy (Locke), Blake Lively (The Shallows), Colin Farrel (Phone Booth), Sam Rockwell (Moon), Sandra Bullock (Gravity), Robert Redford (All is Lost) who have been in similar films that showcase them as performers.
Hopefully, Oxygen will get more eyes on Alexandre Aja, who has been making quality films since 1999. If you haven’t watched High Tension, The Hills Have Eyes, Piranha 3D, Crawl or Horns yet, do it now, as they are all fun films that were made on relatively low budgets. It’s still shocking that Crawl (Listen to the podcast episode we recorded for it!)was made for only $13 million, as it looks wonderful, and features A+ acting, production design and visual effects.
Final thoughts – Oxygen is an excellent showcase for Aja and Laurent, and I hope this film gets more eyes on their prior work
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Quick Thoughts – B+ – The Taylor Sheridan directed Those Who Wish Me Dead is welcome counterprogramming to the action films released today. The action is grounded, the stakes are real, and it’s driven mostly by characters (not bombastic action).
Taylor Sheridan (Sicario, Hell or High Water, Yellowstone, Without Remorse, Wind River) is one of the most consistent writers/directors working today. The films/television shows that he either writes or directs, take place in wide-open expanses, and focus on capable people engaging in wildly violent affairs that leave many dead. Those Who Wish Me Dead, is a perfect example of what Sheridan loves
Those Who Wish Me Dead focuses on a wild manhunt that leaves many dead or injured in its wake. The film starts off with two hitmen named Jack (Aidan Gillen) and Patrick (Nicholas Hoult) blowing up the house of a district attorney who is about to share some wildly damning news that will have ripple effects across the United States. When word of the explosion hits the news, Owen (Jake Webber), the man who figured out the corruption, grabs his son Connor (Finn Little) and drives from Florida to Montana, so they can stay at his brother-in-law’s ranch. Before they can reach the home of Allison (Medina Senghore) and Ethan (Jon Bernthal), Owen is killed by the hitmen, and Connor escapes and enters the Montana wilderness in search of help. This leads him to Hannah (Angelina Jolie), a firefighter who is spending time at a fire watchtower after a tragic event that took place during a forest fire.
With all the chess pieces set, the action kicks off and goes to some brutal and tragic places (the fireplace scene…). What makes the film work so well are the capable characters who are really good at murder, or are really good at avoiding being killed. Jack and Patrick are intriguing characters because they are all about the job, and there is very little drama between them. They just really want to accomplish their mission, and get the heck out of Montana before too much attention is thrust upon them. It’s nice that Sheridan uses Nicholas Hoult’s tall 6’3 frame to his advantage, and he towers above his shorter costars, which adds menace to his character. Hannah is an interesting character as well, and it’s cool seeing Jolie back in the action genre. The character is clearly struggling with PTSD, but she’s extremely capable, which makes her being sidelined to the tower seem both unjust and logical.
The cinematography by Ben Richardson (Wind River, Yellowstone) does a fine job capturing the wide open vistas of New Mexico (Standing in for Montana), and the costume design and production design by Kari Perkins (Everybody Wants Some!! Mud, Wind River) and Neil Spisak (Wind River, Spider-Man, Face/Off) feels authentic and lived in (lots of carhartt). Also, the screenplay by Sheridan, Charles Leavitt, and Michael Koryta (who also wrote the 2019 book) does a fine job of giving each character moments to shine as Jolie, Hoult, and Connor all have standout moments.
Final thoughts –Those Who Wish Me Dead is a welcome throwback thriller that features likable heroes and villains killing each other.
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Deep Blue Sea – The Podcast: Episode 45: Pinballing Sharks, Blinding Flashlights, and Deep Blue Space
You can listen to Deep Blue Sea – The Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spreaker, Spotify, Tunein, Podcast Addict, Amazon, Google Podcasts, and everywhere else you listen to podcasts. Also, make sure to like our Facebook page!
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Jay and Mark are joined by returning guest Megan H. to discuss the eighth chapter of the Deep Blue Sea 2 DVD. In this episode, they discuss survivable shark scenarios, blinding flashlights, and sharks in space. Enjoy!
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Quick Thoughts: Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar is wonderful. It’s inventive, daring and beautifully odd. Writers/stars Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo have created a cult classic that hopefully will amass a large following. Also, I really hope that it somehow, someway, gets nominated for about 40 Academy Awards (they can make up the awards, it’s cool). It deserves it.
The Josh Greenbaum directed Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar tells the story of a likable duo named Barb (Annie Mumolo) and Star (Kristen Wiig) who travel to Vista Del Mar, Florida after they lose their jobs at the hottest spot in their town (Jennifer’s Convertibles) of Soft Rock, Nebraska. The two roommates, who are either divorced or widowed (Barb’s husband was trampled to death during a Black Friday melee), end up staying at the Vista Del Mar Hotel, a sun-drenched resort full of swinging couples, talking crabs, and gigantic alcoholic beverages that lead to wild nights.
Unbeknownst to them, they put themselves into the crosshairs of the Bond-esque villain Sharon Gordon Fisherman (Kristen Wiig again) and her henchman Yo-Yo (Reyn Doi), after Star falls in love with Edgar Pagét (Jamie Dornan), one of Sharon Gordon Fisherman’s henchmen, who really wants to be in an “official” relationship with characters played by Kristen Wiig. The relationship could be a problem, as Sharon Gordon Fisherman (I have to write the full name every time, it’s wonderful), plans to kill thousands during an annual festival, and she needs Edgar (or Edgarrr) to be the person who places a beacon on the main stage that will draw thousands of deadly mosquitos to the festival. It would be a disservice to reveal more, so, just know that the rest of the movie features terrible spies named Darlie Bunkle (Damon Wayans Jr.), jet ski chases, banana boats, Tommy Bahama, and magical culottes.
Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar is a breath of fresh air, as it’s never mean, and it’s wholly unique. Kristen Wiig pitched it as “Airplane meets Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion,” and that’s pretty much what you get. There are memorable quotes, costumes, and characters who make the 107-minute running time fly by, and the gag reel that plays over the credits is a joy. If you get a chance, pick up the Blu-ray and check out all the extras and commentaries. The commentary with Wiig, Mumolo and Greenbaum is fun and insightful, and it showcases the chemistry between the filmmakers.
Final thoughts: Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar is the “Trish” of movies. Watch it, buy it, tell people about it.
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The Movies, Films and Flix Podcast – Episode 363: Battleship, Burritos, and Board Games
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 2012 film Battleship. Directed by Peter Berg, and starring Taylor Kitsch, Brooklyn Decker, Rihanna, and Jesse Plemons, the film focuses on what happens when pugnacious aliens meet the USS Missouri battleship. In this episode, they talk about Peter Berg, alien fistfights, and the massive scale of the film. 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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You can listen to Deep Blue Sea – The Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spreaker, Spotify, Tunein, Podcast Addict, Amazon, Google Podcasts, and everywhere else you listen to podcasts. Also, make sure to like our Facebook page!
Please make sure to rate, review, share, and subscribe!
Mark and Jay are joined by Kevin Kulp (@KevinKulp on Twitter) to discuss the seventh chapter of the Deep Blue Sea 2 DVD. In this episode, they discuss shark exorcisms, follow-up splashes, and underwater welding in shark movies. Enjoy!
Make sure to check out Kevin’s most excellent shark movie list!
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The Movies, Films and Flix Podcast – Episode 362 – Blade, Blood Raves, and Ice Skating Uphill
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 Jack Austin (From the Alter Ego Podcast) discuss the 1998 superhero film Blade. Directed by Stephen Norrington, and starring Wesley Snipes, Stephen Dorff, Kris Kristofferson and N’Bushe Wright, the film focuses on what happens when ambitious vampires try to ice skate uphill. In this episode, we talk about the excellence of Wesley Snipes, grounded action, and 1990’s comic book adaptations. Enjoy!
Please make sure to follow and listen to the Alter Ego Podcast.
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Quick Thoughts – Grade – B+ – Wrath of Man – The remake of the 2014 French film Cash Truck is a hard-hitting thriller that features unorthodox storytelling and effective action. It’s also loaded with an excellent cast featuring Jason Statham, Holt McCallany, Jeffrey Donovan and Josh Hartnett.
Wrath of Man feels like an old school thriller that features tough guys, saying tough things, while they engage in tough shenanigans. This isn’t meant to sound reductive, as the Guy Ritchie directed film knows how to create welcome amounts of thrills that build towards a wildly violent finale that makes you miss wildly violent gunfights. Drawing from 23 years worth of gangster films like Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, Snatch, The Gentlemen, Revolver, and RocknRolla, Ritchie has set his sights towards white-knuckled thrillers like Dragged Across Concrete, Den of Thieves and Heat, that take place in the United States and feature robberies gone wrong, and the wild consequences that follow.
Wrath of Man focuses on what happens when a mysterious man named Harry “H” Hill (Jason Statham) starts working at an armored truck company shortly after a massive heist that ended with millions stolen, and two guards dead. Harry shows up at the Los Angeles-based company with a stacked resume, surly attitude, and mono-syllabic speaking style that make him less than popular with his brash coworkers. The only connection he makes is with his trainer Bullet (Holt McCallany), who’s relaxed vibe and shared dislike of Sweaty Boy Bob (Josh Hartnett) make him someone Harry can drink beers with. After an attempted robbery ends with H murdering six people with incredible ease, things take a unique turn as the non-linear storytelling introduces us to new-and-dangerous characters, who all come together at the end for some old-school chaos.
It would be fun to write more about the specifics of the film, but after going into it blind, it would be a disservice to spoil the twists-and-turns that Ritchie and co-writers Ivan Atkinson and Marn Davies have in store. However, it’s worth mentioning that Statham wears some wonderful cardigans, Johnny Cash music is used expertly, and after Sicario, Let Him Go, Shot Caller, and Fargo, Jefrrey Donvan has become one of the best character actors working today. Also, it’s neat watching how the different worlds of criminals, armored guards, and military veterans differ greatly, as their language, discussions and interactions have a different ebb-and-flow that showcase who they really are.
Alan Stewart (Band of Brothers, The Gentlemen, Aladdin), the Director Photography deserves a special mention as the steadicam and static camera shots are always interesting. Between Ritchie’s framing, and Stewart’s camera, the audience is given some memorable shots that establish power dynamics, and showcase the thrilling violence.
Final thoughts – Wrath of Man brings a welcome dose of violence and twists, and it’s nice seeing Guy Ritchie branch out to different kinds of tough-guy films.
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MY CALL: If Get Out (2017) is a social thriller, then so is this. Although Spiral is not in the same league. This was good. Even very good… but definitely not great in my opinion. But it surely succeeds at tactfully keeping you guessing. MORE MOVIES LIKE Spiral: The Invitation (2015), Get Out (2017), Us (2019) and Them (2021, Amazon series) come to mind.
Having just moved to a somewhat rural town, Malik (Jeffrey Bowyer-Chapman; Grave Encounters 2, American Horror Story) and Aaron (Ari Cohen; It, It Chapter 2) have a candid, lived-in relationship with their teenage daughter Kayla (Jennifer Laporte). Their parent-teenager dynamic rings all too true and sparks kind memories of my own adolescence.
The year is 1995. Selfies are taken with Polaroids, and same-sex couples are far from broadly accepted in small towns They soon find the locals are not accustomed to having a black neighbor any more than they are a same-sex couple. At one point we find the word “faggots” spray painted on their living room wall… my eye twitched and my heart sunk into my stomach dreading what may befall them in after this point in the plot. But please, don’t turn away at this trigger warning. This film has so many kind things to show us about its main characters and there is more than meets the eye to the story. We are left to wonder if the kindest neighbors are the most dangerous, or if they truly aim to steer Malik and Aaron from the neighbors with ill intentions, or if indeed any of the neighbors mean them any harm at all.
This plays out more like a thriller/mystery than the trailer may suggest. Strange things begin to happen that point to ‘strange’ motives in their neighbors (including Chandra West of Z, White Noise, Puppet Master 4-5; and Lochlyn Munro of Needful Things, Dracula 2000). Malik and Aaron have experienced hateful trauma in the past and are now fearful something similar may find them here… and that whatever hatred finds them will also befall their daughter.
If Get Out (2017) is a social thriller, then so is this. Although Spiral is not in the same league. This was good. Even very good… but definitely not great in my opinion. At least not compared to the wonderful horror releases of the last several decade.
Director Kurtis David Harder (Incontrol) opens strong, but I feel the second half of the film doesn’t deliver as promised. I found the end simultaneously unsatisfying (in concept) and satisfying (in execution). Most of the punch is packed in the first 60 minutes, and not so much the last 20, with much of the punch being the more casual social interactions with their neighbors.
Movies, Films & Flix 