Category: Ramblings

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem (2023) Film Review

Heroes aren’t born. They’re mutated.

Rating PG
Length 1h40
Release 31.07.2023
Director Jeff Rowe & Tyler Spears
About After years of being sheltered from the human world, the Turtle brothers set out to win the hearts of New Yorkers and be accepted as normal teenagers. Their new friend, April O’Neil, helps them take on a mysterious crime syndicate, but they soon get in over their heads when an army of mutants is unleashed upon them.
Moon: full moon at multiple points
Where to Watch: Amazon Prime – with Paramount subscription
Trailer:

The Good

The animation is stunning. Since Spiderverse, other companies have really upped their game when it comes to having a unique animation style.

The characterisation of the quartet is perfect. The turtles are no longer identified by their coloured mask, but each of the brothers has an individual body type that reflects their personality.

Love that the film oozed easter eggs; it was most definitely written by my kind of people who loved the original cartoon tv show. They don’t overwhelm, so people new to the franchise will not feel alienated. Instead they add value to those of us who loved the show growing up.

The soundtrack is amazing.

The Bad

There are some pop culture references that *may* date this film in years to come. While calling the boys “Shrek” will linger, some of the others might not.

The Ugly

Yet another origins story. Bit like the death of Batman’s parents or Uncle Owen, I really would love a TMNT incarnation to forgo the mutation beginnings of our heroes in half shells.

Final Thoughts

I really enjoyed this film, but more than anything it has me craving the original tv show.

Witness for the Prosecution (1957) Film Review

Rating U
Length 1h56
Release 30.01.1957
Director Billy Wilder
About A lawyer is troubled when a supposedly conscientious woman testifies against her husband. However, the motives behind her testimony put him in an ethical dilemma.
Moon: no moon sighting
Where to Watch: BBC IPlayer
Trailer:

The Good

Charles Laughton, best known to me as Henry Hobson in Hobson’s Choice, is an absolute cantankerous delight as barrister Sir Wilfred Robards, pulled into a court case against Doctor’s orders when his nurse confiscates his cigars.
It’s very rare to have the gravitas Laughton has, and give the range of humour, vulnerability and anger that he does. He’s perfectly cast and carries this film, from start to finish.

Elsa Lanchester, Laughton’s real life wife, as Miss Plimsoll is the perfect addition to the original Agatha Christie plot. The chemistry and bickering between the two is some of the bests scenes in the film and I do actually wish she was in more.

There’s some beautiful shots in the film, particularly the Oxford Street establishing shot in which the reflection of the road, the bus and the crowd is seen while Mrs French is trying on hats in the shop.

The Bad

I disliked the Vole flashback showing how he met Christine. There’s no chemistry between them and the scene is rather clunky. After also having such extensive flashbacks with Mrs French, it may have been better to have Vole in the present relay the information.

The Ugly

The decoration of Mrs French’s living room with African art gives away more about her than perhaps we would like? It’s established that she’s wealthy; that’s the motive for murder. However, the African art could indicate a source of her money. It’s hard to not think this when appropriated art hangs like animal heads in a hunting lodge. It sucks.

By extension the anti-foreign sentiment is a painful reminder that xenophobia today is nothing new. Not only is it presented by many characters as a personal view “we should have an embargo on foreign wives,”, it’s expressed within the courtroom too.

Final Thoughts

An incredible film, and one all must watch but pales in comparison to another law-based Oscar contender for 1967: 12 Angry Men (1967).

Daddy’s Home 2 (2017) Christmas Movie Review

Rating 12
Length 1h48
Release 22.11.2017
Director Sean Anders
About Dusty and Brad intend on providing their children with the perfect Christmas. However, their plans get ruined when their fathers decide to visit them simultaneously.
Moon: no moon sighting
Where to Watch: Amazon Prime/ 4OD
Trailer:

Naughty

I’m not so happy about the inclusion of Mel Gibson. That said, I’m not sure I could name someone better. I however couldn’t see him in this as anyone other than Mel Gibson.

We needed more John Cena. Or a third movie. There just was not enough of that beautiful man in this movie.

The quasi-incest rug pull is one thing, but the bigger ick for me is having all the girls line up for a kiss under the mistletoe with one-pin Dylan.

Nice

John Lithgow makes for the best Dad to Farrell’s Brad.

It is really funny with its set ups and pay offs. Particularly with the tweens getting into the Nog and the outburst that follows.

I really enjoy the final act and the rendition of Feed the World. It’s a moment of sticky sweet sentimentality that is then softened with the alpha male bullshit that is just so funny.

Final Thoughts

A funny family film that keeps Farrell’s humour and cringe factor at a acceptable level.

The Machine (2023) Film Review

Rating 15
Length 1h52
Release 31.05.2023
Director Peter Atencio
About The past comes back to haunt Bert Kreischer when a murderous mobster tries to kidnap him to atone for his crimes. With help from his estranged father, Bert must retrace the steps of his younger self as a sociopathic crime family goes to war.
Moon: no moon sighting
Where to Watch: Now TV/ Amazon Prime (for rental or purchase)
Trailer:

The Good

Mark Hamill is a renaissance man! For years he solely belonged to the geeks, known for Star Wars and his epic voice work in Batman. Now he’s being cast in everything, and I’m here for it! From Matthew Vaughn’s Kingsman to the scene stealing turn in Mike Flanagan’s The Fall of the House of Usher, Mark Hamill is getting the career he deserves. Much like Brendon Fraser and Key Huy Quan, I’m so very happy to see the good eggs get their time.
The Machine is certainly good for showing another side to Hamill. Not Luke, not the Joker, but a character somewhere in between. He’s a saving grace for this film, and the main thing you should be watching it for.

The action is pretty cool and there is the novelty of it being quasi-biopic. I’d also imagine that if you’re familiar with Bert Kreischer’s comedy, you’ll find the retelling of his infamous robbery and a subsequent “what if?” rather entertaining.

The Bad

The film takes way too long to get going. The whole setting up the family dynamics, while great for establishing the character, does very little to set the pace of what is meant to be an action movie. By the time there’s any sort of speed to the plot, I was checked out.

The Ugly

Given the current political climate with Russia, I did find it difficult to settle into the film and find the whole Russia is the capital of violence shtick. While I can imagine the film was in production long before Putin decimated Ukraine and displaced an entire country, but its release seems in bad taste; even with it very much poking fun.

Final Thoughts

Well, I know someone would have been laughing like Muttley throughout this. My brother will have loved so much about this film. Unfortunately, for me, the trailer showed all the best bits and outside of Mark Hamill, the full runtime fell flat.

U-571 (2000)

Rating 12
Length 1h 56
Release 02 June 2000 (UK)
Director Jonathan Moscow
About  A German submarine is boarded by American submariners disguised as Germans. They must infiltrate the security and steal the Nazi’s top-secret Enigma machine.
Streaming on Netflix

First Thoughts

This film was released during the height of my love for Bon Jovi; the band and the man. Not only that, but Erik Palladino had been part of ER and I was excited to see that he was a part of this film. I was also setting up my future, and my love was History. I either wanted to work as a curator in a museum, an archeologist or a History teacher. This film was on my watch list for the longest time.
My brother, preparing for an interview, asked me to complete his worksheet in exchange for a trip to the cinema. Normally, the person doing the favour would get to choose the viewing and I voiced my choice.
Instead, we went to see Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo (1999) which was released in the UK 26 May 2000 and already seen by my brother. It wasn’t the first, and it wouldn’t be the last time I missed out on seeing a film in the cinema due to someone else.

I eventually saw the film at home on VHS and it wasn’t as good as I expected. Maybe my love for both Palladino and Jovi had passed, but I suspect it was that this film really needed a big screen to appreciate the visuals, action and story. I’ve not watched it again before today, and while there are faults and I maintain it needs a big screen, there’s certainly enough good.

The Good

I don’t know why it has taken me so long to warm to Matthew McConaughey, but I’ve been sleeping on an excellent performer. I could not think of anyone better to play Tyler and present the story arc of rejected, too green, XO to leader under pressure in a situation more experienced would not have been prepared for. The arc itself provides so much tension, not only as Tyler questions himself, but of those under his command who heard about his public and brutal rejection of his own command.

There’s something about a submarine movie I adore; from the sounds of the sonar, to the close quarters and the added jeopardy of being in a place where, at times, there is no escape.

The Bad

Might be a personal thing, but I’m not a fan of war-based films and shows for one particular reason: I find it hard to follow the action and often miss the deaths of key characters as a result.
The nature of war is fast paced and often presents over wide angles and very little dialogue. Without being able to follow these segments, it does mean I lose some engagement with the story.

The Ugly

It’s clearly a work of fiction. Due to the very nature of its form, the audience does know to take the story with a pinch of salt. Film’s primary purpose is to entertain, however some do also seek to inform. This film did not promote itself as biographical however, being based upon historical events does make this problematic as it was not the US military, but the UK navy, that performed the feat of capturing a coveted Enigma machine that represents the turning point during World War II.
This subversion of events caused much controversy upon release, to the point it was brought up in the House of Commons and the then-Prime Minister Tony Blair condemned the film. Now, if this was today, perhaps the government would not have a leg to stand on based on their conduct. However, Blair did have a point. Lest We Forget is only a sentiment if we remember correctly and we don’t rewrite history.

The Final Thoughts

The lack of authenticity is by no means a reason not to watch. It is an incredibly well made film, with a talented cast and a concise story.

Shotgun Wedding (2022) Film Review

Rating 18
Length 1h40
Release 27.01.2023
Director Jason Moore
About Darcy and Tom gather their families for a destination wedding, but the ceremony gets put on hold when gunmen take everyone hostage. Now, they must do everything they can to save their loved ones — if they don’t wind up killing each other first.
Moon: no moon sighting
Where to Watch: Amazon Prime
Trailer:

The Good

  • J-Lo is not winning any Oscars here, but I’m okay with that. She gives a solid comedic performance that one would expect. She does carry a lot of the film so it’s good that she’s really the worthwhile selling point.
    The character of Darcy is likeable enough that you’re with her and want her to succeed. It’s just a shame the same cannot be said about the relationship she’s in.
  • Jennifer Coolidge! I love her! Not only do I love her, I finally appreciate what she brings to the table that no one else can. Honestly, if you’d had her as the focus of this film instead of J-Lo I would have watched the fuck out of that.
    Would her comedic style translate to a protagonist without it’s novelty wearing off?! Maybe not, but I know I’d at least give it a go.
    In the same sense as J-Lo, she ain’t winning any awards for the gimmicky Mother of the Groom but she will crack everyone watching up.
  • The story is fine enough. It’s Die Hard at a wedding. Only there is the refreshing change that there’s no one there who has a John McClain wrong place, wrong time but having that unique set of skills brings to an action movie. Yes, the movie makes use of Duhamel’s Tom being a baseball player and pretty much everyone gets to grips with handling a gun pretty quickly, but that’s easily overlooked.

The Bad

  • Josh Duhamel was not right for the part of Tom. He was not believable as the insecure bloke, he had no chemistry with J-Lo and I just didn’t want him there.
    In his defence, once you find out the role once belonged to Ryan Reynolds, it’s an uphill battle to be won over by Duhamel. However…. I only found that out because I looked it up because I’d already lost interest in him as a character.
    In fact, most of my notes were comprised of actors who would have been better for the role and I settled on Joel McHale. This character is meant to have that insecurity while also having that element of awesomeness that McHale honed during his time on Community.
  • The relationship of Tom and Darcey doesn’t work. Again, at best it feels force, at worst he’s just an accessory to J-Lo’s Darcey. The biggest problem is that for this to work as a Wedding movie and a hate to love story, you have to start with the couple questioning getting married. Unfortunately, it worked so well that I didn’t feel satisfied with the resolution.
    It almost would have worked better if they were the divorced parent’s of the bride who return to love because of the pirate entrance and hijinks.

The Ugly

  • The opening 20 minutes are painful and what’s worse is that they’re unnecessary. Yes, it’s a way to get to know everyone, but it feels forced and could have been added to the scene of the actual wedding day. It all felt so flat and really made me question Tom and Darcey as a couple.
    Like, even at the end I didn’t think they belonged together and that is down to the opinion I formed in those first 20 minutes that the rest of the film could not overcome.

Final Thoughts

It doesn’t require thought and it will be an ideal Saturday night movie for most. Just no sparks when it comes to romance.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022)

Rating 12
Length 2h41
Release 11.11.2022
Director Ryan Coogler
About Queen Ramonda, Shuri, M’Baku, Okoye and the Dora Milaje fight to protect their nation from intervening world powers in the wake of King T’Challa’s death. As the Wakandans strive to embrace their next chapter, the heroes must band together with Nakia and Everett Ross to forge a new path for their beloved kingdom.
Moon: no moon sighting
Where to Watch: Cinemas Nationwide now.
Trailer:

The Good

  • How the film handles the passing of Chadwick Boseman is touching, tasteful and by shifting the protagonist focus from the start means there is no offensive Star Wars type CGI to fill in the narrative gaps.
  • Winston Duke is the perfect scene stealer, as as always, however what I loved most in this outing was that he held his own for the emotional scenes as well as the comedic.
  • The commentary on politics and the passing of a monarch was not lost on me. It was obviously filmed long before the passing of the Queen of England, but the message still resonated.
  • How the film handled grief was powerful. I liked the exploration of different ways to grieve. Not only as a film that embodied the grief for Boseman, but for the character of T’Challa too.
  • The film is fucking stunning

The Bad

  • I’m not sure about the inclusion of a quasi-hindu culture for the anti-hero Namor and his aquatic community. I am aware that its meant to be the Mayan culture, however the blue skin makes it hard not to make parallels with Hinduism. Whether it was about ensuring diversity, or setting them apart from the DC counterparts, it just didn’t land right.
    It could also be that there’s upcoming blue bastards that irk me somewhat. I mean, why do they always have to be blue?
  • Weren’t the Enternals fucking about with the Mayan culture back in that shit show? Or are we just pretending that movie never happened now? I mean, we pretty trotted all over the globe in this movie…. why was there no glimpse of that celestial corpse. Could have easily been that body that disturbed the vibranium and started this all off.
    You know, so that there’s literally *one* tiny thread connecting this phase’s movies together! Fuck, did MCU really peak with the Infinity Saga?!

The Ugly

  • It was about forty minutes too long and lacked enough action sequences to balance out the emotion. Kids can take the emotion, hell we’ve all been through enough Uncle Bens by now to know that. However there’s the web slinging to counter balance.
  • I think the film tried to fit too much into this movie. I also think that Phase Four should have had this as a limited series and gave Falcon and Winter Soldier the movie.
  • Getting very tired of the queerbaiting bull shit from the House of Mouse. If you’re going to go gay, go gay. Don’t do the hint to keep your conservative viewers happy. You can’t pay lip service any more. I’m all for making it clear without the neon sign, but this ain’t that. This is called being a pussy!

Final Thoughts

It did it’s best with the story it *had* to tell. It also attempts to tackle such a mountainous topic like grief but it essentially boiled down to being yet another Marvel origin.

Friday the 13th (1980) Halloween Advent 2022

Rating 18
Length 1h35
Release 05.08.1980
Director Sean S Cunningham
About A group of counsellors are brutally killed one by one at a summer camp held at the Camp Crystal Lake, when the entrepreneur Steve Christie reopens the site, which was shut for years.
Moon: Full moon for both 1958 and 1980 ‘present’ sequences
Where to Watch: Rental on Prime (It’s the only one you can’t get without additional payment)
Trailer:

Trick

  • They fucking killed the snake! That snake was actually beheaded on set. I don’t care how scary an animal is, you do not kill it for ‘entertainment’.
  • The full moons in most time frames. 4th July 1958 did not have a full moon, it was in its waning gibbous phase. While the film states 13th June “present day”, I can confirm that 1980 did not produce a full moon.
    Yes, full moons are pretty and make for a good “shot”, but for fuck’s sake, ya boring!
  • The “killer POV” was a little too much for me. Specially when it comes to driving the cook to camp. I get it, you don’t want to reveal the killer but how the fuck did they not crash the car while looking at her for so long.
  • They say if you don’t suspect the person who is revealed as the killer, you’ve not done a good job. At least that’s what they say about books.
    What I’m going to say about films? If you’re going to have a female killer, you have to use women in all the filming of the deaths. It’s obviously a man in every death scene until the reveal.
    Mrs Vorhees threw a 90lb girl through a window?! pffft. She lifted a man and pinned him to the door with arrows, at close range? Now, I know there are sequels and that Jason lives. However, I’m watching this movie, for the first time. I’m not buying it.
    Maybe, just maybe, if the ‘dream’ Alice had involved an adult Jason and not ‘a boy’ as she describes I might have bought into the idea that it was him doing the killing and mummy dearest was there just to clean up.

Treat

  • Ki ki ki ma ma ma ma. Holy crap, Leo meme, “That’s what that reference was!”. That music cue is genius. It’s chilling and works in the exact same way as the Jaws theme. It puts you on edge and lets you know what’s coming. Perfect.
  • The deaths are quite unique in a way. For example, I was expecting the cook to be the final girl from how we were introduced to her. Then how each individual was killed in isolation. It wasn’t until the final act really that the characters knew anything was amiss. That put the audience in a rather voyeuristic, yet powerless, position.
  • Young Kevin Bacon was a treat and while his death seemed completely improbable (no one could put something like that through as slowly as it was done with the space they would have had under the bed), it sure was fun.

Final Thoughts

A little too flawed and way too hyped for me to enjoy fully. That said, it’s a great premise and the use of music is perfect.

Prom Night (1980) Halloween Advent 2022

Rating 18
Length 1h32
Release 12.2.1980
Director Paul Lynch
About This slasher movie follows a relentless killer who is out to avenge the death of a young girl who died after being bullied and teased by four of her classmates. Now high-school students, the guilt-ridden kids have kept their involvement a secret, but when they start being murdered, one by one, it’s clear that someone knows the truth. Also coping with the past are members of the dead girl’s family, most notably her prom-queen sister, Kim Hammond (Jamie Lee Curtis).
Moon: no moon sighting
Where to Watch: Part of Free with Ads on Amazon Prime
Trailer:

Trick

  • The inclusion of the escaped convict and presumed killer of Robin was stupid and not even fully formed within the plot. The biggest issue is that it’s for us, the audience and we already know that it was the four children that have a hand in her death.
    The very fact that Kim and Alex were witnesses to the four children playing in there that day does beg the question of how they got away without being suspected at all?!
  • The pacing is incredibly clunky. I almost wish that we opened up, after the credits, on everyone getting ready and being at the prom. Again, the biggest issue with getting us caught up on the lives of these children is that they’re best friends with Kim and not showing any sign of remorse?
  • What the fuck was with the Saturday Night Fever interlude?! It felt almost spoof like.
  • Not quite sure what the motivation was for that particular day. Yes, it was the anniversary of Robin’s death. However why this particular one? 6 years isn’t overly significant. Clever editing could have allowed the convict escape to be used as a smoke screen, maybe?

Treat

  • Leslie Nielson playing it straight. He’s a brilliant comedian, but he also does incredibly well in serious roles too; this is no exception.
  • The kills are brutal, but they are well done. It also succeeds in a way that Friday the 13th didn’t; it was able to provide the isolated kills without the detachment to the progression of the plot.
  • Everyone is a suspect. Honestly, the red herrings are wild and free in this and, other than the escaped convict, I couldn’t pinpoint one individual.
  • It is wrapped up neatly with not intent for a sequel. We get a resolution that will satisfy most viewers. Yes, there are sequels however they’re not necessarily direct follow ons.

Final Thoughts

It’s a bit too clunky, but at least it is better than the remake.

Twilight (2008) Halloween Advent 2022

Rating 12
Length 2h02
Release 03.12.2008
Director Catherine Hardwicke
About When Bella Swan relocates to Forks, Washington, to live with her father, she meets a mysterious boy, Edward Cullen, and gets drawn to him. Later, she discovers that he is a vampire.
Moon: no full moon sighting
Where to Watch: Netflix
Trailer:

Trick

  • Kristen Stewart cannot act. She’s atrocious in this; from her heavy handed approach to the script to the zero chemistry she has with Robert Patterson. Even the ‘jokes’ she’s meant to tell fall flat.
    Which I guess isn’t entirely Stewart’s fault: the character of Bella is void of anything that would make her interesting. Hell, she’s void of anything that makes her remotely passable as a human being. The fact that she has anything with a penis after her, begged the same question then and now: Does she have beer flavoured nipples?
  • Robert Patterson plays the part of a constipated century old teen with facial expressions he can only have learnt from playing dead for so long in Potter. Jesus, it’s sometimes painful to watch. It’s hard to tell whether the ‘I don’t want to be here’ aura was an act, or just realisation it was a massive mistake to have signed on for a known franchise.
  • The biggest problem with this film is the fact that it’s a “romance”. This is a 110 year old man, creeping into a 17 year old’s bedroom (without consent) to watch her sleep. Just because he looks like Rob Pattison and not Danny DeVito, what, makes it okay?! Fuck no! Unfortunately, imagining Danny DeVito pulling the faces and sparkling like Edward does, does not repulse me. It makes me cackle with such laughter.
    I digress. This is a toxic relationship that has actually warped a generation’s understanding of what a partner should be like. Edward and Bella are up there with Romeo and Juliet of couples that people should not, but totally do, aspire to be. Fuck that noise.
  • Vampires should never sparkle! Ever. They certainly shouldn’t whine that they are hideous while they sparkle. Vampires also shouldn’t do the fast running, “spider monkey” shit they have Edward doing.

Treat

  • The soundtrack is badass. Too good for such trash. Seriously, it’s an emo/ indie kid’s wet dream and about the only saving grace to today’s watch.
  • Anna Kendrick. Oh, she took her baby steps in this so she could own, and run, with Pitch Perfect. (Confession: I almost vetoed Pitch Perfect because of how much I loathed the character she plays in Twilight. Thank God, because Kendrick is the Queen)
  • Rachelle Lefervre is the perfect Victoria and it really is a shame she doesn’t get her time to shine in the third of the franchise. While she’s a little bit wasted here, that stormy departure from the prom have us a hint of what we’d have gotten had Dallas-Howard elbowed her way in.
  • Not only do we have the perfect casting of Billy Burke, we have the sole awesome character in Charlie Swan. Seriously, him cleaning the gun as Edward arrives. *Chef’s kiss*

Final Thoughts

Not even the fond memories of watching this film back in 2008 could redeem this garbage. It’s not romantic. Its perhaps, at best, necromantic but lets face it Edward is a creepy little paedophile and Bella needs a lot of help for what I can only imagine is vampiric Stockholm syndrome.

Jurassic World: Dominion

Rating 12
Length 2h27
Release 26.4.2012
Director Colin Trevorrow
About From Jurassic World architect and director Colin Trevorrow, Dominion takes place four years after Isla Nublar has been destroyed. Dinosaurs now live – and hunt – alongside humans all over the world. This fragile balance will reshape the future and determine, once and for all, whether human beings are to remain the apex predators on a planet they now share with history’s most fearsome creatures
Moon: no moon sighting
Where to Watch: Not telling you, I’m saving you. Trust me.
Trailer:

The Good

  • We get the original trio back to massage our nostalgia. Not only that, they play a massive part in the story.
    Yup, that’s it. That’s all I’ve got for you.

The Bad

  • It’s bloated. Not only in terms of length, but characters. Too many brought in just for lip service. While it was nice to see them, it came at the expense of a quality film. Wu, ever shit upon as a character, is pulled off the board early in the proceedings to have him ushered back on just when everyone had forgotten about him.
  • The dilophosaurus. From iconic, to hammy. Again, the problem is over use. Boba Fett was a fan favourite because he was teased, he was shrouded in mystery and left the audience wanting more. The key being wanting more. Second Lucas gave a backstory in the prequels, the illusion was broken.
    Same here. That one film deal was, chef’s kiss, perfect. All that was done with this incarnation was prove that it’s a one trick pony.

The Ugly

  • While some of the action sequences are amazing, the overall feel is that they’re more important than the plot.
  • The plot itself, for me, was appalling. Firstly we have the retcon of Maisie, Charlotte and Lockwood. The ease in which they do this is infuriating. Yes, this version works better for the ‘faulty DNA’ plot, however it requires a complete 180 turn of Dr Wu’s character.
  • How on earth do you waste such a blank slate that Fallen Kingdom offered?! Instead of exploring mankind co-existing with dinosaurs, this film gives us the exact same set up of the first and forth in the franchise.
  • Too many nods and winks to the original. From having Ellie set the breakers, to Malcolm’s act of heroism… maybe one or two would have worked, but directing an Oscar winning actress to take her sunglasses off the exact same way she did almost three decades earlier?! Trevorrow, you’re trying too hard.

Suburban Gothic

Rating 15
Length 1h30
Release 19.07.2014
Director Richard Bates Jnr
About An unemployed man who can talk to supernatural beings joins forces with a bartender to hunt down a vengeful ghost that has been terrifying their town.
Moon: no moon sighting
Where to Watch: Free with Ads on Amazon Prime
Trailer:

Trick

  • It’s really clunky for such a run time. It’s almost as if they only had enough story for a short, so added lots of filler to get to the official run time of ‘a movie’
  • In fact, what it does feel like? A rejected pilot. Which is really quite sad, because I would have watched the shit out of that show.
  • Kat Dennings is the the saving grace of the film. The issue? She’s not in it nearly as much as she should be.

Treat

  • The aforementioned Kat Dennings. I’m not entirely sure she’s ever acting and, instead, offering up herself in whoever she plays. That said, I do not care. She’s awesome, she improves a film 1000%.
  • Matthew Gray Gubler is perfect for this role and scenes with Dennings just give him a spotlight to shine. It really is just a shame that they’re both bogged down with a raft of ‘other’ that makes the film hard to engage with.

Final Thoughts

I liked the attempted story, just not the execution.