Take Notes Hollywood

This past week I've re-watched the entire Critters movie franchise.  No I wasn't being punished.

I actually enjoy the flicks.  I believe I have talked about this in the past but it was one of the first horror movies I saw and it gave me nightmares.  To be honest these little furballs still come back to haunt my nightmares occasionally!

However I am starting to realize that Hollywood could learn a lot from these movies and the movies of this era.  Let me explain.

Is it possible for Hollywood to make a movie that isn't over two hours?  Seriously is it?  Almost every flick I saw this year was over two hours.  Sometimes just to make it two hours it seemed.  Like they added crap just to make sure "we got our money worths".  Even if it ruins the flow of the movie or adds shit that means little to nothing to the story.  Watching these four flicks reminded me of a time that they did not just bloat the film with crap.  They tell a basic back story and then get to the main story.  No wasted fluff!

This also reminded me of a time when movies were NOT all green screen and CGI.  While goofy at times it is nice to see all practical effects.  My fear when the new critters series comes out...oh yeah there is a TV series coming out...another reason I watched these flicks....when the series comes out I'm hoping the series uses more practical effects then CGI.  

What these flicks do well is pacing and storytelling.  Acting not so much but storytelling is very well done.  

Take the third movie for example.  1.  Family shows up at rest area and meets Charlie and Critters.  2.  Family goes home to find slumlord is pushing people.  3.  Critters attack.  4.  Slumlord is someone from rest area.  5.  Critters and humans fight.  6.  End.  Nothing overly complicated just straight forward story telling.  They didn't add in a bunch of shit.

Take Shape of Water for example.  A movie I really enjoyed but had a lot of fluff.  The entire pie store storyline was really just fluff.  It had no real impact on the story.  It was probably 10 minutes of unneeded information about the character.  I'm all for character development if it means something but this did not...much like half of my blogs when they're not reviews of something!

Yes I tend to ramble and I realize movies often do as well but there are times you have to ask did that add ANYTHING to the flick.  I also realize that there are times where I am off on my thinking when it comes to these things.  I just believe that Hollywood is in dire need of editors that realize sometimes less is more and we don't need certain things.

Movie Review: Cook Off

Good morning, good afternoon, good evening...whenever it is you have come across this entry. Today, 1/20/18, I am checking out the 2007 (released in 2017) flick Cook Off.  Starring Louie Anderson, Nick Rey Angelus and Diedrich Bader.  "Amateur "chefs" from around the country compete for a million dollar prize in the ultimate food fight."  This sounds interesting!  It only has a 4.2 rating with 291 votes...so not a lot of views on IMDB.

• A lot of American Flags thus far in this flick...and it is just starting....USA USA!
• And then we have dildos!
• Lutheran marital aids huh?
• Wow the chick from Goldbergs and Reno 911 really looks different and is really frumpy
• Its Bee Bop!  He is funny
• Meaty kernels doesn't have to be refrigerated, those sound....great
• Voice actor Phil Lamar and Niecy Nash!
• Wonder if Niecy will have her fake ass on?
• Where did they dig Louie Anderson up from?!?!
• Nope no fake ass
• Not a lot to say about this, it is one of those like A Mighty Wind, and it is random
• And there is Melissa McCarthy!
• Also she didn't put her fingers anywhere!
• I haven't mentioned but Oswald from the Drew Carey show is in this...but I'm not sure he knows he is in a movie.  He is just wondering around drinking
• There is McCarthy's husband!
• Gavin MacLeod is in this flick more than Louie Anderson!
• Jordan Black is actually pretty funny
• Cream corn does go in like it comes out
• Awww, that is too bad for McCarthy!
• I think half of Reno 911 is in this flick!
• Bananas....sounds like a nice club...like the Blue Oyster
• Wendi McLendon-Covey looks completely different in this flick!

That was...something.  It feels like one of those flicks like Mighty Wind or Mascots where they don't really have a script.  I think it suffered from that a bit.  The story was interesting but things beyond that just didn't click unfortunately.  Lots of really good actors but something didn't click.

Storylines didn't really go anywhere and characters just disappeared and reappeared.  I wonder if things were edited poorly.  I feel like it should have been amazing but it was just missing something.

Overall I think it is a 5/10.  Slightly higher then what IMDB says but not by much.  I feel like a missed opportunity with this cast and I'd like to see a more uncut version.

The bottom line is it has a few funny moments but I feel something was missing so I would not say to run out a check the flick out but if you do get the chance there are worse ways to spend 90 minutes!

Movie Review: Insidious: The Last Key (or hopefully the last movie)

Good morning, good afternoon, good evening...whenever it is you found this entry.  Today, 01/06/18, I checked out the lastest in the Insidious flicks, the Last Key.  It currently has a rating of 6.1 with 1978 votes.  It stars Lin Shaye, Leigh Whannell and Angus Sampson.  Parapsychologist Dr. Elise Rainier faces her most fearsome and personal haunting yet - in her own family home."

The Good:

First off let me sayin that I am glad that this is seemingly the end of the series.  This takes place prior to the first story, you know timey wimey.

The acting from MOST of the actors (more on this later) is good to above average.  The team of Specs and Tucker are, like the other flicks, fantastic in their roles.  The addition of the younger Rainiers is also well done.  Another thing that these films usually do well is the bad guys.  Key Guy, as I am calling him, is a pretty cool design.  You also have to respect that this is a 4 film franchise lead by a 70 year old woman! (My better half pointed this out to me)

The Bad:

Now this is going to sound weird after what I just said but remember when I said most of the acting was good or better?  Well the lead, Lin Shaye, just isn't great.  She is okay but like the other films there were scenes were she just seemed out of it, and not the way the movie character should.  While the running time, 103 minutes per IMDB, is good I would have shaved off a few minute more minutes and tried to fit into the 90 minutes.  Several scenes while Elise is in the void was just too long.  Also the scene early on with the "lights" didn't make sense to me. Maybe it was a call back to something but it was 5 minutes to cut.

The Ugly:

The ending/last fight was just bad.  It just ended basically.  It is one of those scenes that left me scratching my head.  I felt that it was an afterthought and they just felt it was not important.  Also I felt that several times they went to the bad horror movies plan of playing EXTREMELY loud music when they did a jump scare.  You jump because your ears started bleeding not because of the scary moment.

Overall I think that the others who have rated this have it right with the flick falling in about 6/10.  Slightly below the others and on par with the third one I think.  Some, like my wife like the old buy guy better.

But I will always just see this.  

Until next time watch out for demons and the mist!