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Back in October, 2018, Call of Cthulhu came out as a video game with a bunch of huge promises. Not the least of which were an open world, an RPG system that mattered, multiple methods to solve cases, and stunning quality development.
They pretty much failed to deliver on every single point with the exception that SOME cases could be solved in different ways. All around, it was a pretty big disappointment, one that I regretted paying full price for. So when the Sinking City was on the verge of coming out, I had high hopes this company could actually deliver.
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The Conjuring 1 and 2 are a couple of my favorite horror movies. They actually scared the crap out of me, gave me nightmares for days...real terrifying stuff. They worked for me on a number of levels, not the least of which being that the main characters were capable investigators of the occult, not hapless victims waiting to be attacked or killed by the monsters.
After those, the Conjuring Cinematic Universe went downhill a bit but they still made enough to continue pumping out films. I saw Annabelle Creation because I loved the period they set it in but sadly, it proved to be pretty disappointing. I've seen MASH episodes that were scarier. So how did this installment in the series come out? Oh boy. This was a tough one. We finished it this evening, plowing through it in record time really. I wish I could say it was because I sat through some riveting television but in reality, this season felt like a means to an end for me. Something I had to watch before I could get to what's really got me curious in this series.
I've never made a secret of how I feel about Matt Smith. I don't mind him as an actor. I've seen him in some things I liked but for me, something seemed off about him as the Doctor. I firmly believe he was short changed by coming on the tail of David Tennant and the writing certainly took a downturn. For the most part, I can say that this felt like the weakest set of episodes I've seen yet. I'd been meaning to watch this for a while. Sydney Pollack directing, someone I admire a lot. Spy movies are right up there for me with courtroom dramas. I'm pretty sure I've seen this before but it was long enough ago that I didn't remember it.
Seeing it as an adult had a dramatically different impact than being a kid. All the concepts, some of which became a real problem later for America, were awesome to see through the lens of the 1970s. It wan't without problems, but I'd say the movie was all around worth seeing. I've become quite a fan of BBC television as of late. It's been more my speed maybe, I don't know. But all around, I find that I really enjoy the pacing, the characterization, the acting, the way people and places look...there's a reality to it American TV often lacks, a bit of imperfection to make it beautiful.
Broadchurch nails that perfectly. The first season is like watching a motion painting. Gorgeous scenery, awesome actors, plenty of drama. I would argue that the mystery was perhaps too oblique. There were not enough viewer clues to indicate who committed the crime so that by the time of the reveal, you would likely be surprised but not necessarily in a good way. Let's talk about some nostalgia! I remember seeing this when it first came out. I was ten years old and much of the dialogue went over my head. Since then, I'd seen it maybe half a dozen or more times. It held a place in my head as a reasonably decent post apocalyptic movie.
So when I saw that it was on Amazon Prime, I had to give it another shot. This case proved nostalgia had it mostly right. I had a good time, even if the movie is far more ridiculous to watch now. All around, I would say Night of the Comet is a worthwhile time capsule. Loosely based on Cycle of the Werewolf by Stephen King, it still holds a lot in common with his 'small town horror' genre. This particular proves effective enough with only a few small problems holding it back.
This is another Dino De Laurentiis production and if you know much about him, you'd remember that his productions generally had a lot of problems for a variety of reasons. This was no different. The original director (Don Cocascarelli, who made Phantasm and Bubba Hotep) resigned over disagreements with the werewolf suit. There are some Stephen King movies that got sassed pretty hard back in the day. This one seems to be pretty damn close to the book and overall, was made quite well. I had seen it as a kid when it first came out (I was ten) but this was the first time watching as an adult.
The Shop was a cool idea. A fleeing adult/child combo works for Stephen King (like Salem's Lot). The psychic bent made it all the more exciting. The description calls it a science fiction horror, which I thought was interesting. I never thought of it as sci fi until today. Another movie savaged by the critics, Shaft probably represented a confusing bag for the average viewer. On one hand, it holds the semblance of a sequel to the 2000 version with Samuel L. Jackson. That movie was a mostly serious venture directed by John Singleton who's first film was Boyz n the Hood.
Of course, he's also responsible for 2 Fast 2 Furious but for the most part, his work exists as a far more serious set of ventures. Which is probably why this new film made the critics go berserk because the 2019 film is not remotely serious. In fact, I'd put it just below a Will Ferrell type of comedy as far as jokes go...but more violent. I like John Carpenter. This is a movie I missed when it came out. I knew it existed but somehow, I didn't know he directed it. We threw this on and while I had fun watching it, there were a lot of problems with it.
I haven't seen the original since I was a kid so maybe they're pretty close but the biggest issues come from a lack of explanation. The children are portrayed as emotionless but if that's true, why torture their victims and not simply kill them? This builds a sense of 'wickedness' that's contrary to the narrative. |
Robert HazeltonAuthor of several books, composer of several CDs. Please check out the rest of the site for some of my work. Archives
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