Shudder Day: The Angry Black Girl and Her Monster (2023)

 A Film like this is an interesting attempt to look at a Classic Tale in a new light.

Does it work?

A young woman faces a series of tragedies so early in her life.

She was there when her Mother was shot.
She's just witnessed her older Brother being shot and killed in the open.

There's a Drug Kingpin in their Neighborhood who her Brother worked for.

After the son's death, her Father is now an addict under the Dealer's thumb.

What can she do?

Turn her Brother into a Frankenstein Monster, of course.

That's the most obvious solution!

The problem- she can't control him!

He attacks one of the Dealer's men and causes trouble.

Since she was spotted near him, things go poorly for her.

Can she get her Monster in check?
Can she bring peace to the neighborhood?
Can she stop the killing?

Do I need to sign a Form saying 'Please don't make me a Frankenstein Monster' before I die?

To find out the answer to some of those questions, watch the Film.

A good Film that takes a bit to get going.

The Plot is pretty bleak.  There are some jokes, but it is mostly serious and often pretty rough.
Just know what you're getting into.

The Monster Effects are often understated but look good.  The dreads sticking out from the hoodie are a nice accent.

The real draw here is the Drama.  It really humanizes all of the Characters.  Everyone save for the guy who's just a murderous psychopath gets a bit of an Arc here.

They all feel real, in spite of the bizarre situation.

If you like your Horror Films without Social Commentary, look elsewhere.
Otherwise, this one is a strong recommendation for Indy Horror Fans looking for something familiar, but different.

Just prepare to make this face at least two or three times.

A good Film that is a slow burn that leads to something big.  Along the way, you'll care about these poor people.

Is It Bad?: The Incredible Hulk (2008)

 Iron Man was a revelation.

Thor and Captain America put the MCU into motion.

The Incredible Hulk...came out in 2008 and didn't affect all that much.

Mind you, the Film rights were tied up with Universal, so things were complicated- and that is before Disney bought Marvel.

Simply put, they could use him in team-ups and group Films, but no Sequel for you!

With billions in Box Office and at least a dozen more Films coming down the pipeline, let's look at the SECOND MCU Film and figure out if it is bad.

Pro: The Film feels like an extension of the original '70s TV Show.  It has Banner on the run, finding a cure and trying to help people.

Con: Is it perhaps a bit too safe?  Maybe don't go full-on crazy like Ang Lee, but...

Pro: Edward Norton is a really good Bruce Banner.
Con: Edward Norton is apparently lots of trouble, rewrites all of his Film Scripts without anyone asking him to and then gets mad if he doesn't get credit.

Pro: This Hulk design is great.  No disrespect to the classic MCU one- which is also great- but this one feels very visceral.

It is based on Dale Keown's version and I love it.

Pro: Having Betty Ross in the tale really helps to anchor the Story and Banner in a good way.

She's a reminder of his past mistakes and someone who pushes him to make future improvements.
I have to believe that if she was able to be in more MCU Films until now, things could have been even better.

Pro: The origin of this Hulk is tied to the Super Soldier Program, an idea that came from The Ultimates version.
Thankfully, this one is not a cannibal.

Con: Ultimates Captain America is awful.  I'm glad that they didn't adapt him into the MCU.

Pro: Having his future rival- Abomination- get an Arc in the Film leading up to the big battle is a good call.  Plus, it gives us more Tim Roth.

You all slept on She-Hulk and missed him.  Your loss.

Pro: The Film parallels Bruce nicely with different Scientists/Experts in the Film.

Doc Samson- who doesn't get powers and is mostly cut out of the final version- is too cautious and ceding to authority.

Doctor Samuel Sterns- who went into MCU limbo after this Film until recently- is too chaotic, too willing to take risks and respects no authority- even that of Science!

Con: Due to the inability to make a second Hulk Film, he was written out in a tie-in Comic.  Sigh.

Pro: The Film builds nicely to a Hulk vs. Abomination battle.  It is still great all of these years later.

Some of the CGI is, well, obviously CGI, but it is still quite great.

Pro: The Film sets up a nice place for Banner, which is mostly followed up on in The Avengers.

Con: Does that Film contradict this one?  A little bit.

What Is Good?

The Plot is really good, with Character Arcs for just about everyone in the Film.  Bruce grows and changes, as do Betty and the man who would be Abomination.

Even General Ross gets one- even if he won't admit it!

The Action is great.  They build up the Hulk reveal nicely and it looks great.  The actions feel visceral too.

If you can look at this as something that doesn't contradict the MCU, but also doesn't exactly add a ton to it, it fits in pretty well into the whole structure.  Spare me the old 'the Timeline doesn't make sense' argument- please.

What Is Bad?

Some of the CGI- mostly the use of full Scene Replacements- stand out.  It is like watching a Video Game Cutscene.  It might be a good one- let's say a high-end PS4 one- but your eyes tell you that something is off.

As noted, its MCU connection is a bit wonky (so far).  That wasn't a big deal in 2008, but it stands out here.

Certain Characters and Plot Points get a bit short-changed as well, thanks to many Cuts (there are over a dozen or so Deleted/Extended Scenes- which is a lot!) likely due to make the Film breezier.

So...

Is It Bad?

No.

While it struggles to stand out against later Films like The Avengers, Iron Man 3 or The Guardians of the Galaxy, the Film is not a 'black mark' on the Franchise.

It just struggled to tie things into the main Timeline and kind of got pushed away...until now (he says optimistically).

A Film that was kind of ignored for quite a while, in spite of the MCU's success.  It is long overdue for a reevaluation.

Holiday Flix: My Bloody Valentine (1981)

 It's a-boot to get bloody in here!

The 2000s were a great Decade if you loved Remakes of Horror Films from the '80s (or sometimes further back).  My Bloody Valentine 3-D was one of those.

It was also a Remake with one of the two guys from Supernatural (the other being House of Wax).

Let's not talk about that Film though- it is time for the Original!

This Canadian Film was one of the early Slasher Films when the Genre really took off.  To really date this Film, it was supposedly censored in the wake of John Lennon's death in December of 1980.

Yikes.

Is this Cult Classic worth a look over 40 years later or should you stick to the Remake?
To find out, read on...

The Film begins with two people in Mining Gear wandering off on their own.

One of them strips down, but briefly keeps the mask on.

Whose Fetish is this?

Anyhow, he kills her and then we get the Titles.

The Film follows a group of Miners who live and party in nearby Valentine's Bluff.

The titular day is nearly there.

The Mayor and Sheriff reminisce about how this is the first Valentine's Day Party in 20 years.

We hear about a Miner named Harry who was nearly killed in an explosion due to Owner incompetence.
The Holiday Party happened at the same time.

He proceeds to kill said Owner and threatened them to never hold a Party again!

He's back now, but his whereabouts cannot be proven.

I'd joke about how poorly managed the Psych Wards were in '80s Slashers (see Sleepaway Camp 2, The Burning and Girls Nite Out), but Reagan literally did clear them out!

The Miner kills one of the older ladies preparing for the Party.

The other Plot involves a guy- TJ- who left Town and his girlfriend behind to 'make it big.'

He's now returned and wants his girlfriend back, but Axel is now with her.

It is a real 'Will They, Who Cares?' tale.

Random folks of minor importance die in the Town as the Party goes on unofficially

Harry will not be pleased!

Even in 1981, the 'Guy who misses the dead body' cliche was in full effect.

The Miner continues to kill people, mostly the young folks who decide to go to the Mine to Party.

Even if they don't die, are they really going to have a good time drinking and making out in a Coal Mine?!?

Oh, and this Scene is still missing on the most recent Uncut version of this Film made the year my Brother was born.
We only get to see them found like this.

As it turns out, the Miner was actually dead.  He died 5 years ago.

So, who is this Miner?

It is Axel!
Why?

As a kid, he watched the original Miner- Harry- kill his Dad.

This made him crazy...somehow.

When TJ returned, he went a bit nuts.

He escapes (minus an arm) to set up a Sequel that never got made.

A pretty basic Film, but it really doesn't do anything wrong either.

MBV is a pretty simple Film.  It sets up a concept.  It introduces a bunch of random Characters.  It sets up a killer.  They then start the killing.

The Plot is not that complicated, just riding on the TJ-Sarah-Axel Love Triangle and not much else.

The draw here are the kills.
They are done well.
They are bloody.

I'm watching the most recent- as far as I know- Cut and you can see most of it in all of its gory...I mean, glory.

The Film is fine.  It is nothing amazing.
I was hoping for something far more Canadian from this, but it is just the beer and a-boots, really.

I can at least reminisce about this older version of the classic Paramount logo though.

A Film that is probably a must-see for Slasher buffs.  That said, there's no major hook here to really stand out.

Tubi Thursday: Blue Beetle (2023)

 Since I- like many people- gave up on the DCEU when the Reboot was announced, I missed this one.

Now I've seen it.

How much am I kicking myself over this?

Jaime Reyes returns home from College and finds that things aren't great.

His Family is in financial trouble.
The neighborhood is disappearing.

Oh, and his Family can't help but tease him...

Fate intercedes and he ends up in the possession of the Scarab.

It chooses him- much like a Green Lantern ring- and things change in a hurry!

He now has great powers- think an Iron Man suit mixed with Venom and a bit of Green Lantern- and little control.

He needs to bond with the scarab...and stay away from Mrs. Kord!

Can he gain control of the suit?
Can he rise to the occasion?

Where did he learn to swordfight?!?

Oh and...

What the hell is this thing?!?

To find out, stream the Film now.

A fun Film that has what these kinds of things really need- heart.

The Story is a hodge podge of ideas (as this is the third iteration of the Blue Beetle character over several Decades).

It looks nice, with a vibrant color palette and lots of neon.

It is charming, with a family dynamic on par with Ms. Marvel/The Marvels.

It has a great Lead, a brave young man who grows up in pretty much real time for the Story.

The Film has lots going on, but mercifully is pretty much separate from the DCEU.  I don't know if that's accidental or by design.

Save for references to Batman, Superman and a Lexcorp sign, you can go into this without seeing the other Films.

Would I have liked a Cameo?  Probably.

That said, the Film is a neat journey with lots of heart and energy.  Maybe we'll see more of it in Gunn's version of the DCEU and finally get the team-up that we desperately need...

A fun, flashy Film that can also hit you in the feels.  If you skipped it for any number of reasons, give it a look.

My Crazy Youth: When The Falcon and The Red Hulk Debuted on 'The Avengers' Together

There's lots of talk about the MCU these days.
There's a new Captain America Film coming out.

The promotion of the Film- which fully elevates Sam Wilson from The Falcon to Captain America- is also built around a big name.

The Red Hulk!

This is all quite natural, you see, as both of them debuted on The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes at the same time!

To set the stage for you, The Avengers have saved the world on many occasions.
In spite of that, some people don't trust them, since they have a Hulk!

The most vocal critic is a man named Dell Rusk, who just also happens to be the US Secretary of Defense.

If you don't know the Comic Book story that this is based on, I'll just tell you to look at all of the letters in his name.

What villain name can you spell with 'Pete Hegseth?'

Anyhow, imagine his delight in 'Nightmare in Red' (Season 2, Episode 9) when a mysterious new Hulk shows up on the SHIELD Hellicarrier to smash things up.

This one is Red!

Notably, Bruce Banner is far away with Hawkeye- not in his Hulk form.

They go to the Mansion when the attack hits.

Soon enough, look who shows up- The Falcon!

The pair of attacks are eventually foiled and the plan is revealed.

The Falcon, The Winter Soldier, Red Hulk and Doc Samson (who was also on the Hellicarrier) are all part of Code Red- a team formed by (wait for it) Dell Rusk.

Due to the unique nature of this Show- with a Season-long Plot and individual ones- this is not followed up on again until 11 Episodes later!

In 'Code Red,' the Mansion is gassed with a poison that turns you red.  Hmm...

The members of the titular team attack our Heroes in some one-on-one fights.

The Winter Soldier is awoken!  Dell Rusk's identity is revealed!

He's The Red Skull!

He's defeated, of course, (well, until the next Episode) and the day is saved yet again by a Nazi being punched in the face!

There's a bit more of the Red Hulk on the Show (see 'The Most Dangerous Man Alive') and The Falcon also gets in on the action once more.

A fun pair of Episodes that really get to show off The Red Hulk, who was a pretty new Character when these Episodes aired in 2010.

Will his Live-Action counterpart do as well?

Tubi Tuesday: The Legend of Black Annie (2015)

This Film was watched on Thursday.  I just was too damn tired to also Review it.
That said, this one has been in my Queue since I started this Segment!

Here's a treat for you- two Tubi Reviews in one week.

Here is...

A guy goes out hunting.

He sees weird smoke.

Strange things happen.
It all ends badly for him.

It turns out he's the Mayor of a small Town.

This death relates to a young girl named- shock of shocks- Annie (aka Black Annie) who was chased by some kids.

After putting this new footage behind a terrible, strobing filter, she ends up falling to her death.

In the present, those related to it are killed.

Will our Professor here be the one to solve the case before everyone in town dies mysteriously?

Well, the Film is pretty much just a series of these Scenes, with flashbacks and filler.

You know this this a flashback because they added a Filter to it.

Sigh.

Will Black Annie get her revenge on, well, just about everyone over the age of 40 in this Town?

Will the sleaziness of the Film make up for all of its faults?

To find out, stream it now.

I clearly didn't miss out on much after all of this time skipping this one on Tubi.

Simply put, the Film isn't good.

It really is just Death, Setup to new Death (with three people reading about it in the Papers), a little Plot and then that Death.

Maybe if the Death Scenes are good or interesting, I might still like it, you say nervously.

They aren't.

The Film looks and feels very cheap, from the Sets to the lazy Plot to the Filters.
None of it is that good.
None of the Characters are good.

I don't like to be the angry Reviewer or anything, but...I mean, this one is a bit of dumpster fire...or a completely realistic-looking Church Fire...

A Film that doesn't aspire to be much and, well, it succeeds.  None of it is just that interesting or original- sorry.

Fiction vs Fiction: Superman III (1983)

 Superman III is not a good Movie.

That said, is Superman III a good Book?

Well, readers, it was a Book, as it got a Novelization in the same year that it came out.
I paid 50 cents for it years ago and now you have to suffer for it!

I joke- I had to read the Book AND rewatch Superman III.  I'm the real loser here.

What's the Same?

The Plot is pretty much the same.  The Book just makes tweaks here and there.

It also seems to be based on the ORIGINAL Script and not the final product that is the Film.

That said, there are some WEIRD changes/additions!

What's Different?

Shockingly, there's actually MORE slapstick in the Intro than in the Film.
Were moments like 'A crane grabbing a bag from a ladder which had just grabbed it from a robber' cut?
Yes, it turns out.

In the Film, Lois leaves to go on Vacation and doesn't return until the Ending.
In the Book, we get a brief bit of her being confronted by strange men...and then nothing until the Ending.

In both versions, she reveals that she was kidnapped, escaped and exposed a crime ring.  Can we see that Story instead?!?

Here's a weird one for you...

Superman (as Clark) meets Lana Lang and her son Ricky.  He has to switch to Superman to save Ricky- who tripped and knocked himself out in a field.

While he carries him back, the Book says that the 'vibrations of energy' from Superman's body gave the weak boy strength that he never had.

This is not in the Movie- thank Siegel!

When Superman stops the storm created by Gus' manipulation of the Weather Satellite, it plays out a bit differently in the two mediums.

In the Book, we just 'see' what he did to save the day.
In the Film, Gus acts out what Superman does, while we get snippets of the Scene.

This added bit is based on something he did on Carson back when Superman II was out and led to him being cast in this Film.  META?

The main changes in the Book seem to be William Kotzwinkle adding dark subtext to Scenes that are in the Script.

For instance, in the Film, Gus slips down the slope on Ross Webster's roof for a gag.

In the Book, Ross' Sister Vera has the slope coated in water- making ice- as part of her plan to have Ross' Psychic Nutritionist fly off to her death when she used it later.

Damn!

Remember when Superman is greeted by the Mayor of Smallville when he visits in the Film?

Well, the Book adds a bit about him being indicted on criminal charges (for price-fixing) and hoping that this big celebration would distract from that.

Something you want to tell us, William?!?

Another change that might be one related to the Filmmakers making a rare, good decision...

In the Book, the almost-Kryptonite turns Superman evil...and green.  He gets green eyes and a green costume!

The suit later changes to a dark green and then black (for the Bar Scene).

Good call, Filmmakers.

The Film actually adds a couple bits, while cutting others.

A bit showing a Doctor in surgery when the power goes out (drained by the Computer) was cut.
Apparently, he was played by Frank Oz.

It is in the Book.

Not in the Book, however, is a bit where we see Lana and Ricky riding the subway into Metropolis (complete with stock footage from The Taking of Pelham One Two Three) when the power goes out.

The final one of note- the Ending bit with Gus feels different in the Book.

In the Film, he turns down a job, because comedy.  He also opens his shirt like Clark does to change...which raises so many questions.

In the Book, there's no shirt bit.

More importantly, Gus leaves because he thinks that the White Coal Miners had shotguns and were going to 'use him as target practice.

WTF, William?!?  This is Superman III!

Final Thoughts

The Book is a weird adaptation with its additions and tweaks.

Reading it, I began to suspect that adapting this bizarre screenplay got to the Writer.  Even early on, I could feel mental breaks as he's trying to recap that prolonged Slapstick Intro Bit.

This line stands out to me- 'Anyone familiar with the habits of rolling gumballs knows that they are unlikely stop until they find a delivery man carrying a tray of custard pies.'

That might be what lead him to add really dark, random additions to a bunch of Scenes like shown above.  It's like that bit from Family Guy's version of Return of the Jedi.

Regardless, this is still an adaptation of Superman III.
It's a dumb Film.
No need to make it weird, William.

After all, this was the average reaction of most Superman fans after it came out...

The Film is dumb and silly, but not without some charm.
The Book is mostly the same, just with random changes that just boggle the mind.