Tubi Thursday: X (2022)

 After watching a Film famous for being bad (and it delivered!), let me switch things up.

How about a Film that is supposed to be good?
Even better- it's the first part of a Trilogy that I've already seen one part of.

It's...

Mia Goth is Maxine, a woman who really wants to be a Star.

She also does cocaine.
It's the 70s, so, you know, still very illegal.

She goes off with her Fiancée to make a Movie.

This will make her a Star!

Did I mention it was a dirty Movie?
Of course I didn't.

The Crew- including Kid Cudi and Jenna Ortega- are doing this in secret from the Owners of the Farm that they are renting the outsider Lodging from.

As you can see, they don't take the news well.

Fans of Pearl will know why this lady is crazy, of course.
To me, she gives me The Taking of Debra Logan vibes.

Will this Shoot end well for the Cast and Crew?

Who will live?
Who will die?

To find out, stream it now.

A Film that truly delivers as a slow burn, atmospheric Horror Film.

The Plot isn't exactly revolutionary.  Does it need to be though?

Sometimes a simple Plot works if there are more complex motivations for the Characters and that makes it work.

Everyone gets just a little bit extra to note be a one-note cliche.  Some- like Mia Goth in both roles- obviously get more than others.

In theory, you should watch this, then Pearl and finally Maxxxine.  
That said, there's an interesting effect when you watch it chronologically and see Pearl first.

You know things will go bad.  You know why.
In a way, it works even better.

If you're put off by gore, there's not too much- especially compared to stuff like the Terrifier Films.  When you do get it, the effect is so much stronger.

X lives up to the hype.
It also may contain a few bits of foreshadowing.

A slow burn Film about the dangers lurking around corners you don't expect.  Maybe don't lie to old people either.

Streaming Standard: Ahsoka- Season 1

 A Show that I went on a long journey to finally see properly.

I first tried watching this Show shortly after it first debuted.
I felt that I was missing lots of context.

On advice from a friend, I watched ALL of Star Wars Rebels and now I'm back to properly experience...

A pair of Jedis show up near a ship transporting a New Republic Prisoner.

She's the Witch from Season 2 of The Mandalorian.

In a somewhat familiar framing, they reveal themselves to be bad guys and free her.

Avoid people that look like Vader in long hallways.

This gets the attention of Ahsoka, who brought her into custody that Episode.

She's also dealing a MacGuffin that works as a Star Map.

It seems to lead to where Ezra Bridger and Thrawn were deposited at the edge of the known Galaxy in Rebels.

This brings in Sabine, Chopper and Hera from Rebels.

No Zeb though.

When the Map is stolen by the evil Not Jedis, the duo (with her robot tutor Huyang) follow in pursuit.

This means Space Battles!

Throughout the Season, they try to work on the divide between Ahsoka and Sabine, who was once her pupil.

Can they get on the same page if it means keeping a dangerous threat locked away?

A strange course of events (conveniently at the halfway point of the Show) sends our Heroine on a journey through her past, 'reunited' in a sense with Anakin Skywalker, who she was an Apprentice to.

Will this finally let her resolve her past and face her future?

After the first fight against Baylan Skoll doesn't go her way, can our Heroine do better the next time?

Can she do better this time when the fate of the Galaxy is on the line?

To find out, stream the Show now.

A Show that definitely is more enjoyable if you 'do your homework.'

That's not to say that I didn't enjoy all of Rebels.
That's not to say that you can't enjoy the Show unless you watch all 4 Seasons of said Show.

It definitely helps though.

The Show itself has all of the positives and negatives that all of these Prestige TV Shows have.
Things look great.  Things move slowly.

Slow and steady wins the race.

I won't SPOIL how it ends, but I was hoping for slightly more resolution.  It must be a case of them being guaranteed a second Season (which was stated in 2024).

If you like Dave Filoni's many attempts to connect the dots (and characters) in Star Wars lore, you'll love this Show.
Fans of Rebels should as well.

Hopefully they weren't holding their breath for a quick turnaround (apparently, they filmed it last April) like this guy was...

Based on your love/devotion of Star Wars, your mileage will vary.  It's a good, if prolonged experience for me.

Shudder Day: Curse of the Devil (1973/4)

 Paul Naschy is finally back on this Website!

His Werewolf Film Series- aka the Waldemar Daninsky Series- has almost no real continuity.

As such, there's no issue covering the 7th Film now.

Here it is under the US Title (designed to market off of the success of The Exorcist)...

This is one of those Films with A LOT of setup, so bear with me...

Long ago, Waldemar (Naschy) kills a heathen and leads the execution of the rest of the evil clan.

The final lady curses his line before death.

What happens if you interrupt these curses?

Much much later, his descendant is hunting a Wolf.

When he finally shoots it, it turns back into a man (off-camera).

This apparently triggers the curse, meaning several Daninsky men led very normal lives.

The family of the Romani Werewolf killed is inspired to call upon the Devil himself (hence the Title) to make this Curse happen.

This involves a lady from the Tribe having sex with Satan (who is just a guy in a black bodysuit!) and then setting up a convoluted way to meet Waldemar.

He finds her on the road and brings her home.

In spite of his Maid's warnings, he falls for her and he gets Satan's sloppy seconds.

That night- on Walpurgis Night- she bleeds on a werewolf skull and 'bites' him with it.

Now he's beginning to turn into a Werewolf during the many, MANY Full Moons they have in this area.

However, there's also a feral-looking killer on the loose, so it is not clear that a Werewolf is Among Us (or Them).

Eventually they figure it out as the body count rises and the killer is eventually found dead from his wounds earlier (see above).

Can Waldemar stop himself before he kills his true love?

He can't stop before killing her Sister (who seduces him) and both of her Parents though.

There's also a Subplot involving the Village, who turn on the Sheriff-like figure and kill Waldemar's helpers.

I'm pretty sure you know how these Films work by now.

He kills just about everyone- including the 'Sheriff'- but can't attack his love.

She was given a silver dagger and ends his Curse.

Don't worry- we get Sequel Bait in the form of her and his Son (as she was pregnant days earlier).

The End.

This one is essentially a reset for the Franchise, even if the continuity doesn't really exist.

The previous Films got into stranger territory than this, including the previous Film where he meets Dr. Jekyll!

The best and worst thing about this one is just how familiar it really feels.

There's not much new here.  Many of the familiar tropes are here.

I will note that the Romani guy turned into a regular Wolf (as original Werewolves 'did') and Waldemar becomes a Wolf Man (not The).

I guess blame Satan.

The whole 'Killer on the Loose' Subplot does help to delay the inevitable Scene of the Mob trying to kill our Hero/Villain at least.
All of the extra steps to get there are kind of silly though.

Naschy's Werewolf Films are almost always fun.  I should finish these out, but I'll try not to get a head of myself...

I make no apologies.

A fun Film that didn't take many risks.  That said, the formula is still pretty good and the atmosphere is great.

Tubi Thursday: Track of the Vampire

 A new Year begins new Resolutions.

One is to finally get around to finally watching some things I've meant to forever.

In this case, it is the Film that Svengoolie says is the worst Film he's ever ran.
This is...

A random lady is attacked by a...Vampire, I guess.

The guy looks like Joe Estevez and I just hope that this makes sense later.

We next meet a bunch of random guys in a bar who keep discussing Art.

I guess there's also an Art Sale going on inside.

Also, that's Sid Haig in the background playing...'Ahab the Arab.'

After this, a random lady is chased around and ends up at the Beach.

It chases her into the Water...in, I think, broad daylight and kills her.

Okay...

After watching our Heroine at a Dance Class...or Rehearsal...maybe, she goes to the same Beach and dances around.

This goes on for over FIVE MINUTES in a Film that is just over 70 minutes long.

If this Film seems a bit disjointed, it is because of a few reasons.

The bulk of the Film is a 1966 Film called Blood Bath.
There's also footage from Portrait in Terror.
A third Feature gets some more footage borrowed.

Thanks, Roger Corman!

The Film- mostly the Bath part- involves a Painter being crazy.  Something about the lady in the Painting being a Witch.

He kills a random jealous guy - from Portrait- and then plans to kill our Heroine for his art.

His previous victims come to life and...he falls into his pit of boiling oil...off-camera.  Joy.

The End.

Yeah, I can see why this one has its reputation.

The whole thing is just a bizarre, jumbled mess.

We get a Vampire killing ladies.
We get a crazy Painter.
We get a happy Dancer.
We get a bunch of a bunch of wannabe Artists/Beatniks.

Does this sound like a good time?
It isn't.
Maybe I should have just watched Blood Bath (which is also on Tubi) instead.

By the way, even Films made nearly 6 Decades ago have these kinds of Fake Promo Images...

A Film as befuddling and silly as promised.  This is what I get for following through with my Resolutions, folks!

Fiction vs Fiction: Gremlins (1984)

 A late Christmas gift for all of you!

The 1984 Film Gremlins is a Christmas Classic a la Die Hard, Reindeer Games and Kiss Kiss Bang Bang.

Did you know that it had a Novelization?
Well, you do now....

***VS***

What's the Same?

The Plot doesn't change here.  Like most Novelizations, the core Story is untouched.

That said, there are many, MANY little tweaks and/or additions.

What's Different?

Right on Page 1, we get a big addition- the origin of Gizmo and the Mogwai.

They are Aliens!
No, really.

The Book tells you about the race that created them, why and how they got to Earth.
We also learn that their brains work 'faster than their mouths,' so they can't talk like we do.

Gizmo also has many inner monologues in this one.
In addition, we 'hear' him and Spike 'talk' to each other in their crazy Mogwai voices.

It sure is easier and a bit less silly than watching the two wag at each other with Subtitles on the screen though, right?

The Town's local DJ gets WAY more focus in the Book as well.

We 'hear' him explain a TON of events that we actually just see in the Movie.
He's also not attacked by the Gremlins in the Book (which we hear in the Film).

Was Don Steele too busy to actually appear on camera?

In the Book, the Gremlins frame the Dog for making a mess in the House, which is why the Dad takes him away with him.
In the Film, they tie it up with the Christmas lights (off screen) and that's...enough for the Dad.  Okay...

The oddest change- we don't get to 'see' the famous, over-the-top death of Mrs. Deagle (whose Deleted Scene motivations are also in the Book) in the Book.

The Movie shows her booby-trapped Electric Stair Car launch her up the stairs, through a wall and in front of the Cops.

The Book goes from the setup to...having the DJ explain how the Cops found her.  WTF?!?

Poor Judge Reinhold was mostly cut out of Gremlins.
In Deleted Scenes, we see him scheme and later hiding out in the Bank Vault.

In the Book, he went a bit crazy after the Bank Manager was killed (off screen) by the Gremlins and is 'turning this into a Bank for Little People.'

The Book has other minor tweaks here or there that were likely adjustments made on-set.
Like how the Cops crash their car via Gremlin sabotage in the Film but run into a 'sea of concrete posts' put up by the Gremlins in the Book.

Lastly the Chinese Shop Owner (Keye Luke) is much nicer in the Book.  He says that 'they accomplished a great deal' as he leaves, as opposed to telling him that 'mankind is not ready for the Mogwai' in the Film.

Final Thoughts

The Book is a fun adaptation.  It gives background to the Story that is nice (but not needed).
It has the same charm of the Film, minus a few baffling omissions.

As a reminder, VHS tapes were SUPER expensive in this Era, so this was a MUCH cheaper option than spending say $80 to own the Film back then.

Anyone still have these?

What is Better?

As fun as the Book is and how silly the explanation of them being Aliens is, there's no replacing...

The Film.

Seriously, I'm glad I found this Book.
That and the Sequel Book- see you in 2026, Mister!

Immediate Response: Avatar- Fire and Ash (2025)

My Dad is a big Avatar fan.

As such, I saw it with him on Christmas afternoon.

Let's see how it turned out...

The Good

* The Film looks amazing!  The CGI is so good that you get photorealistic creatures interacting with their environments in very impressive manner.

* The Film is epic in scale, with lots of Characters, locations and a Plot that grows from the previous Films.

* Oona Chaplin really shines as the new Villain.  She's not exactly nuanced, but she's impossible to look away from.

* A climactic battle feels like the proper finale to the Series.
This is the last Film...right?

The Bad

* The Film is very long.  This is because many Scenes feel drawn out.  This Film had multiple Editors.

* This Film was clearly set up as the final part of a Trilogy, so it has to wrap up LOTS of things that could have been dealt with in the last Film.

* Why is Jermaine Clement doing an American accent in this one?

* Seeing a CGI version of Sigourney Weaver (as a Navi) kissing someone 50 years younger than her- hmmm...no thanks.

All in all, the Film is a big, epic experience that is truly mind-blowing to look at.  I just wish that it could have been more concise.

Have you seen it?  If so, leave a comment.

Yuletide Terror: Black Christmas (2019)

 Black Christmas, I gave you, my heart.
The very next....13 years later, you gave it away.

This is 2019's Black Christmas, a Film that was, well, not received well.  I've gone all of this time without watching it.

That said, it took me 17 years from its release date to watch the 2006 Remake.  This one was only 6 years.

The Plot, well, is a loose Remake of the original Bob Clark Film.  Much like the so-called Prom Night Remake, it takes some elements, uses the name and...that's it.

This one has ladies in peril on Christmas, but not from an unseen killer, not trapped in the House...and not with a bizarre, tacked on Third Act in the Hospital.

So, if you want to be mad at this Film, do it for different reasons than 'It's another Remake.  LOL.  Hollywood has no original ideas anymore!'

Can our vastly different Cast of would-be Victims stop the killer (or killers) before it is too late?

To find out, read on...

In the (wintery) Cold Open, a person is stalking a woman down the Street and sending threatening texts.

She thinks she escapes...but fails.

The Story follows a Sorority that has some issues with many people on campus.

One of them is a Student who 'took advantage' of Riley here.
The other is a Teacher (Cary Elwes) who is accused of misogyny.

But who cares- it is Christmas!

After a satirical remake of the Christmas song from 'Mean Girls,' they start getting threatening texts from...the Founder of the School.

Said Founder is obviously dead, but they did force the Campus to remove his bust from display.

'Do you like Christmas Movies?'

Things escalate when some of the girls go missing.

Riley begins to suspect that the guy she (accurately) accused of assault is behind things.
Is he?

We also get some light homages to the original (and possibly Exorcist 3).

The group manages to band together when the killer breaks into their Sorority House.
Just like in the Original...kind of.

However, things take a turn when more than one killer appears...and it only gets weirder from there.

This is one of those Films with a bizarre turn (or 3) in Act 3 that you will either love or hate.

I'll share my thoughts on it shortly.

Until then, feel free to (festively) stream it now...

A Film that I honestly liked more than the official Remake from 2006.

Should I set the bar higher?

For me, this has all of the now-classic elements of a Modern Slasher.  
The only thing missing for me is the excessive gore.

Don't mistake this for a Family Film, but some Scenes- like, say, an arrow to the face- are far more subdued than you would expect from this kind of Film.

This Film is one that really benefits those that pay attention to the little details and can make some interesting, logical leaps too.  I won't SPOIL the big Twists, but they are hiding in plain sight.

I know that the whole 'Girl Power/Girl Boss' energy turned many people away.  You do you.

Said Twists do elevate this one for me from, say, another Scream Film or one of its ilk.  It is a freaking bonkers twist, but I liked it.

It is what I call 'a big reach' and it worked out for me.

If you're burnt out on Remakes, consider a Film like this that is less paint-by-numbers than many.  Whether you let this Film play out or not, there's something there to see- even if it is well hidden.

A 'Remake' that gave me lots of bizarre joy.  It's definitely 'a lot' though!

A Merry Christmas to all who read this, whether you give this Film a chance or not.