Mondo Bizarro's 2024 Year End Awards!

I really debated internally about making a Best of 2024 List.
Simply put, I still haven't seen MANY that make most of these Lists.

As such, why not do it a bit different and have some fun?

Instead of just 'Here's the Best Films,' I want to give Special Awards to each one that makes the cut.

Enjoy!

1) 'Thank You For NOT Being in The Dark Universe' Award

Winner- Abigail

This one is bizarre, violent and fun.  It's clearly a riff on Dracula's Daughter (a vastly underrated Universal Film).  It has been spared any of the world-building that would have come with being part of the Dark Universe.

No Russell Crowe Cameo?  Yes, please!

2) 'You've Still Got It!' Award

Winner- Furiosa

A great Film by a great Director.  Notably, a Director who's been working longer and more prolifically than his colleagues.

I don't know how many more like this Miller has in him, but I welcome them all!

3) 'This One Is Fun and I Make No Apologies' Award

Winner- Godzilla x Kong- The New Empire

Godzilla Minus One is great.  This one is also quite good.

This one is a pure Summer Blockbuster with big moments, good Writing, fun visuals and some neat ideas.  It can also exist in the same year as a Japanese Classic.

4) 'Striking the Right Balance Between Reverence and Fun' Award

Winner- Ghostbusters- Frozen Empire

I'm a big fan of all of the Ghostbusters Films.  Yes, all of them.
Afterlife was a very good Film too and really built up reverence towards the 2 Films.

This one is a nice balancing act between that and making a quirky Film that connects both generations of Characters.

5) 'Back in the Funky '70s' Award

Winner- Late Night with the Devil

On its own merits as a pseudo-Found Footage Film with a paranormal theme, it is quite good.

It gets extra points for fully committing to its 'Era' and all of that, making it feel extra real.

6) 'They Really Committed to the Premise' Award

Winner- In a Violent Nature

This one is a fascinating Film to study as it takes a singular premise- you only ever follow the killer- and commits to it.  No cheating really.

Said commitment will definitely turn off some people, as will the random spurts of horrific violence.

7) 'I Love Everything, But...That Choice' Award

Winner- Alien Romulus

Fede Alvarez and company delivered a really great Alien Film.  It fits into the timeline, does its own thing and still works in that sweet, sweet nostalgia.

As noted, I'm really put off by one choice...but the rest is really great.

8) 'All I Wanted and More!' Award

Winner- Deadpool and Wolverine

This Film is fun, violent, ridiculous, full of Cameos, introduces new Characters and sort of slots into the MCU.

On top of that, it also features a surprisingly deep performance from Hugh Jackman (not that Ryan Reynolds is a slouch).

9) 'The Most Burton Film of the Year' Award

Winner- Beetlejuice Beetlejuice

Tim Burton is a Director I tend to really like.  His early stuff- from Batman to Sleepy Hollow- is what I love.  Some of his choices later- like Planet of the Apes- less so.

With him stepping away from safe, Disney Films here, I'm excited again.

10) 'Do I Not Hate These Anymore?!?' Award

Winner- V/H/S Beyond

My general disdain for Found Footage Films should be obvious to anyone who's read a few of my Reviews- especially ones by the older, saltier version of me.

That said, I tend to find more that I like than don't in the recent V/H/S Films and this is no exception!

Let me close with an Honorable Mention for Madame Web.

It's not a Top 10 Film for any metric, but it's also not terrible and has more going on than Morbius did!

I do plan to catch up on many of the big or notable Films from 2024, but they won't be added here.

'90s Class: Twister (1996)

 Does this Film hold up after nearly 30 years?  Does typing that sentence cause me back pain?

This is Twister, the 1996 Summer Event of a Film.  It made lots of money.  It had an attraction at Universal Studios from 1998 to 2015.
Fun Fact- the video for said attraction was provided by 20 laserdisc players.  Thanks, Wikipedia!

So why did nobody talk about it much until Twisters came out?
Good question!

The Plot involves a group of Tornado Chasers looking to map the inside of a Storm, allowing it to be studied.  If they can study it, they can predict them and give more advanced warning times.

As someone who lives in a Hurricane-riddled State, I'm all for longer warning times!

Is this one Film from the '90s that ages like fine wine OR is it kind of cheesy?

To find out, read on...

A man named Bill- played by a guy named Bill Paxton- meets up with his old crew of Tornado Chasers.

It's not a social call, however- he needs his Wife (Helen Hunt) to sign the divorce papers so he can marry his new Fiancee.

I guess he wasn't ready for Big Love just yet.

His time is full of weirdo, Scientist and, well, Character Actors.

Most notably, there's Phillip Seymour Hoffman.

Besides that, you've got Alan Ruck, Joey Slotnick, Jamie Gertz and Sean Whalen.

Helen won't/forgets to sign the papers, making Bill go along with them.

It just also happens to be Tornado Season where they are.  What luck (for the audience)!

He also wants to see his Storm Mapping Tool (aka Dorothy) in action.

He sure sees some action!

The former-Wife and future-Wife are along for the action.

They also meet Helen's Aunt, which will matter later.

There's also a rival, played smugly by Cary Elwes.
He's the guy who has fancy tech, but 'no heart.'

The group run across a number of storms in a very busy couple of days.

Lots of flying debris.

Yes, even that Cow that you suddenly remember.

They keep losing Dorothys to various debris though.

They finally get a Dorothy into a Storm, getting the data they need.

However, the Storm loves drama and then turns towards them.

Can they escape the Storm on foot?

Yes, but you'll still want to see it.  

Oh and I guess I'll need to see the Sequel next, huh?

Yep.

A Film that doesn't suck or blow.

I mean, I had to make that joke, right?  Right?!?

Seriously, the Film has aged quite well, with its VFX, Story and Acting holding up nicely.  The Film gives you just enough human emotion and Characters to hook you.

The Film's set pieces really stand out.  You've got the famous Cow, the Chase and, of course, the bit where they go through the crashed house.

The version on Streaming (or Blu-Ray, which is how I saw it) looks great too.  Jan De Bont can shoot a good Film, no?

With its big Cast, there's plenty of 'Oh, it's that guy' or 'Is that the guy from blank' to do while you wait for the next big Action Scene.

Twister is a Movie that I remember very fondly from when I saw it in a Theater in 1996. 
For some reason, I also remember going to Fuddruckers after seeing it.

My brain works weirdly well sometimes.

While you're thinking about the new one, give this one another look.  Just pick the right Twister...

As noted, the next Review (outside of Tubi Thursday) will be Twisters.  Beyond that, it was just Christmas, so...I've got some stuff.  Stay tuned...

Tubi Thursday: The Asylum's Monster Mash (2024)

 I don't think I did enough Films from 2024 in, well, 2024.

As such, let me make up for it by covering this Asylum Film from that same year...

This Film, as you can see from the Poster, features a whole host of Universal Movie Monsters...but not quite exactly like they were.

They aren't all Public Domain yet folks- sorry.

Dr. Frankenstein is trying to create a super monster.

To do so, he has his creation- aka also Frankenstein (if you're lazy)- take what he needs with little effort from some Monsters.

It literally steals the Mummy's heart, but Dracula brings him back anyways.

Same with The Invisible Man mostly.

I just love stakes- I wish they did!

Can this one Psychic lady/Witch/Romani help him stop the Doctor?

Bear in mind, he somehow doesn't know who Frankenstein is in this Film.
At all.

Can he get his unnamed Monster Squad together to save the day?

They couldn't stop the Monster the first time, so I'm not betting on these guys.

Or will Frankenstein succeed at his mission?

To find out, stream it now.

A Film that is so over-the-top that it is hard to really screw up.

Don't worry- they try.

The Pacing is weird here as we rush through Action Scenes and then prolong Talking Scenes.  We also get full maximization of a Set as they go to THE SAME VILLAGE TAVERN at least 4 times in the Film.

The Waitress has no reaction to Dracula or a Mummy either.  Thanks for asking.

The Plot is fine.  I can't really hate on it too much.

It only features a few things really- Brief Action Scene, Prison Chat with the Monster, Planning, Tavern Scene.  Someone hit Ctrl P quite a bit here.

Positives for the Mummy make-up (but not the fact that he wears a burlap outfit), the Dracula make-up, the Frankenstein Monster make-up and there are some creative shots done in After Effects.

Does this make the most of the Premise?  No.
Does it suck?  No.

Have these people made worse Films in their history?  Very much yes!

A Film that works as a decent first attempt at a concept.  Given the tease, they may do this again in 2025 if Digital Purchases were enough.