SUBSERVIENCE

Nick (Michele Morrone) needs some assistance. He has 2 small kids at home and a wife Maggie (Madeline Zima) in the hospital. As such, he's the only bread winner and with AI robots taking over jobs from humans, Nick can't afford to loose his either. One day while out shopping, Nick loses his oldest child Isla (Matilda Firth) who is quickly returned to him by Alice (Megan Fox), an AI robot. Isla talks Nick into bringing Alice home with them to help around the house. Everything is fine at first until Alice conjures up feelings for Nick, beginning to seduce him and wants to replace Maggie. The story is absolutely ludicrous and goes well beyond the suspension of disbelief. The character development is shallow, the low budget comes across onscreen and Fox comes off at times too lifelike. If that's the intention than spot on but as a robot, she should share some nonhuman characteristics. The only one she does share is she never blinks in any of her scenes. Sometimes you take a chance on a film and it pleasantly surprises you; other times you take a chance on a film and you get exactly what you anticipated 30 minutes in. This falls into the latter category and this should be avoided. 4/10

ATLANTIC CITY (1980)

Lou Pascal (Burt Lancaster) is an aging, small-time numbers runner in AC with a side job as go-fer and occasional lover of Grace Pinza (Kate Reid), bedridden former beauty contestant and widow of a gangster. But Lou has eyes for Sally Matthews (Susan Sarandon), an oyster shucker at a casino who's studying to be a dealer and croupier. Sally's shitheel estranged husband Dave (Robert Joy) arrives with her addle-brained, pregnant sister in tow, and a load of cocaine he filched from a Mob drop in Philadelphia. He enlists Lou to help sell it. Mobsters kill Dave and now Lou owns and sells the stash. Now he's fulfilling his fantasy of being a big shot gentleman and a gallant protector of Sally, who's wary of him at first but begins to yield to his anachronistic charm. The mobsters catch up with them just as both their lives begin to unravel. But, the movie has a very satisfying ending--both get their way. This may be Lancaster's greatest performance--not the usual he-man but a vulnerable old guy trying to live out a fantasy life. It also may be Sarandon's best, as she is alternately defensive and trusting, struggling to keep her balance as one disaster follows another. Reid, always good, is perfect as a would-be Grand Lady with a heart. Director Louis Maille brings it off as a rich character study. Along with "True Confessions," "Atlantic City" is one of the most under-appreciated great films of the Eighties.

THE SUBSTANCE

Demi Moore stars as fitness guru Elisabeth Sparkle, whose better days are behind her and who the network is looking to respectfully put out to pasture in an effort to bring in a younger, more beautiful talent. Unwilling to be cast aside, Elisabeth turns to the substance, a one-time injection that allows her to rotate on a 7 day cycle between her current self with a younger, more beautiful version the network is seeking (this being the part of Sue played by Margaret Qualley). However, the drug has some side effects and she must quickly decide whether or not it's worth continuing to stay on the program or not. I'll start off by saying I have not been this entertained by a film in a long time! It's an absolute masterpiece, an immediate classic. The film blows the audience away with the social commentary of what women are willing to subject themselves to in order to maintain a certain (usually untenable) imagine. This is Demi Moore's best performance in years and for my money, this is Qualley's coming out party as she's never been better! Desirable, ferocious, determined, and sweet as sugar. This jumped to the top of my list of favorite films of 2024 (leaping over the previous winner LONGLEGS) and with only a few short months left in the year, I'm confident it'll stay there. I cannot wait to see this again to pick up on things I missed during the first go around. Even at 2 hours and 21 minutes, I didn't want the film to end. I wasn't ready to say goodbye to these characters. This is what cinema should be and I applaud writer and director Coralie Fargeat for giving audiences such a powerful story without demonizing patrons either! It's so refreshing to be entertained rather than scolded or preached to at the movies. One final shout out to the over-the-top and eccentrically dressed network President Harvey, played by Dennis Quaid, as he's clearly having fun being so preposterous. Do yourself the favor and GO SEE THIS MOVIE! 9/10

TRANSFORMERS ONE

An animated origin story depicting the rise and fall of the friendship between Optimus Prime and Megatron. With the last few movies not exactly setting the box office on fire, an animated version was the smarter play in terms of budgeting and return on investment. I will say it's disappointing Peter Cullen wasn't asked to lend his voice as he is Optimus Prime in the minds of so many fans. I understand the producers wanted to capture Primes younger years, hence the recast. I applaud Chris Hemsworth for tackling it as I'm sure it was quite nerve wracking and maybe even intimidating to replace such an icon. However, overall, I didn't see what others saw as this has garnered a lot of positive reviews already. While not a bad film by any stretch, I also wouldn't consider it anything that stood out either. It was average. No one seemed to stand out and while a sequel could offer more entertainment, I think the only one to crack the Transformers code was the 2007 Michael Bay live action film. 5.5/10

MEGALOPOLIS

The film is somewhat hard to explain without giving too much away but I'll do my best. In the story, New Rome takes the place of New York City. Cesar Catilina (Adam Driver) wants to build a utopian city, while his most fierce adversary, Mayor Cicero (Giancarlo Esposito), does everything in his power to stop him. Caught in the middle is Cicero's daughter, Julia (Nathalie Emmanuel), who happens to be in love with Cesar. The film is ambitious for legendary director Francis Ford Coppola, who financed most of it himself to the tune of over $100 million. So I applaud the man for literally putting his money where his mouth is. However, the film for me didn't work overall. Visually it's beautiful but it's style over substance. The story I found to be a bit dull in parts and didn't explain as much as it could to the viewer. It was awesome seeing chariot races in Madison Square Garden and the constant roman influences on the hair and costumes, particularly in the sandals department. But the forbidden love story line featuring Cesar and Julia seemed too Romeo & Juliet. If this was an homage from Coppola than that I understand. Otherwise, that story's been done to death. I also appreciate the fact Coppola didn't want to get political with his cast by hiring "controversial" actors in Shia LaBeouf and Jon Voight. LaBeouf and Aubrey Plaza give the best performances IMO as Shia plays cousin to Cesar while Aubrey is a former lover of Cesar's and later marry's his uncle, Hamilton Crassus III, played by Voight. Perhaps in time this film will be viewed differently but for me, there wasn't much underneath the hood. 5/10

NEVER LET GO

In a post-apocalyptic world, a mother (Halle Berry) and her 2 boys Samuel (Anthony B. Jenkins) and Nolan (Percy Daggs IV) live together in a remote house in the country. Surrounding their property is an evil spirit that wants to kill them if they are not connected to a rope they wear on themselves, which is attached to the house. You see, the wood in the house is sacred and protects them. So as long as they are either inside of the house or attached to the rope, nothing can harm them physically; but the evil can still play tricks on them mentally. Soon, Nolan begins to question his mother that they are the last survivors on earth and there's nothing more outside of their property. I wasn't expecting much from this film and actually wasn't 100% sure whether or not to see it in theaters but I'm happy to say that I did as it exceeded my expectations. It's a wonderful folk horror tale that has touches of Hitchcock and Shyamalan (or at least to me it did). The story grabbed me early and poses the question to the audience if indeed Berry's character is being truthful about the evil in the woods or has she lost her mind and is doing anything to ensure the safety of her boys. The story keeps you guessing throughout until the end, with a satisfying payoff. It's not making a lot of money at the box office, but is a film worth checking out either there or once released on streaming. 7/10

APARTMENT 7A

Serving as a prequel to ROSEMARY'S BABY, Julia Garner stars as dancer Terry Gionoffrio (who Victoria Vetri played in the original). A Nebraska girl with big dreams to make it in the big city. However, the film opens with her sustaining a bad injury to her right ankle, preventing her from dancing as she previously did. Living with another dancer friend and beginning to abuse drugs to hide her pain, she's found on the street in front of the Bramford when she's taken in by Roman (Kevin McNally) & Minnie (Dianne Wiest) Castevet. From there, you can put two and two together if you've seen the original. Personally, I was against the project when it was announced. No disrespect but Terry's backstory didn't need to be told. ROSEMARY'S BABY is a classic and once again, nothing more can be added, only taken away when you go back to the well, especially 56 years later. I like Julia Garner and always will for her turn as Ruth Langmore in OZARK. She's not the issue with this film as she's quite enjoyable as the naive, midwest girl. The main issue is the script. It lacks the depth of the original. There's very little impact the audiences feel as opposed to the original. In addition, neither McNally nor Wiest can fill the shoes of original actors Sidney Blackmer and Ruth Gordon respectfully. So then the question needs to be asked once again, why make it? There are 2 instances in particular that connect it with ROSEMARY'S BABY and the first scene is actually out of order for when it's placed into the film. The director or editor were asleep at the wheel for that one as it doesn't make sense when looking at the continuity of the story over the course of the 2 films. Just another issue for the film. 5.5/10

Thanks for the latest reviews Irish, Cheers.

No problem H. If you see any of them, I'd be interested to hear your thoughts as well.

JOKER: FOLIE A DEUX

A follow up to the massively successful and Oscar winning JOKER, we pick up with Arthur Fleck in Arkham and on trial for murder. There, he befriends and falls in love with Lee Quinzel (Lady Gaga). I'll begin by saying I was against this film from the beginning. Not everything needs a sequel but I'm well aware of today's holiday business model: quantity over quality. I was even more uneasy when I heard it was part musical. From early screenings it a divisive film, with more people tending to lean towards negatively receiving it. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it. It's not the in-depth, character study of Arthur Fleck. It doesn't pack the same emotional punch. It's a court room drama with some singing (mind you I said singing as there aren't entire dance numbers like some kind of STOMP THE YARD rendition). In fact, it's only parts of songs as none of them are overly long but used for when Arthur can't find the words to express himself. Joaquin Phoenix is great but his second turn as the character doesn't have the same material to work with. He's back in his unhealthy Joker shape but doesn't chew up the scenery as he did before. Lady Gaga is fine but unfortunately forgettable as Harley Quinn. And while I applaud any actor or actress for stepping into such an iconic role (yes, we all associate the character with the marvelous Margot Robbie) and making it their own, she doesn't have much to work with here either. But, even saying all of that, again, I enjoyed it more than I thought I would going in. And maybe that's on me for having such low expectations and the second viewing will be a better test after knowing what to expect. But my advice, go into it with an open mind and just know you knew they were never going to recreate the magic of the original. If you can accept that and appreciate the film for what's onscreen, it's quite enjoyable. One final shoutout to Brendan Gleeson as Jackie Sullivan, the head of the guards in Arkham. 7/10

With the releases of The Substance, Smile 2 and Terrifier 3 horror fans are eating good this month.

I absolutely LOVED THE SUBSTANCE (it's my favorite movie of the year so far). I'm gonna watch SMILE 2 but I'm against it being made. I was such a fan of the first one. Like JOKER, not everything needs a sequel. I'll also watch TERRIFIER 3 too. Other good horror movies that came out this year that are worth a watch: IMMACULATE, THE FIRST OMEN, LATE NIGHT WITH THE DEVIL, IN A VIOLENT NATURE, MAXXXINE, LONGLEGS (previously my favorite movie of the year until THE SUBSTANCE came out), STARVE ACRE, TRAP, and NEVER LET GO.

Longlegs and Late Night With The Devil are by far my favorite horror movies to be released this year (even though Late Night... was already made in 2023). I agree that Smile did not need a sequel, it was perfectly great as a standalone movie. I'm looking forward to watch The Substance when it releases over here.

SALEM'S LOT (2024)

The town of Jerusalem's Lot (or Salem's Lot), Maine is getting a new resident by the name of Kurt Barlow. However, the mysterious man is always on the move and has never been seen. His business partner Richard Straker (Pilou Asbæk) is his mouthpiece, making purchases on his behalf such as his new residence (the haunted Marsten House) as well as their new antique shop in town. Before long though, the town begins to be overrun by vampires and it all started to begin upon Barlow and Starker's arrival. I've never read the source material so I'm not quite sure how close the film is to the book but I did view the1979 mini-series for the first time before watching this. The film is under 2 hours so it cut out quite a bit from the mini-series, which runs for over 3 hours. I honestly preferred the mini-series for a number of reasons: it obviously builds out the characters more but the old school actors such as James Mason as Straker, Bonnie Bedelia as Susan Norton, and Fred Willard as Larry Crockett are too good of actors from their generation to surpass their performances. Not to mention Crockett's character is cut down in the film to one scene as the stereotypical, sexist boss of his times (eye roll). The character of Mark Petrie (Jordan Preston Carter) is now black because it's 2024 and HBO/Warner Bros need to check those boxes. Moving past the woke politics that Hollywood continues trying to force feed us, the script is dull, rushed, and lacks depth. I was more entertained by the mini-series with an extra third of the films run time compared to this. The love story between Ben Mears (Lewis Pullman) and Susan Norton (Makenzie Leigh) is hardly given time to breath. In addition, even though this film is darker in terms of scene lighting, the mini-series I found to be creepier. The only positive I can say about this is Bill Camp as school teacher Matt Burke with his horrible Red Sox jacket on throughout. But Bill Camp is a solid actor who also turns in good performances so I'm not surprised there. When HBO decided to go the route of streaming as opposed to a theatrical release, that should have told you everything. They didn't want to throw good money after bad on a film like this (finally a wise decision on their part). 5/10

THE APPRENTICE

The story of Trump's beginnings of his empire and his mentorship under confidante Roy Cohn during the 1970's & 1980's. Being so close to the election and with a cast featuring the likes of Sebastian Stan, Jeremy Strong, and Maria Bakalova, the purpose was clear: attack Trump and paint him in a negative light to hopefully sway voters to not vote for him. That's the agenda here; probably more fact than fiction. It's not heavy-handed but there's plenty here to paint Donald in an extremely negative light. He's portrayed at times as weak and naive with a scene of an alleged rape thrown in too for good measure. I'm sure writer Gabriel Sherman and director Ali Abbasi most important task was impartiality. Beyond the obvious anti-Trump bias, Stan actually does a decent job in his portrayal of the Don, if even over-the-top at times but I was really surprised that Strong as Cohn actually is the star here with his ruthlessness and lack of any moral compass. Not a big marketing push behind this as I'm sure the studio is saving the money to allow word-of-mouth to do the marketing for them. 6/10

SATURDAY NIGHT

The film follows Lorne Michaels (Gabriel LaBelle) and crew 90 minutes before the first airing of Saturday Night Live on October 11, 1975. It follows all the madness, mayhem, and shenanigans that went on and almost prevented it from airing in favor of a rerun of the Johnny Carson show to take its place. How much is fact and how much is fiction, I'm not sure? Some of the original actors I'm not familiar with, while others were absolutely nailed in their portrays of Chevy Chase (Cory Michael Smith), Dan Aykroyd (Dylan O'Brien), Michael O'Donoghue (Tommy Dewey), and George Carlin (Matthew Rhys). A funny enough film that briefly gives the audience a small sample of everything that goes into putting this show together, from mutiny amongst the cast, to issues with the crew and network. 6.5/10

TERRIFIER 3

Art the Clown is back and it's Christmas time in Miles County, which can only mean one thing: a large and gratuitous body count! Picking up 5 years after the events of TERRIFER 2, Sienna (Lauren LaVera) and her brother Johnathan (Elliott Fullam) are trying to pick up the pieces of their lives while putting the past behind them. Johnathan is having an easier time with that as he's away at college while Sienna has been in a psychiatric hospital and is being released to spend the holidays with her Aunt Jessica (Margaret Anne Florence), Uncle Greg (Bryce Johnson), and cousin Gabbie (Antonella Rose). She soon begins seeing Art while out in public and begins to question whether the visions of him are real or not, not wanting to sound like the crazy psychiatric patient if its not true until the bodies begin to drop. I'm curious how much of the $5 million budget was allocated for blood as they used plenty of it! This was one of the most gory and bloody films I've ever seen. It definitely surpasses the sequel much like the sequel surpassed the original. One thing I do like about this trilogy is every entry seems to be fresh, original, and can stand on its own. It's not a regurgitation that most sequels/trilogys find themselves in. The end sets up a 4th film perfectly as creator/writer/director Damien Leone has said he'll do a 4th installment before retiring from the franchise himself. David Howard Thornton gives another mute yet chilling performance as Art the Clown as he is now another horror icon that'll be cosplayed and remembered for years to come. 6/10

I was lucky enough to catch a screener of Smile 2. It's actually quite good. Late Night with the Devil was terrific, but my favorite film of the year has to be The Substance. Please see it if you haven't!

I couldn't agree more Gia about THE SUBSTANCE. It's my favorite movie of the year so far too. What would you rate it? I'm seeing SMILE 2 on Thursday. Kinda looking forward to it. I'm hesitant because I loved the first one so much.

THE 4:30 MOVIE

Taking place on May 25th, 1986, Brian David (Austin Zajur) is a film nerd in love with Melody Barnegat (Siena Agudong). He calls her at her job to ask her out to a fictional movie at 4:30. When she agrees, he eagerly anticipates their date while theater hopping with his friends at the local movie theater. However, Brian will have to be clever as the movie he and Melody are scheduled to see is rated R and they're both under 18. This film is chock full of nostalgia and the way movies were seen almost 40 years ago. It seems to be a personal film and almost a love letter to writer & director Kevin Smiths youth. The film has various Smith alum such as Jason Mewes, daughter Harley Quinn Smith, Jason Lee, Justin Long, Rosario Dawson, and Jeff Anderson. Like most of Smith's films, it's hilarious! However, it's more mature humor than some of the Jay & Silent Bob schtick, which gives the film a more serious and genuine tone. While I am a Kevin Smith fan, I was impressed with how much I enjoyed this film. It's definitely from the heart of a film lover to the hearts of film lovers. It's a cute lover story with some powerful undertones to it. Now if only we can get that SISTER SUGAR WALLS film made next please! 8/10

I'd rate The Substance an 8.5. There were a few parts that could've been edited better, but it's still a masterpiece in my book. It's one of those movies you can't take your eyes off. My wife and I were literally glued to it. What did you make of Demi Moore's performance? I have always said that Demi is one of the more underrated actresses of our time, and I think if people disagree with that statement, they should watch The Substance. Because that was an Oscar-worthy performance. There were no shortcuts; she went the distance and showed more heart than I've seen from any Hollywood actress in years!

Looking forward to your Smile 2 review. I was pleasantly surprised by it, but I did not want to see a sequel either. Some things are better left untouched, but I may have been wrong in this case. Speaking of this franchise, it is my understanding that Smile 3 has already been greenlit, with Parker Finn at the helm once more.

I'm seeing this one next! Love the '80s more than any other decade

Regarding THE SUBSTANCE, it should have been shortened a little bit towards the end. Other than that, I agree, it's a masterpiece. A modern classic. I gave it a 9, dinging it a little for the end. I think it's one of Demi's best performances and would love to see her get an Oscar nom out of it. Also, I think this was Margaret Qualley's coming out party.

Like I said, I'm curious about SMILE 2 but also hesitant. Rewatched the original recently to refresh before the sequel and I hope it does well.

Did you see JOKER: FOLIE A DEUX? If so, what did you think?

Agreed. I'm an 80's kid and I enjoyed this so much more than I thought I was going to heading into it. I love Kevin Smith but this surprised me honestly.

Oh, Margaret Qualley gave Demi a run for her money. When I saw Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, I knew she was going to be a major star some day. Her level of talent is actually quite extraordinary. I had a similar feeling about Emily Blunt after seeing Wind Chill. Did you see Maid? It wasn't my favorite Netflix production, but I kept watching because of Margaret Qualley's talent.

I did see Joker 2, and I kinda liked it. I was actually very sad to see the negative reaction to it, but I may be a bit biased when it comes to that one

I haven't seen MAID yet but it's on my list. Sounds like it's worth checking out?

As I said in my review, my expectations were super low for JOKER so that may be why I enjoyed it so much.

SMILE 2

Pop star Skye Riley (Naomi Scott) is embarking on a world tour. She had to put this tour on hold for a year due to an accident she survived and has been dealing with both mentally and physically ever since. She goes to the apartment of a high school friend Lewis (Lukas Gage) when she encounters what I'll call "the entity," which forces Lewis to kill himself in front of her. Now being "infected" and having a troubled past, Skye begins to question whether she can handle the pressure that comes with being a celebrity or if she's slowly losing her mind. Originally, I was against a sequel as I loved the first one too much (it was actually my second favorite film of 2022). However, I am very happy to report that I'll gladly eat my words as writer/director Parker Finn has done it again! This was a wonderful follow up to a great film and I take my hat off to Naomi Scott as she was amazing in this! From the dancing, to the singing, to her performance to make Skye such a dynamic, rich, and detailed character. The film is scarier in my opinion as well as the scares are legit and not cheap jump scares. I was also glad to see Kyle Gallner come back as Joel as I love continuity within a franchise. It ends on a fantastic note and I'm onboard for SMILE 3 if/when it gets made. I have a feeling this should play well with audiences. Horror has had a great year at the theater IMO and with TERRIFIER 3 and now SMILE 2 battling each other, the fans are the real winners! 7.5/10

GREAT review Irish! I wholeheartedly agree with you. Whenever I see a movie that I think is very good, I try not to hype it up too much for people who haven't seen it. You always want them to have the same experience. Smile 2 is truly as good as the original. I think we are seeing a real resurgence of the horror genre right now. It's an exciting time to be alive.

I saw Smile 2 two days ago and that was indeed way better than I expected. I think the first one was not necessarily scarier, but in general it was a bit more oppressive and miserable than the second. The second was a bit more of a fun scarefest with more crazy jumpscares (but actually GOOD jumpscares), way more gore, more wild camera work and more humor as well. Quality-wise, as a movie it was just as good as the first - even though I might personally prefer the first movie's downtrodden atmosphere. Naomi Scott does a fantastic job in this movie. I'd also like to mention Kyle Gallner who goes extremely hard in the opening.

Tonight I'm gonna watch Terrifier 3.

Agreed. Most of my top 10 favorite films this year have been horror from IMMACULATE, THE FIRST OMEN, LATE NIGHT WITH THE DEVIL, IN A VIOLENT NATURE, MAXXXINE, LONGLEGS, STARVE ACRE, STRANGE DARLING, NEVER LET GO, to TERRIFIER 3. Horror has made a big comeback this year!