Hanky Panky (2023)

Now Available to stream on VOD.

It takes a special kind of balls to make a film so utterly abstract and bizarre and not pay the cast. But the press release insists that “nobody got paid” therefore they must have had a lot of faith in this project. Lindsay Haun and Nick Roth’s horror comedy is a weird cabin in the woods sitcom that pits a bunch of new age yuppies against a weird evil force. This force involves a sentient talking handkerchief, a supernatural fedora and a main protagonist who has an encyclopedic knowledge of finer materials and clothing fabrics.

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The Fall Guy (2024): The Extended Cut [Digital]

Now Streaming on Digital.

It’s such a damn shame that audiences weren’t more receptive to “The Fall Guy” because this has the potential to really blossom in to a big franchise if it were given the chance. David Leitch produces not only a great action comedy, but also a movie that simultaneously satirizes Hollywood and pays tribute to stunt performers across the world. “The Fall Guy” knows its premise and uses the opportunity to paint the picture of being a stunt worker in film as a noble profession that is often dismissed and ignored. “The Fall Guy” first and foremost is a great action picture, one filled with great talent that helps keep the admittedly convoluted premise afloat.

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The Strangers Chapter 1 (2024)

2008’s “The Strangers” was simple. It (and its painfully underrated sequel) was effective because it was simple. It relied on psychological torment where the strangers felt like perversely intrusive predators preying on a couple already in turmoil. When they arrive there’s the collective “What else can happen to us?” that we feel emanate through Liv Tyler and Scott Speedman’s characters. With “The Strangers: Chapter 1” all of that nihilism, that sheer sense of pure evil preying on the vulnerable is lost in favor of what is pretty much just a lazy remake of Bryan Bertino’s original film.

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Jericho Ridge (2024)

Now in Select Theaters and on VOD.

If you’re looking for a tightly packed and well-constructed classic siege action thriller than “Jericho Ridge” might be the cure that ails you. I was frankly very surprised with how well Will Gilbey was able to compose such a tense and well-crafted picture on what looks like a pretty small budget. The flaws reveal themselves in small increments, but they thankfully never hinder what is a movie so worthy of experiencing. “Jericho Ridge” owes a lot to “Assault on Precinct 13” where Gilbey pits one lone Sheriff against a skilled group of criminals, all of whom are trying to infiltrate her only strong hold.

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I Saw the TV Glow (2024)

Now In Expanded Release in Theaters.

I think most of the reason why Jill Schoenbrun’s horror drama has clicked with so many people is that many audiences can relate to the horrors of getting older. The whole idea of getting older means that you bid farewell to what was, and remain on course what what’s ahead. Some of us are stuck in a position where we can’t say goodbye and this has caused many to re-think their whole lives in general. This is essentially the premise for “I Saw the TV Glow” which is a movie that begins primarily like a Creepypasta but takes on a whole other meaning by the time it comes to a twisted close.

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Murdercise (2023)

“All those girls out there are perverts, strippers and communists!”

It’s amazing that Kansas Bowling isn’t a bigger star. She’s become one of the most recurring faces in indie and horror film, only really appearing every so often to deliver some of the most hilarious characters put to screen. Working with Paul Ragsdale again, Bowling delivers a fun take on a character that’s not so much a villain and not so much a hero, but is just someone dealing with their own insanity. Director Ragsdale delivers a silly nonsensical horror comedy that’s centered on the Reagan-era aesthetic to where even Bowling’s main character is an uptight Reagan fan.

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Orphan (2009): Collector’s Edition [Blu-ray]

Now Available from Scream Factory.

Director Jaume Collet-Serra’s horror film still remains a devious and twisted little gem that continues to be celebrated and rightfully so. It’s not only one of the sharper films of its ilk, but it also wields a twist ending that is so completely out of left field, you’ll be left with your jaw agape through the closing credits. “Orphan” is a movie punctuated by its great supporting cast but it’s mainly a great showcase for newcomer Isabelle Fuhrman.

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