I admit I was very skeptical about “Pearl.” I loved “X” but I didn’t think Ti West could do much with the film’s villain and the back story he intended. “Pearl” is a shocking horror film, one that takes a seemingly one dimensional tragic horror villain and put the spotlight on their story which ends up being quite emotional. Big credit goes to Mia Goth and Ti West, both of whom deliver on a disturbing and twisted horror drama that focuses on a young girl who explodes in a powder keg of body parts and corpses.
Tag Archives: Prequel
Five Great Films I Saw in 2022
Normally, this would be a top ten of 2022 after going through a wide variety of movies from the year. But in 2022, I spent five months in the hospital due to awful health complications that left me incapable of doing anything but lying in bed and hoping that I’d recover to full health. While on recovery I did my best to check out some anticipated movies, sadly with little success.
I was able to squeeze in viewings of a lot of movies upon my return home, though. While I wasn’t able to see much of anything in 2022, I was thankfully able to compile a reasonable top five list of great films I managed to find time for during the holidays. The list is subject to change upon viewing more 2022 films, but for now, I’m happy with this top five.
Batman Year One (2011): Ten Year Commemorative Edition [4K UHD/Blu-Ray/Digital]
It makes perfect sense for Warner to commemorate “Batman Year One” from 2011. While it’s not a particularly great movie, we are on the cusp of the release of yet another Batman movie that explores Batman in his early years as the Dark Knight. The re-release of “Batman Year One” is good business especially since it’s about ten years since it was released in 2011 to mixed fanfare. Ten years later, it’s still not a great movie, but it should help psych audiences up for “The Batman.”
Fear Street, Part 2: 1978 (2021)
Thankfully, Netflix and Leigh Janiak’s “Fear Street” film series has mostly lived up to its promise, hype and potential, offering a trilogy of films that are entertaining, complex, and steeped heavily in classic horror and folklore. For horror buffs that love horror that revolves around mythology, legends and stories about the past, the “Fear Street” series has managed to deliver two fold with a legend that has managed to carry the films quite well.
Black Widow (2021)
After waiting almost two years (with three delays) for “Black Widow,” there’s something poignant about its entire tone and the time of its release. With Scarlett Johansson leaving the MCU and the series moving on, “Black Widow” is a wonderful epilogue that fills in the holes about Natasha Romanoff once and for all. Natasha was always something of an enigma who we could never really make up our minds about, and the long overdue solo movie gives us the definitive look in to the life of a pretty noble heroine.
“Black Summer” Season 2 Delivers the Horrifying Reality of Humanity
In 2020, America came to a halt ending most television series, and “Black Summer” was also stalled. Thankfully after a long hiatus it returns and with season two returning with a deafening bang, there couldn’t have been a better time for it to premiere on Netflix. “Black Summer” Season 2 is a follow up season that doesn’t pull any punches. While the first season explored everyday people fighting to escape, the sophomore season digs deep in to every day people fighting each other (and zombies) to survive.
The Case of Hana & Alice (2015) [Blu-Ray]
I vividly remember watching “The Case of Hana & Alice” for the Fantasia Film Festival in 2015, and it was a movie that managed to stick with me for a while. I wouldn’t call it a masterpiece, but like a lot of its ilk, it’s a movie you have to go in with some knowledge acquired. “The Cast of Hana & Alice” is primarily a prequel, and a loose one at that, but it’s at least charming in its way, and allows a mystery to become the catalyst for an adventure with two best friends one fateful day.
“Black Summer” Can Be the Next Great Horror Series
It’s tough to believe that The Asylum is behind “Black Summer.” It’s definitely one of the biggest surprises of 2019 as I’ve made it no secret about my disdain toward the company and “Z Nation.” I thought the show was insanely dumb and boring, but I was very much open to “Black Summer.” Keeping my expectations rock bottom (because The Asylum has done horribly with zombie entertainment consistently) I was stunned to very much enjoy “Black Summer.” In fact if it continues its course and settles down a bit in season two, it might end up being one of the great zombie TV series.