I don’t think anyone could predict that one of the weirdest drug crime stories would turn in to a bona fide cult horror comedy– and then directed by Elizabeth Banks, of all people. Suffice it to say, though, “Cocaine Bear” despite being one of the many movie memes of the year, it does live up to being a wildly funny, and gory nature run amok movie. Banks’ comedic sensibilities are perfect for what is such an unabashedly silly horror comedy. “Cocaine Bear” is a movie that you either love or hate. It’s a movie you’ll accept in to your heart, or just outright reject with extreme prejudice. Oddly enough I haven’t seen too much middle ground when it applies to reacting to the movie and its success.
Tag Archives: Survival
STRAIN 100 (2020)
If you like your apocalyptic fiction compiled a lot of the same old tropes you’ve seen a thousand times, then “Strain 100” might be up your alley. It’s “The Walking Dead” with a convenient dash of “The Last Of Us” thrown in, and none of the real social commentary or rich character focus. For all intents and purposes, “Strain 100” has some good ideas and fun moments of zombie carnage, but it’s bogged down by so many editing and writing problems from the outset. The zombies are pretty much the best aspect of the movie, truth be told.
Triangle of Sadness (2022)
There’s always a point where fiction begins to catch up with reality, and even sometimes forecast it, and we’re at a pivotal point of pop culture where artists are commenting on the class divide. What with the rich becoming richer and the poor becoming poorer, now more than ever the film world is ripe for commentary through various genres. We saw it with “Glass Onion” and we basically see it with “Triangle of Sadness” which wears its social satire on its sleeve, and relishes in its darkness and penchant for spitting on social structures.
John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023)
Often times when a movie series has gone on as long as “John Wick” has, it offers diminishing returns. Thankfully, though the saga of “John Wick” has only amped up its game the further along it gets in the storyline of the “Baba Yaga” and “John Wick: Chapter 4” really is a massive step up. While the previous three films in the series have been monstrous, “John Wick Chapter 4” is thankfully something completely different while also it embraces what made the aforementioned movies so dazzling and engrossing. The narrative furthers Wick’s transformation in this world from an ex-assassin trying to live his life, as someone who is trying to re-claim his life.
You Have to See This! Becky (2020)
Streaming on: Paramount Plus, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, Redbox
When it comes to revenge pictures, there’s no beating the wrath of a female scorned. Even worse there’s no beating the wrath of female child scorned. The whole concept of a child unleashing their wrath is an underused trope in Hollywood and it’s a shame that there aren’t more of these pictures (There is “The Aggression Scale,” though). For what it’s worth we have Cary Murnion, and Jonathan Milott’s “Becky,” a considerably schlocky but vicious bit of revenge fare that I just love.
Scream VI (2023)
Wes Craven’s “Scream” series has always been first a slasher series, and second a movie series that comments on the horror fandom. Thankfully while Craven’s loss is still sorely felt in the overall franchise, “Scream VI” has kept much of the spirit alive. The next logical step in the franchise is pulling it out of Woodsboro and giving it a wider scope, and it does this by changing the backdrop to the big city of New York. While this would otherwise hinder the series’ development, the massive scale of New York gives “Scream” something of an automatic reset that I welcome.
The Park (2023)
This is one of the first times I went in to a movie without getting what I expected, and coming out of it satisfied. “The Park” is not a movie that necessarily breaks the mold, but it works within its simplistic and small budget and cast to create something of substance. While most dystopian movies opt for “Apocalypse Porn,” Director-Writer Shal Ngo opts instead to use the end of the world as an allegory for growing up.