Doctor Sleep: Director's Cut (2019) #475

 "Doctor Sleep" is the sequel that we never knew we wanted. It is not a cheap cash-in like so many sequels are; case in point, the movie came out twenty-nine years after the "The Shining". This film builds upon the reality that the Stanley Kubrick film first establishes, complete with near perfect, young look alike actors filling in for Shelly Duvall, Scatman Crothers, and even Jack Nicholson. "Doctor Sleep" is rich in nostalgia in a good way as we revisit Danny, Wendy, Jack, Dick and our favorite haunted hotel and find out how they've grown over the past forty years. 

I've read both "The Shining" and "Doctor Sleep" and I have seen "The Shining" more times than any other Stephen King adaptation. The film follows the first half of the novel almost faithfully before taking a decidedly different turn...for the better. Director/Screenwriter Mike Flanagan, known for "Hush", "Oculus" and "Gerald's Game", adapted the Stephen King's story to follow the events from "The Shining" film and not from "The Shining" novel. This means that the Overlook Hotel is still standing and was not blown apart from the boiler exploding. Just like the actors, the Overlook Hotel looks nearly exactly the same, just forty years older. This is where the showdown between good and evil takes place in the very epic finale. 

A major theme in both books and both film is dealing with alcoholism. Mr. King has been very open about his struggles with substance abuse in his past and it feels like "Doctor Sleep" is a way for him to share what it could feel like. Just like his father, Dan Torrance is a full blown alcoholic, and when we first see him as an adult, he is hitting rock bottom. Luckily for him, he is able to find a fresh start when he hops on a bus and ends up in Frazier, New Hampshire. He befriends a man named Billy Freeman who helps him find an apartment and a local support group. Dan becomes sober but does battle some temptations throughout the story. The most intense temptation takes place in the Overlook, as Dan shares a deeply personal conversation with the ghost Lloyd the bartender. This scene is easily one of my favorites in the film.

Besides alcoholism, the other villain in "Doctor Sleep" is the Trueknot, a vagabond group of psychic vampires. They track down those with the shine to feast upon their power, which comes forth like a mist from the victim's mouth. Pain and fear cleanse the shine, makes me more delicious. But sometimes they recruit and turn those with a gift that the Knot could use to their gain. The newest member of the Trueknot is Snakebite Andi, a young teen who can hypnotize someone with a single word or phrase. They are led by Rose the Hat, a truly evil and sly antagonist. The concept could have come across as campy but that is not the case here; they are truly terrifying.  

Mr. King has written several different characters in various books who have a touch of the shine. In this story we are introduced to perhaps the brightest shine of them all, Abra. Growing up, she uses her powers not knowing that she is special, scaring her parents when she psychically plays the piano when she should be sleeping or imitating a magic trick that she saw a party magician perform. She even reaches out to Dan and leaves friendly messages on his large black board wall in his apartment. What I love about how this character is that she knows that she is powerful; she is never the damsel in distress. Ignoring the warnings from Dan to hide herself, Abra uses her powers to search for a young boy whom the Knot had feasted upon. When Rose the Hat learns of Abra, the two have more than one psychic tug-of-war with Abra winning each time. But when Rose the Hat becomes involved directly and the Trueknot comes to claim Abra, the young girl knows that she will need Dan's help

Again, my favorite scene is when Dan battles the temptation to drink and to face his past with his and his father's weakness.

Brightburn (2019) #471

What if Superman had been born evil? This simple premise is the foundation for the 2019 film "Brightburn", written by James Gunn's brother Brian and his cousin Mark, and directed by David Yarovesky. "Brightburn" stars Elizabeth Banks ("Slither") and David Denman, and special cameo but Michael Rooker.

Just like Superman, Brandon crashed landed on Earth and was found and adopted by Tori and Kyle Breyer, a young couple who couldn't have children of their own. They raise him well and he turns out to be a typical, awkward preteen. One night, Brandon wakes up and is drawn to the family barn, to where Tori and Kyle had hidden Brandon's ship. This is when his powers begin to manifest and he starts to realize that he isn't as limited as everyone else. Brandon is devastated when the girl who he has a crush on calls him a pervert, causing him to begin acting on his feelings. Later, when he does discover the ship hidden inside the barn, he becomes encouraged and begins chanting "Take the world". Kyle becomes suspicious of his son and only Tori believes that Brandon is still her innocent, little child.

Jackson A. Dunn is perfectly cast as Brandon, portraying him with all of the wonder of his new powers while having moments of conflict of what he should do compared to what he is learning that he can do. The transformation between innocent preteen to an unemphatic killer who sees himself as untouchable. Although he's developing his powers, Brandon is still just a 12 year old boy who is still learning on how to deal with his feelings. This is the tilt on what makes Brandon turn into Brightburn and Kent into Superman. 

The visuals for "Brightburn" as fantastic, including his outfit that he creates. It's simple, homemade, and utterly frightening. The special effects work well and the scenes are graphic and detailed. I love the scene where he flips a truck and examines his handiwork. I was impressed that the trailers for the film did not give away too much, leaving the context unspoiled while showing some of the action sequences. The music for the end credits is Billie Eilish"s aptly titled radio hit "Bad Guy".

Ma (2019) #467

 

What happens when you take a script that could be intended for a Lifetime Network movie, commit to the violence and language, and hire current well known actors? The end results in a movie like 2019’s “Ma”, starring Octavia Spencer and Luke Evans. The film crew knew exactly what kind of movie they were making and gave it their all. “Ma” is a fun, non-apologetic journey of a crazy lady wanting to be accepted. 

The movie was developed by director Tate Taylor, Octavia, and Blumhouse Productions. Tate and Octavia had worked together “The Help” and “Get On Up”. Octavia wanted to try something vastly different than any other role she’d had up to that point and Tate just wanted to do something “fucked up”. I’m not sure if I would consider “Ma” to be all that F’d up but it is something new for the two old time friends to try. When Tate offered Octavia the chance to star as a lead in a psychological horror film, she accepted the role without even reading the script.

As I mentioned, the story is about a lonely middle aged woman desperate to feel accepted. Octavia plays Sue Ann, a veterinary technician who buys some alcohol for some underaged kids. Knowing where they are going to go drink, she places an anonymous phone call to the local authorities who briskly break up their party. Sue Ann comes across the group the next day, buying them more alcohol and inviting them to her house so they can party without the risk of getting caught. And this begins an awkward, dark, sequence of partying and dependency.

Diana Silvers costars as Maggie Thompson, the new girl in town. She quickly makes friends with a group of teens who like to party but are otherwise decent kids. At first she considers Sue Ann nice and accommodating, but begins to suspect something sinister when she’s drugged and has her earrings stolen. When her friend Haley notices that Sue Ann is wearing a bracelet that belongs to one of her friends, the two girls decide to break into Sue Ann’s house to see what else she might have stolen or is hiding.

The cast includes Juliette Lewis, who plays Maggie’s mother Erica, Luke Evans, and Missi Pyle. The three were classmates with Sue Ann when she was in high school. They were the friends she thought she had and had always wanted. Now that she is friends with their children, will they accept her now?

Pet Sematary (2019) #465

 

"Pet Sematary" is a classic Stephen King kind of story and it only makes sense that there would be a new version of movie for horror fans. In my opinion, the 2019 version is an improvement over the original 1989 film. It has an impressive cast that includes Jason Clarke, Amy Seimetz ("The Sacrament"), and John Lithgow. It has received mixed reviews from critics and viewers alike, but I still recommend this to any who enjoy a good horror movie; a film to watch alone in the dark and get lost in.

The first thing you notice is how beautiful this film is. The colors pop and the scenes are crystal clear. Then there are the haunting children in the processional to the pet sematary, a purely haunting scene that draws the viewer in. All of the special effects and make up are such an improvement over the original, as well as some of the narrative choices that have been made. They very from the novel but not in a distracting fashion. In fact, the changes that were made make the story overall more effective and gives the narrative a fresh new feeling. 

The story in "Pet Sematary" is it largest struggle because the narrative is to busy going in different directions to keep everything focused. The story itself in this case doesn't need to be fancy, it should be kept simple and straight forward. The three main adult characters all see their own personal ghost. Louis sees a patient who had couldn't save, Rachel sees her sister, and Jud sees his wife. I can understand why they are there but I feel it adds just too much to the overall story. 

Louis Creed has moved his family from Boston to Ludlow, Maine, a sleepy little town when compared to the bustling metropolis. While exploring the large plot of land that they now own, his wife Rachel and daughter Ellie witness a procession of children on their way to the pet sematary. Louis learns more about the secrets about the cemetery from his neighbor Jud when he takes Louis to bury Ellie's cat Church after he was killed by a truck on Halloween. Church comes back but he is different, more feral and viscous. After attacking his young son Gage, Louis takes Church out to the woods after he fails to euthanize him. Later, Ellie is killed by a truck when she runs out to the street after seeing her cat after a few weeks. Overcome with grief, Louis decides to bury his daughter in the pet sematary but soon comes to regret that decision.... 

Ready or Not (2019) #451

 

“Ready or Not” is a fun, thrilling joyride of a dark horror comedy. Samara Weaving is spectacular as Grace, a bride who is forced to play a bizarre and twisted game with her new in-laws on her wedding night because it’s a part of their family tradition. What follows is a chaotic mess of violence, gore, and hidden family secrets that will have Grace reconsidering her recent nuptials before the night is over. “Ready or Not” was directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillet, both members of the directorial collaborative known as Radio Silence, best known for their work on “V/H/S” and “Southbound”. Working as a pair away from Radio Silence allowed them to try something different, a film with a sense of humor. And it worked. “Ready or Not” is extremely entertaining and in my opinion has enough to offer for multiple viewings.

 

Samara Weaving is perfectly cast as Grace, a young woman who is so happy and grateful to finally have a real and permanent family. In every scene she comes across as sincere and real, and when the family game is revealed and she realizes what the rules are, she does anything and everything to survive. The supporting cast shine as well as they add both the horror and comic moments move the story forward. Mark O’Brien plays Alex, Grace’s new husband, Adam Brody is Daniel, a somber and alcoholic brother-in-law, and Andie MacDowell is surprisingly perfect as Grace’s new mother-in-law Becky. Kristian Bruun, another in-law, gets to deliver some of the best comic lines in the film.

 

The family overall is challenged in their effrts to kill Grace, failing time and again as morning steadily approaches. What they thought was going to be an easy task is anything but. Either through accident or by luck, the members are killed off in ultraviolent ways. These deaths are sometimes a source of unexpected dark comedy but are more than not rather horrific. Only one member of the household is a real threat for most of the film, making Grace’s chances for survival slim.

 

“Ready or Not” is a plot and action driven film, as most horror movies are. Once the action begins, it continues to push the story forward at a nice brisk pace. Narratively, there actually is a little character development for both Grace and a family member who does not agree with this particular family tradition. Otherwise the story is straight forward and easy to follow; what you see it what you get. The end result is a very enjoyable and entertaining movie that could be accessible to those who don’t necessarily care for horror films due to the sprinkles of dark comedy throughout.

Color Out of Space (2019) #446

H.P. Lovecraft was a pulp magazine writer from the 1920’s and 1930’s who left behind a small treasure trove of fantastic short stories after his death. Since the mid 1980’s, Lovecraft’s popularity has grown to incredible heights. Because of this, movies have been slowly adapted from his stories. Scores of independent and amateur films have been produced and shown at film festivals around the country but only a handful of adaptations have been big budget spectacles, which include director Stuart Gordon’s classics “Re-Animator”, “From Beyond”, and “Dagon”. Finally Lovecraft’s classic “Color Out of Space” has received the royal treatment.

Before it's theatrical release, “Color Out of Space” was screened for the loyal fans at the 24th annual H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival in Portland, Oregon in October of 2019. Returning guest of honor Richard Stanley, the film’s director and  co-writer, was full of pride as he presented his film to a sold out audience with appreciative standing ovations. Mr. Stanley was also on hand for a Q&A session. Those in attendance know what many others have come to know, that “Color Out of Space” is one of the best, craziest, and most fun film adaptations of an H.P Lovecraft story ever made.

At first glance, seeing names like Richard Stanley, Tommy Chong, and the ever unpredictable Nicholas Cage attached to a Lovecraft project may cause anyone to have serious doubts about the film being any good, but those names are exactly why this movie works. Mr. Stanley has been a fan of Lovecraft since he was a child. I had a chance to talk to him briefly at the 23rd annual H.P.L.F.F and he told me that he had been working on this script and fine tuning in for quite some time. His version of this well known story stays true to the nature of the narrative while adding visuals and events that add, and not detract, from Lovecraft's original vision. Casting Nicholas Cage as Nathan Gardner is perfect; it's a role that allows Mr. Cage to go all out crazy as he is known to do and horror movie fans are still talking about his recent role in the film "Mandy". Tommy Chong rounds out the noticeable casting choice as Ezra, a reworked version of Ammi Pierce. This is one of the biggest changes from the source material but it fits in perfectly in the narrative of this film. 


 

The rest of the supporting cast bring their respective characters to life and help make this particular film amazing. Joely Richards (Event Horizon) plays Theresa, Nathan’s wife, and Madeleine Arthur, Brendan Meyer, and Julian Hilliard were cast as the Gardner children, Lavinia, Benny, and Jack. Naming Madeleine’s character Lavinia, and having her performing a magical ritual in her opening scene was a clever nod to another well known Lovecraft character from the short story “The Dunwhich Horror”, a detail that I’m sure most Lovecraft fans will notice at once. 

In this adaptation of Lovecraft’s famous short story, an unusual meteorite crashes on the Gardner family farm, releasing an evil, malicious force that corrupts the land, animals, and the family themselves. There is a fair amount of high quality special effects as well as a few surprising moments of gore and body horror.

There is also a gracious amount of purple and pinks representing otherworldly color, so please accept that fact and enjoy the film.