Movies, Film, and Chili

  The Beast Within  is a werewolf movie set in an isolated English forest and the fortified home the family lives in. Writer/director  Alexander J. Farrell really hasn't done much before this film and as far as I know, it's his first feature film to hit theaters. I'll get straight to the point, this should be his last. The writing was totally absent, barely anything happened. The film has so many filler moments with people just looking at each other. Events happen that just don't make sense. The poster and trailer makes you think you'll be seeing a lot of Kit Harington . He's in it for sure but the film mostly follows Caoilnn Spingall 's character. You'll know Harington as Jon Snow from Game of Thrones. Somehow his acting has gotten worse, but the writing was also at fault. The film is so boring and I just wanted it to be over even though it's only 90-something minutes. It's horrible on all levels and the worst film of the year. Result: F

  Deadpool & Wolverine is the third part of Deadpool's trilogy from Fox, this time from Disney. The film is directed by Shawn Levy.  After seeing how well Levy directed Free Guy and The Adam Project, I'm guessing writer/actor Ryan Raynolds  greenlit him to take control of the end of his trilogy. There are some pacing issues and the film tells more than it shows. The latter is a Disney issue probably because even Deadpool says Disney doesn't want him doing cocaine.  Ryan Raynolds , much like Hugh Jackman, has the issue where no one else could fill the roles of playing his character, and since Deadpool has a bunch of makeup on he could be playing this character for a long long time. In a world where comic book movies are on the downfall, Deadpool stands out because of quality comedy. Just when he got out Marvel must have given him a truckload of money. Hugh Jackman  is a likable person both behind the camera and in front of it. His potential fall is nearly as great as The

  Hit Man  is about a sting operation hitman who falls for a person who hires him. Richard Linklater  wrote and directed the film. He's better known for Where'd You Go, Bernadette  and the more famous 2014 film  Boyhood. There is a bit of a pacing problem in that they go through so many different short sting segments. I felt bored just waiting for the turn to introduce the love interest. The problem with the writing is the delayed truth-telling, it's unrealistic.  Adria Arjona  plays the love interest that I'm speaking of. She has a sweetness to her, and her ability to let the words flow through her sells her character. The wardrobe department had a handful trying to make the beautiful Arjona less attractive and more plain-looking in the beginning. About half way through the movie they just give up and give her the best outfits. You might have seen her before in Morbius.   The main character though is G len Powell  who was recently in Twisters  but is better known for

  Land of Bad  is another lone soldier movie stuck in enemy territory. Writer-director William Eubank  has nothing original to say in this war thriller. There are some good action scenes but camera angles and choices were just run-of-the-mill. There is a reason why he's better known as a cinematographer. He should stick to what he is used to or get a better directing coach than Netflix. They're not known for turning out good movies. Also, the product placement was right front and center. Liam Hemsworth plays the doe-eyed I-wasn't-even-supposed-to-be-here-today AF Sgt. He's just not as charismatic as his brother Chris and needs to emote better. He just looks lost or confused in each of the scenes. You might remember him as Gale from The Hunger Games . He does have one good scene at the end.  Luke Hemsworth is also in the film. He's the oldest Hemsworth, and you might recognize him from Westworld. Russell Crowe  is trying to make a comeback and most people enjoyed his

  In a Violent Nature  is a horror movie similar to Friday the 13th about a supernatural killer who you watch from behind through most of the film. Written and directed by Chris Nash  for Shudder, the film is his first feature. He had done some shorts in the past and a segment for ABCs of Death 2.  While the direction was an interesting choice, the film suffers heavily in dialogue and pacing. It could be more exciting and engaging for the average audience. Collider said it was "Unique and Gruesome" but some of the kills were not shown and nothing worse than Saw  or Nightmare on Elm Street. There aren't really any actors worth talking about. None of them have been in anything worth seeing, or anything anyone has seen. Exaggerations aside, it's their delivery of the poor dialogue that really makes the film feel stale and boring.  If you have ever wondered: what did Jason do between killing those camp counselors, this is the film for you. The film isn't scary for a h

  Twisters  is a beat-for-beat retelling of the movie Twister but with some obvious updates. Oscar nominee,  Lee Isaac Chung took the reigns to direct this reboot/remake. He directed Minari which I highly recommend. He also wrote that movie too, where he had Mark L. Smith write the screenplay, and Joseph Kosinski  write the story. Smith's  writing is all over the place with The Revenant being great, while Overlord is not. Twisters takes what it can from the original source but the dialogue and delivery could be better with certain characters. The elephant in the room is Anthony Ramos , who has yet to have a good acting performance. He was the worst actor in Hamilton  and tried way too hard in Dumb Money . He can't deliver the lines or the character arch that was written for him. It's very hard to root for his character growth when he can't deliver it. Daisy Edgar-Jones  plays the main character. She, like the first movie, has to deliver some really heartbreaking lines

  Longlegs  is about an occult serial killer who has a connection to the FBI agent/main character who pursues him. This is the best horror movie since 2022's Pearl  which was done by A24. This film is NEON's high-brow attempt at elevated horror. Oz Perkins  directed Gretel & Hansel back in 2020 which was okay and without his writing. He has outdone himself in both writing and direction this time around. His eye motion tracking is stellar and his tension-building is easily one of the best this decade.  I'm not sure anyone else could have played the main character. Maika Monroe  made the character feel so much with just a look or delivery of minimalistic dialogue. I've been following her since 2014 when she did It Follows , and her acting has only improved. Speaking of which, she was reprising her role for the upcoming sequel They Follow . Nicolas Cage , the legend, plays the serial killer Longlegs . He has makeup on and the only way you really know it's him is th

  Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F  is a continuation of the 80s hit police comedy. Unknown director Mark Molloy  came out of nowhere to direct the film. He is blessed to use a stellar cast for his first film. He must be a part of some Illuminati or know someone important because who gets this picture to be their first film? Will Beall has updated the film for modern audiences but not in an overt way. He's the writer for Justice League and Bad Boys: Ride or Die , so this is his better film. Eddie Murphy is back and with old jokes and callbacks. He's funny sure but it's mostly nostalgia. His daughter is played by Taylour Paige  is probably the worst actor in the film even including Judge Reinhold.  She's best known for her inability to smile and Ma Rainey's Black Bottom. The Robin to Axel is Joseph Gordon-Levitt  who plays a sidekick really well, but his character is unlikeable, much like Kevin Bacon's  villain, they're both not meant to be liked and both did a goo

  Fly Me to the Moon  is a romantic comedy that uses the conspiracy that the moon landing was faked.  I was lucky enough to get an advanced screening of this film. The film was directed by Greg Berlanti  who did the 2018 drama Love, Simon . He's better known as the producer of CW's The Flash and Arrow. In terms of direction, I would have reshot a lot of the beginning of the film. The later half is much better and I would have utilized the acting potential of the stars in the film. Scarlett Johansson  does a great job with accents and delivering the dialogue. It's easy to see her in the role of a PR representative and saleswoman. She also sells the idea that she likes Channing Tatum.  He's easy on the eyes but he needs a better acting coach. I wonder how well he does with criticism because his acting hasn't improved over the years. Woody Harrelson  was the ideal choice to play Moe  the government agent. He's the most entertaining person when he's on screen an

  Kinds of Kindness is a triptych drama movie with each having a weird twist and oddity about it. I knew I was going to see something weird going into a Yorgos Lanthimos movie. The director of The Favourite, The Lobster, The Killing of a Sacred Deer, and most recently Poor Things.  He has a weird way of telling stories and knows how to do callbacks. He has an attention to detail that most people would miss. He's got another Emma Stone movie coming out next year called Bugonia  which I'll be seeing. Speaking of Stone,  she has to play three different roles in the film and each feels drastically unlike the previous. If people continue to see her in these types of roles they will put her alongside Cate Blanchett, Katharine Hepburn, and Meryl Streep.  She started out in comedy but it seems she'll end in drama. Jesse Plemons  is not an attractive man, but he knows how to use his delivery to really sell the character he's playing. He doesn't have much diversity but he can

  MaXXXine is about an up-and-coming horror actress who has to deal with her past trauma. It's also the third part of Ti West's trilogy.  Ti West  is taking a break from having two hits with X and Pearl . Now that he's wrapped up his trilogy, I imagine he is taking a break. He was one of my favorite new horror directors next to James Wan , but MaXXXine is more of a thriller with gore.  Mia Goth  has been on a horror rampage alongside her former co-star Jenna Ortega  who is doing a better job getting work. I heard she was going to be Lilith  in the upcoming Blade movie, but that was supposed to be a train wreck. I'm also excited for her in Guillermo del Toro's Frankenstein, which is coming out next year.  There were some surprise actors in the film, notably, Giancarlo Esposito, Elizabeth Debicki, Halsey, and Kevin Bacon.  This makes this film the second Bacon film I've seen this week. The other is the new Beverly Hills Cop . Look for my review later this weekend