Phantasm II (1988) Review

Released 9 years after the first one. This sequel starts right after where the first one left off and then jumps ahead 9 years as Reggie and Mike go on a journey to see out and take down the Tall-man once more, setting a bunch of trends that follow throughout the rest of the sequels including Reggie becoming the main hero and his attempts at trying to have sex with every woman he picks up.

This marks the only film in the series where Mike is played by a different actor, but I think he fits the role fine here and is a decent enough replacement, though I guess it is slightly jarring to go from him back to the original actor in the next film.
The Tall Man and Reggie are still played by original actors Angus Scrimm and Reggie Bannister though, as they would be for the rest of the film series.

The film also had a considerably bigger budget so of course they utilise that to the fullest and like alot of film sequels make thing bigger and bolder with more action and special effects as well as a somewhat lighter tone which all makes for a very fun and engaging experience.

The main theme heard in the first movie is retained, but the score itself is more generic and sounds similar to every other horror film of the time. It also delivers a similar fake-out ending to the first  which may annoy people but I was fine with it.

So yeah, while it does still have flaws and is much more conventional than the first film, lacking that same level of intrigue and mystery, I still found it to be almost as enjoyable. But then I do really like fun action horrors and this one in particular as a certain charm to it. ***1/2

A Star is Born (2018) Review

I'll I admit I went into this thinking it was gonna be some hokey feel-good film, I mean how can you not with a poster and title like the one above and with the way it's been marketed.
So of course to my pleasant surprise it was instead a strong emotional drama that was actually great and quite far-way from feel good or happy.

The film is lead by two fantastic and genuine feeling lead performances from Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga. I'd says it's probably the best performance I've seen from Cooper thus far and Gaga really fits in so naturally with her role with them both having tremendous chemistry together.
They are also back up by a good supporting cast with Sam Elliott in particular being the other stand out of the film.

The soundtrack is also really good performed beautifully by Gaga and Cooper who collaborated with a bunch of different country musicians among other personnel to compose and produce it. The songs feel very genuine and fit perfectly with the story and characters.

there are a couple of odd moments and things feeling a bit rushed but overall I think Cooper has done fantastic job with his debut and shows a lot of promise as a director. Crafting a drama that has a lot of heart and is just as much as bout a star on the decline as it is about one on the rise and the conrtast between them.

I'll be very surprised if this don't pick up any Oscar noms. ****

Phantasm (1979) Review

This cult classic is certainly an interesting one...

The beginning is structurally very odd and feels a bit jumbled, but it soon finds it's footing and has heaps of intrigue which manages to keep you engaged throughout, revealing little details as it goes on but never fully explaining everything before delivering a sort of fakeout ending that links the film to themes of grieving and dealing with loss that gives it a psychological edge (which of course is dissipated in the sequels).

It's also got quite a good score on the go which is very reminiscent of music Goblin would produce for Dario Argento.

Characters do make some questionable decisions )particularly the main kid), The acting isn't the best and the atmosphere is inconsistent but Phantasm is a strange and enjoyable horror that's got a bit of unique vibe going for it which makes it clear why it became a cult favourite and spawned a franchise.

the Tall Man may not be the scariest of guys, but actor Angus Scrimm manages to give the character an intimating presence that certainly made an impact. ***1/2

Johnny English Strike Again (2018) Review

With this type of movie it's best just to go in and see how much fun you can have, cause at the end of the day these films are just a string of comedy set-pieces connected together by a very basic plot..
With that being said I certainly did get a few good laughs out of this, particularly in a sequence involving VR, although there was also a fair amount of comedy that fell dead on it's arse too, but may have got a chuckle out of child me.

So yeah I found the film to be  mildly amusing with a slight charm, but these films have never aspired to be more than just some pleasant passing entertainment and that's really all it is, just more of the same kinda of stuff rehashed with added elements like Johnny being out of touch and old school.

I guess you're enjoyment of this will come down to your connection to the character and sense of humour. I personally have attachment due to being a fan of the first movie when I was a kid, so even if there's barely anything to it, I've got no issues with a simple spy spoof that will have me smiling every now and again. **1/2

Venom (2018) Review

There's a good movie lurking somewhere in Venom's back gooey depths and it lies specifically in the fun Venom/Eddie Brock dynamic that serves to be the films main highlight. Tom Hardy is clearly having fun in his role which is why it mainly works well and serves to be enjoyable.
The CGI is also fine but does get a bit messy at times particularly in the climactic fight but I don't think the editing helped with that either.

My point though is that I liked the portrayal of venom here, It's just a shame that its' all wrapped in a bog standard story and some messy craftsmanship leaving you with a film that is kinda entertaining but mostly lackluster.

May have just been better if they just did a spider-man film with this venom, the problem with origin origin films is that the majority of them go down similar paths and they just don't end up being interesting enough, so I wouldn't call Venom outright bad, it's  just very meh. **1/2
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A Simple Favor (2018) Review

take some of the hunour and tone of Paul Feig's previous films and mix it with Gone Girl and this is what you get. A fun little thriller that is based on a novel from last year which looks a lot more serious than this film ended up being.
But it's the playful tongue and cheek tone that really makes this work especially with it getting a little farcical towards the end. Though I'm sure there are fans of the novel who are displeased with this deviation which is fair.

The film is ripe with twists and turns that keep it interesting, some more surprising than others and it does a good job of leading you  in a few directions to make you guess what going on before the big reveals finally come in, though it arguably maybe takes a tad too long for the reveals to come through as my interest did wane a little bit in the middle before getting hooked right in.

Blake Lively and Anna Kendrick both put on very solid central performances playing contrasting characters that both have things that their hiding beneath and the supporting cast was pretty good too.

In the end what you get is a solid thriller with an intriguing story and a good dose of humour that may not have the heft and weight of gone girl but still provides an all around fun time. Probably Feig's finest film to date.. ***1/2

BlacKKKlansman (2018) Review

Before this I only ever seen one Spike Lee film...the Oldboy remake. Of course that movie turned out to be trash but I was always curious to check out Lee's good stuff and luckily I got a glimpse of that with Lee's latest film BlacKKKlansman which turned out to be rather excellent.

The film is based on the true story of a black detective in the 1970's who with help from his team try to infiltrate and expose the local Klu Klutz Klan residing in Colorado springs.

Now though it is based on a true story there are of course creative liberties that are taken to make things more interesting but without sacrificing the stories validity or things Spike may be trying to say.

Spike also balances the tone here tremendously well consistently switching the line between serious and funny.The best example of this being the KKK, the way they are represented is often quite farcical and not in a forced way but just inherently with their words and actions, but then there are also times where what they say and do is deeply discomforting.

Spike also does a great job of comparing and contrasting the KKK with the Black power movement which again reinforces the ridiculousness of the former, though Spike also doesn't shy away from a few of the negative aspects that were prevalent in the latter.

Spike is also clear to remind us of the racial issues we face in the modern day with a very serious and hard hitting ending which many may argue as preachy but it's Spike just enforcing his point and wanting a change.

This is all also backed up by some great acting with a cast that includes John David Washington, Adam Driver, Laura Harrier and Topher Grace among others all of who put on strong performances.

What Spike Lee has crafted here is great movie that has power and social relevance and whilst you can argue that certain scenes go on longer than they need to do, I personally found the film to be a compelling  experience from start to finish. ****1/2