What did you cornlover watch this week? (05/11-12/11)

Ha, first reply! I bet you didn't expect that!😉

Movies

-Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park (1978)
This movie is utterly ridiculous and hideous. Once Kiss shows up all logic goes out of the window. Maybe an idea for MovieClub?

-Perry Mason: The Case of the Scandalous Scoundrel (1987)

TV shows

-The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air - marathon
The end of season 3, so I stop right here. I never liked the second aunt Vivian or the new baby and I already noticed the humour and characters were changing for the worse.

-Neighbours - marathon

-Psych - marathon

Greetings!

Yours
Pyewacket 7/10

My week...Hallmark Christmas movies galoreChristmas by Design 2023

Christmas by Design (2023) 5/10
Paint by numbers movie. I had issues with the lead character. She just wasn't all that likeable. I have no issues with the actress, just the character. Also didn't find much chemistry between Spencer and Charlotte. I didn't hate it, but it won't be making the rewatch list.

Mystic Christmas (2023) 6/10
My main issue with this one, is simply that I found it boring in a few places. Liked the characters, liked the chemistry, liked the setting, and Peppermint, but I just wasn't super interested or invested in the story.

The Volcano: Rescue from Whakaari (2022) 7/10
I find it really difficult to review documentaries. I did like the balance of this one, and it was really sad to watch the footage from the survivors. I'm glad that there was a focus the helicopter pilots who risked so much helping out.

Flipping for Christmas (2023) 5.5/10
Hallmark is not winning me over this year. I like the cast, but these characters were annoying. The story was typical, and really not much flipping. Maybe I just don't have the Christmas spirit this year?

Blood Quantum (2019) 7.5/10
Put off watching this Canadian zombie film for awhile as I'm not really huge into the Zombie genre, but I'm glad I watched it. It was different, and the gore was really good. Some of the decisions made were very annoying, but over all I thought that the story was much more about family than zombies and I really appreciated that. It's a shame that Jeff Barnaby is no longer with us as I would have loved to see more feature films from him.

Joyeux Noel (2023) 7.5/10
Finally Hallmark made a 2023 Christmas movie that I want to put on my rewatch list. I think my only complaint is that Jaicy Elliot's character is a "journalist" again. Okay, I know she's not a journalist yet it this, but close enough. I really like her, and I like Brant Daugherty, and I enjoyed seeing them together. While it certainly felt Hallmarky it wasn't quite as paint by number as other offerings. I'm finally pleased with one this year.

Christmas Next Door (2017) 5.75/10
I'm finding it so funny that last year I wrote a review that said that I didn't think that I'd seen this before and then when Fiona Gubelmann started playing the violin I remembered that it was such a bad fake that yeah, I had seen it. So this year...same thing....didn't remember it, didn't come here to see if I'd logged it, because why would I do that?? and the second I saw her, I was like, Oh yeah!! The really horrible fake violinist, and the stupid not sound proofed houses that aren't even next door yet they can hear everything....Ugh. Still not the worst movie I've seen this (or rewatched) this year.

A Royal Christmas Crush (2023) 4/10
This was rough. While I don't think that either Katie Cassidy, or Stephen Huszar are the greatest actors out there, I have enjoyed watching them in the past. They were so painful as a couple here. Stephen's accent was pretty bad. There were a few outdoor scenes when I could see the breath in the cold, so that was a bonus. The plot was a rehash of better royal Hallmark stories. Changing the setting to an ice hotel didn't save this one.

Never Been Chris’d (2023) 7/10
It's sad when some of your favourites from Hallmark Christmas's past star in a movie that is less than stellar. Tyler Hynes has been in some of my favourites. I guess they can't all be winners. All this complaining aside, there were things that I liked about this. There was a lot to the story above the simple will they/won't they get together plot line. It's about friendship, and codependency, family dynamics, and trying to figure out who they are. So yeah, not horrible. I just think that they could have done so much more with this one. It is much better when it focuses on the girls and their storyline. Again, Tyler Hynes is a favourite, and I've really liked Janel Parrish in other movies I've seen her in, especially Holly & Ivy so that helped with my enjoyment. I probably will watch this one again.

The Santa Summit (2023) 8/10
I was losing hope this year, but I liked this one. Not a typical storyline, and I liked the characters. Not really focused on the romance. I thought it was fun and will be adding to my rewatch list for sure.

Witchboard (1986) 6/10
It took me waaay too long to recognize Patch from Days of Our Lives. Silly 80s movie that was probably more fun than it should have been by having a watch party with it.

Victor Crowley (2017) 6/10
Watched this again as part of a watch party. Probably still my least favourite of the bunch. There's some good gore. It was suggested that Adam Green is trolling us and these movies all sequels to Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island. I can go with that. Kept my rating as a 6 instead of dropping it to a 5.5. So thanks friend.

I admit it. I love (pop)corn!

Pyewacket 7/10
Leprechaun 3 7/10
M3gan 8/10
Witchboard 7/10

I watched:

Night Editor 1946 8/10 Good performances by William Gargan and Janis Carter in this nifty and entertaining film noir.

No Way Out 1950 9/10 This powerful, well written drama features a great cast including Sidney Poitier, Richard Widmark, Linda Darnell, and Stephen McNally. Performances are excellent, especially Poitier and Widmark. This is an intelligent, compelling film that packs a punch and still feels relevant today.

The Santa Summit 2023 7/10 I enjoyed this. It was different from the usual Hallmark Christmas movies and it was festive fun.

The Asphalt Jungle 1950 7/10 Performances are good, but I didn't find the story very interesting. It felt longer than it was and I didn't find it as engaging as I would have expected. Some effective moments though.

The Bigamist 1953 8/10 I enjoyed this. Ida Lupino does a good job directing the film and also starring in it alongside Edmond O'Brien, Joan Fontaine, and Edmund Gwenn. I was invested in the story and the characters. An entertaining, well written film.

Hot Cars 1956 7/10 A nifty little noir that does a lot in a short time. Solid performances and an interesting story. Worth watching for the roller coaster fight.

The Dark Mirror 1946 8/10 Olivia de Havilland is fantastic in a dual role as twin sisters,one of whom may be a murderer. The film was entertaining and kept me interested.

The File on Thelma Jordon 1949 7/10 Barbara Stanwyck is very good in this interesting film noir.

Appointment with a Shadow 1957 7/10 George Nader is very good as an alcoholic reporter who gets the chance at a comeback story of the arrest of a well known criminal, only to discover there is more to the story than meets the eye and he finds himself in a dangerous position. An interesting, fast paced film noir gem.

continued...

Popcorn FTW!

Out of yours:

Leprechaun 3 (1995) – I watched this in high school and barely remember it, but I recall enjoying it in a 'so bad it’s good' way. A rating of 6/10 sounds about right.

M3GAN (2022) – I totally love this movie. I had no expectations that this movie would be as good as it was, but it was better than it had any right to be. Great social commentary about technology, raising kids, “screen-time,” use of A.I…it was all so good. Allison Williams, as well as the rest of the cast, delivered excellent performances. 8/10 (I’m really looking forward to the sequel)
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Witchboard (Friday night special): Entertaining enough movie with a good story brought down by wooden acting from some of the male leads. The female lead, played by 80's legend Tawney Kitaen, was really good, as was Kathleen Wilhoite playing a Cyndi Lauper-esque medium. Other than that the film is mostly forgettable. My rating: 6/10

Victor Crowley (Friday late night special):
This is my least favorite of the Hatchet films, but it's still a solid entry in the series. There was too much time spent trapped in the airplane, and Crowley makes a late appearance and isn't in the film enough. Regardless, Hatchet 4 is a good enough time and gets a 6/10.

Side-Note: I'm convinced that Adam Green was influenced by "Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island" (1998) when he was creating the Hatchet films. In my own personal headcanon, the Hatchet films are all sequels. It's all there - the New Orleans Bayou, the filming of a show, and the eccentric characters. Hatchet 1 (2006) even had a guy that looked like Shaggy, and this one has a guy dressed just like Fred from Zombie Island, complete with an ascot tied around his neck.
Green is either trolling us, or he’s simply taken inspiration from Scooby and the gang. That isn’t a knock-on Green or the films either; it actually makes the films more enjoyable.

Chained (Saturday night special): Violence for the sake of violence with a nonsensical ending that managed to make the movie worse than it already was. I would rate it a ZERO were it not for Vince D'Onofrio's ability to rise above this depraved lunacy and give a good performance. My rating: 2/10

Ice Cream Man (Saturday late night special): Fairly entertaining 90's b-movie fun held together by an always reliable Clint Howard. Would make a great double-feature paired with Auntie Lee's Meat pies (1992). My rating: 6.5/10
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I went on a Psycho binge last week:

Psycho II (1983) – Hitchcock’s protégé Richard Franklin, along with John Carpenter’s usual D.P. Dean Cundey, do a phenomenal job in crafting a sequel that arguably doesn’t need to exist. Anthony Perkins and Meg Tilly deliver incredible performances in this highly-engaging story full of twists and turns. I actually like this more than Hitch’s original. Yeah, I said it. 9/10

Psycho III (1986) – As a first time director, Perkins does a commendable job, especially considering he’s starring in the film as well. Unfortunately, the story falls short and undoes one of the major twists from the previous entry. 6/10

Psycho IV: The Beginning (1991) Oh boy, this is where it all went sideways. Mick Garris takes over as director in this made-for-TV film that ignores the previous two sequels and acts as a direct continuation of Hitchcock’s original 1960 masterpiece. That was their first mistake; "Psycho II" had already done the impossible by being a finely crafted film that fleshed out Norman Bates's character, and I don’t know why they thought rebooting it with this made-for-tv snooze-fest was a good idea. Anthony Perkins quite literally phones in his performance, spending most of the movie on a call with a radio show DJ. Olivia Hussey’s layered performance as Norman Bates’s mom is the only bright spot of this otherwise misguided and forgettable film. 5.5/10

Firefly - A quick binge watch; very good. Basically, a Western in space - 7.5/10

Cocaine Bear - Should have been hilarious, but was merely ok - 5.5/10

Season One of Mannix!

Deranged (2012) - a korean epidemic movie. the first part was good. the ending was too feel good and felt like a tv episode. 6/10

A Haunting in Venice (2023) - the best of the three. they finally got the atmosphere right and branagh was much better. 6.5/10

Bloody Birthday (1981) - one of those movies where kids have extraordinary strength but no supernatural ability. what was the point of the title. the birthday wasn't a big deal. not sure what jose ferrer and susan strasberg was doing in this. 5/10

The Cable Guy (1996) - neve saw this before. not sure they would make a comedy today about a stalker. funny moments and a good look at the cable tech period. 6.5/10

Oppenheimer (2023) - almost like two moves. the first part up to the explosion was real good. the second part about was a but dry but a decent look at the paranoia around the red scare. murphy will get best actor oscar. 8/10

Hallo!

None of yours this week, but I did eat plenty of corn.

The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension (1984)

Renaissance man Buckaroo Banzai has to stop the Earth from destroying itself by helping the good aliens in their fight with the bad aliens, aided by his jovial posse of crime-fighters and the long lost twin sister of his dead wife. Are the adventures across the 8th Dimension? Of course they’re not. Is this film filled with literal non-sense? Of course it is. Funny, fun and fueled by the power of imagination. The cast is great; John Lithgow steals the show imo. He made a choice, and it was the right choice, and he was absolutely bonkers. It must have been fun to make the props for this, very inventive. The end credits are awesome. I’ve read not all people enjoy it, but it’s right up my alley.

The Eternal Daughter (2022)

Tilda Swinton talks to herself in various rooms, goes chasing after a dog, a lot, and walks up and down corridors. It might shock you, but I missed the very beginning of this film, which means I didn’t really know it was supposed to be a ghost story. Which, it kinda was, and kinda wasn’t. Fairly repetitive, by design is my guess. I don’t need to say that Tilda Swinton gives a great performances here. I liked the music and the cinematography. There is a reveal at a point in the film, which I think literally made me go “What the fuck?!”, and I liked it lol. It was done very well too. An interesting examination of a mother/daughter relationship and grief is my take on it, in an atmospheric setting, with some creaky floors. Honestly, I don’t think I fully understood this film, so I will be looking out for it when it inevitably comes on repeat on HBO or Cinemax, or wherever I saw it.

The End!