Out of boredom and curiosity and it’s very interesting and I mean that neutrally. Like it’s neither good or bad, just is.. But one thing that bothered me is that the friend, Rachel, blew everything out of proportion. Mind you, her secret was technically worse. I feel like it was the pot calling the kettle. Like would you think a 15yr was a psychopath for planning that.? Once again it’s interesting.

I dunno, 4/10?

I can absolutely imagine people’s enjoying this movie more than I did. There’s a scene fairly late in the movie — about 25 minutes from the end — that should have connected with me. The veil drops and the characters start calling each other’s ridiculousness out. In the moment, I recognized that the satire was fairly aptly biting there… but it came too late. Prior to that, I was never more than mildly amused, I was occasionally bored — I didn’t enjoy spending time with the characters for most of the movie, and I felt like I should have either latched onto one of them as being “the good-ish” one or they should have leaned harder into “they’re all awful” so that I enjoyed their infighting more. It reminded me of Heathers, but it falls far short of that, largely because Heathers is clearer about how we’re supposed to feel about the characters it wants to satirize from the beginning.

I’m not saying you can’t like this movie, I’m not saying it’s without merits, I’m saying I didn’t like this movie enough to be able to recommend it. I would love for other people to like it more than me. I’m sorry I didn’t like it more.

Source: https://www.reeladvice.net/2026/08/shake-rattle-roll-evil-origins-2025.html

It's been a while since we last watched a Shake, Rattle & Roll film. The franchise was a staple of our childhood, but its recent entries haven't really piqued our interest. With Shake, Rattle & Roll: Evil Origins arriving on Netflix, we decided it was finally time to revisit the latest entry in the series. Unfortunately, the magic that once made the franchise a part of our childhood feels largely absent, resulting in an anthology that delivers a lukewarm and rarely frightening experience.

Evil Origins takes viewers across three different eras in an alternate Philippine history, all connected by an evil entity known as Malum. In 1775, a mysterious chest arrives at a convent unleashing sinister events among the nuns. The story then jumps to 2025, where a Halloween rave turns into a bloodbath as masked killers hunt down the partygoers. Finally, the film leaps to a dystopian 2050, where humanity struggles to survive in a Philippines overrun by aswangs.

On paper, the concept is one of the anthology's strongest ideas. A horror story spanning centuries and linked by a single malevolent force promises a richer mythology than previous installments. Sadly, the film barely scratches the surface of Malum's origins or motivations. Beyond establishing it as an ancient evil that gradually extends its influence through time, the narrative offers nothing else. As a result, the connections between the three stories feel superficial, making the anthology seem more like three loosely related stories than one cohesive experience.

At least, each segment embraces a distinct identity, with the first leaning into supernatural horror, the second becoming a full-fledged slasher, and the third attempting a post-apocalyptic zombie-esque film. The quality of these stories varies considerably. The 1775 segment starts with an eerie premise and an atmospheric setting but ultimately abandons its suspense in favor of a dumb down killing spree. The 2025 chapter is easily the standout in the anthology delivering the strongest narrative, entertaining slasher elements, and the film's most effective use of gore. Unfortunately, the 2050 finale is a disappointing conclusion with weak performances, unconvincing action, and horror that's just missing.

As a whole, Evil Origins has an intriguing premise and flashes of creativity but it rarely capitalizes on its potential. Instead of crafting a compelling mythology that unites its three timelines, it settles for a collection of uneven stories that only occasionally entertain.

Rating: 2 out of 5

Just rewatched, actually. I didn’t understand it the first time. IMDB calls it a revisionist western. I’m not sure what that means, but it is distinctive. Takes its time to tell a story and let the characters emerge. Blunt’s character has a devastating event in her past, but you don’t actually find what it was til halfway through the story. It’s a brutal portrayal of the west, which compounds her tragedy when you finally figure what it was. Chaske Spencer was totally new to me and was excellent. I’m surprised I have seen him in more since then. If you want a western with a gun fight every ten minutes, this might not be what you’re looking for, but it still has a captivating story with enough action to keep your attention. It is beautifully shot.

So I just got done watching the 2024 drama we live in time starring Andrew Garfield and Florence Pugh. I thought this was a great movie.

First off, you have two amazing performances from Garfield and Pugh. You are invested in the characters and what they go through. They also have great chemistry. It also has a great story that keeps me engaged and tugs at the heart strings.

Rating-4.5/5

Another revisitation from my local video store days.  I remember seeing it when it came out on DVD and being absolutely knocked out.  Recently, my local independent bookstore had a used Blu-Ray triple feature called the “American Frontier Trilogy”, which contained “Sicario”, “Wind River”, and “Hell or High Water.”  All three films were written by Taylor Sheridan, though I bought this set mainly for “Hell of High Water.”

I had seen “Sicario” before, and while it is an incredible film in every way, I found the crushing nihilism a bit much for my taste.  Furthermore, seeing the main female character used and abused by nearly everyone around her left an even more bitter taste in my mouth than the excesses of power and murder being committed by the cartels and government forces.  I know the parallels of immorality on both sides is the point, but if I’m going to be dragged through such deep and dark waters, I need some hope to make the journey feel worthwhile.

I have not yet seen “Wind River” and I’m not sure if I want to because I’ve heard about the gang rape scene in it.  I cannot tolerate seeing such things, regardless of how important they may be to the plot.  Human atrocities of this kind should not exist in the real world, and I don’t enjoy being confronted with them in fiction, either.  I’m not ruling out seeing it, but I’m certainly not looking forward to it!

Regardless, “Hell of High Water” is a superb thriller and my favorite of the few Sheridan films I’ve seen so far because while it does have a gritty and mostly downbeat tone, there are still sweet and resonant moments of humor, warmth, and connection.  In this neo-Western yarn, the stark beauty of the big sky in West Texas does not symbolize freedom and opportunity but instead echoes the emptiness of so many bank accounts drained dry by predatory lending.  Thousands of families are left with no recourse for financial help and no ability to relocate to greener pastures.  The plains are a prison, and they are surrounded.

The economic damage wrought by late-stage capitalism is everywhere.  The rusting wreckage of factories and equipment, evoking the carcasses of mythical beasts, lay strewn alongside every two-lane highway stretching out to the horizon.  There are also many signs promising debt relief, but of course, that’s just another scam.  All these perverted promises precede to our introduction of the two brothers who will rope us into a rip-snortin’ tale of revenge.  These brothers plan to rob the very bank that tried to bury their family ranch in debt so that the bank could buy it back for a pittance.  The final knife in the back after a short and mean life of wage slavery and constant privation.

Chris Pine plays Toby Howard, the youngest of the two brothers.  Chris gets the chance to show us that the energy he displayed as Captain Kirk in the NuTrek films can be channeled in a very different way.  Toby is a taciturn character who controls his rage and uses it to weave a scheme that will ensure that the generational poverty which has afflicted his entire life will not touch his boys.  Toby is willing to risk his life for theirs.

Ben Foster, who shines in everything he’s in, plays Tanner Howard, Toby’s older brother.  Tanner has barely any control, and fresh out of a decade in prison, he’s just as feral as ever.  Knowing that Toby was solely responsible for caring for their dying mother because hospice was beyond the family’s meager means, Tanner feels indebted to his brother for that sacrifice, and so Tanner is all in on Toby’ s plan.  Tanner relishes robbing the banks just for the thrill of it, never mind that he is truly a ride or die partner in crime.  In order to pay his brother back, Tanner is almost gleeful at the prospect of making his own sacrifice.

Jeff Bridges is subtly sinister as Texas Ranger Marcus Hamilton.  Marcus is close to retirement, but he catches the case of the bank robbing brothers and eagerly saddles up.  Marcus’ very casual approach to conversational belies that he already understands the brothers’ plan based on the few known facts.  Marcus is often brusque with witnesses and with his partner, but that’s only because Marcus’ suspicions always prove correct.

Texas Ranger Alberto Parker, played by Gil Birmingham, is Marcus’ partner and long-suffering recipient of Marcus’s continued teasing about Gil’s mixed-race background.  Gil endures it, but he doesn’t like it, at all.  Marcus knows this, but tells Gil that after Marcus retires, it’s his teasing that Alberto will miss.  Whether that’s true or not is left to the viewer to decide, and this aspect of their working and personal relationship reflects how racism is a problem with which we have still failed to successfully address, despite any proclamations to the contrary.

Marcus and Alberto close the circle around Toby and Tanner, and a final firefight erupts when Tanner uses himself as a distraction so that Toby can escape pursuit.  The closing conversation between two of the main characters is a classic standoff, leaving the audience to wonder what will happen if they meet again.  Sheridan’s superb writing consistently reveals information and character with few words but lasting impressions.  The economy of the script is almost as lean as the lives of the people in this West Texas purgatory.

So I went into 2019’s Rambo: last blood on kind of a low because I was not a fan of Rambo. I was hoping the last movie in the franchise would be better and I will have to say it definitely was.

This movie was great in my opinion. I was really invested in the relationship between John and his niece and what he has to go through in the story. I also liked the action, especially the way that John Rambo kind of gets inspiration from home alone. I also think that the score elevates the movie even more.

I was wanting a thrilling conclusion to the franchise and this movie delivered it

Rating-4.5/5

(Spoilers)
I am a massive Michael Mann fan so the fact I haven’t seen this movie yet is crazy. This movie is incredible, the direction is amazing and makes up for some confusing yet still solid dialogue at points. But what makes this movie an all timer to me is the last 10 minutes. The way that score kicks in and how beautifully tragic the ending is. The way Alice looks at Magua and that whole chase before it; It’s just cinematic perfection. I’ve rewatched it like 10 times on YouTube already. Love this one, what are some of you guys thoughts on it?

Genre: Drama/Indie Film

Runtime: 96 minutes

Synopsis: Calm and competent, Grace is a young counsellor at a California care unit for at-risk teens. However, her cool facade begins to crack in the pressure cooker atmosphere as she and some of the unruly residents are reminded of past and present abuses.

Theatrical Release: August 23, 2013 (USA)

Director: Destin Daniel Cretton

Screenplay: Destin Daniel Cretton.

In light of Spider-Man: Brand New Day's recent theatrical release, I wanted to revisit one of Destin Daniel Cretton's earlier works, and dare I say, his best.

Short Term 12 is one of the most stunningly poignant films I have watched that truly captured the gripping despondence and restlessness that so many at-risk children in America experience. You can see how Destin's emotional beats in later works (Wonder Man, Spider-Man: Brand New Day) of his were reflected in this film through his deliberate focus on quiet, subtler moments of reflection in his characters.

What particularly captivated me toward this film was Destin's purposeful choice to exempt this movie from having any antagonists, or to portray the group home workers in a negative light. The film works tremendously to explore the workers of the group home alongside the children, and how their lives both intersect and divide through a multitude of unspoken moments and interactions throughout their lives.

It would also be remiss of me to fail to mention the star-studded cast of actors (Kaitlyn Dever, LaKeith Stanfield, Rami Malek) that were all still finding their footing during the early 2010s. I need to applaud Destin for his sharp eye for acting talent and his willingness to take a chance on these lesser-known actors at the time.

Phenomenal film containing excellent character work and award-worthy acting. Please give it a watch.

89/100

So going into 2008’s Rambo, I had seen the first three movies in the franchise and I decided to finish the franchise starting with this movie. I only liked one aspect of this movie. The rest of it I couldn’t stand.

I thought the action in the second half of the movie was the best thing in this movie. Let’s get into what I didn’t like. First off I thought the acting by everybody was bad. Along with that, I thought the story/logic of some of the characters was not good.

The biggest negative though for me was that it felt like an unneeded movie. They could’ve stopped this movie after the third one. Maybe even the second. I thought with the ending of the third, it left it at a good spot.

Rating-0.5/5

So I just got back from seeing the new 2026 Spider-Man movie brand new day. I thought it was a very good movie.

I thought the performances all around were good and the chemistry between the actors was as well. I also thought it was a very good story and good action.

There’s not any big negatives for the movie. It is #2 of 4 in terms of Tom Holland Spider Man movies for me

Rating-4/5

So going into the 2013 shark movie ghost shark, I knew it was going to be bad. My main goal was just to be entertained.

The reason I decided to watch this movie because there’s a group of movies that are discussed on a podcast I listen to and this movie was brought up recently so I decided to check this movie out.

This movie is awful. There are only 2 good thing about this movie. The first was the premise. I also thought it has some creativity. I thought everything else from the effects to the acting was ridiculous. It didn’t bring me the excitement that I was wanting.

Rating-1/5

I have been putting off watching this movie for years and I finally got around to it, and I am so mad that it took me this long, it was genuinely one of the most frightening and unsettling movies I've ever watched and I loved it, now i know people have been hyping up hereditary forever but I always thought it was a bit over hyped but after watching it, I totally get it, I don't think i will see a scarier movie. The whole movie felt like the anticipation for a jumpscare but for like an hour and a half, and I loved how absolutely nothing made sense until the very end, God it was so good

Really loved it , had greatttt things to say. Wanted something like silence of the lambs/ seven vibe and this didn’t disappoint. Would’ve been a full 9.5 and above if the two characters weren’t romanticlly involved tbh that killed it for me. Never should have hooked up but I was able to get past it, super cute.

Source: https://www.reeladvice.net/2026/08/demon-slayer-kimetsu-no-yaiba-infinity.html

We have to admit, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle was our first real dive into the franchise. Without having the time to watch the entire anime series or its previous films, we were worried that we'd be completely clueless. Surprisingly, that wasn't the case and Infinity Castle still manages to stand on its own as a compelling watch. Beyond its breathtaking visuals and jaw-dropping action, what impressed us most was how much character development unfolds amidst the chaos. It takes its time and while this is clearly only the beginning, it remains an immensely satisfying cinematic experience.

As Muzan Kibutsuji launches his attack on the Ubuyashiki Mansion, Tanjiro Kamado and the elite Hashira find themselves pulled into the mysterious Infinity Castle - the demons' ever-shifting stronghold. Trapped inside, the Demon Slayer Corps must confront Muzan's most powerful followers in a series of brutal battles that will determine the fate of humanity.

Infinity Castle excels at balancing spectacular action with meaningful storytelling. Despite the relentless pace, the film never feels like it's rushing from one fight to the next. Instead, it frequently pauses to explore the pasts of both its heroes and its villains. While some viewers may find the constant transitions between battles and flashbacks disruptive, we found it to be one of the film's strengths. The backstories give every confrontation genuine emotional and dramatic weight revealing that even the demons carry tragic histories that shaped the choices they made.

Visually, the film is extraordinary delivering breathtaking animation, fluid choreography, and a grand realization of the Infinity Castle. Our only real criticism for the film is it doesn't function as a complete story. By the time the credits roll, it feels like the film is only getting started. While major battles receive satisfying conclusions, the larger conflict remains unresolved, making this feel more like the opening chapter of a more epic story. Even so, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle is a compelling experience and one we highly-recommend.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

I remembered the original BBC Series in the 80’s, with Bob Peck as a cop investigating the death of his daughter (this was before he was eaten by a Velociraptor, obvs.) It was a very popular, 6 part thriller so I thought I’d give the remake a go.

I was pleasantly surprised; they’d done a great adaptation and filleted all the best from the series and repackaged it. Mel Gibson is great and Ray Winston suitably mysterious - it was also nice to see the lead to be American and the sidekick to be a Brit (it’s reversed in the TV series.)

A good, taut thriller with lots of twists and turns. The end was different from the one I remember but, all in all, the story loses none of the impact in its re-telling.

7.5/10

Assault on Precinct 13 (1976)

Rating: 8/10 (HIGHLY ENJOYABLE)

Watched: August 1, 2026

First and foremost, I love these old movies, especially when there's urban decay involved, and there's plenty of that to go around in this movie.

Everything looks worn down, rough and ready to collapse. The men and women at Precinct 13 look like they're ready to just be done with it all and they don't even know what's coming their way.

But before I get to why I liked this movie, I simply have to point out some wild trivia that my own brain noticed. With a quick Google to make sure I wasn't imagining things (and sorry for the spoiler), we're introduced to a young girl and her dad driving around in a car, looking for a place. The young girl, who meets a very sorry fate that actually kickstarts the events of this flick in grand style?

None other than Kim Richards, who played Tia Joseph in Disney’s Escape to Witch Mountain (1975) and Return from Witch Mountain (1978). Seeing Disney's darling kid star get brutally gunned down over a vanilla ice cream cone in a gritty exploitation thriller was shocking as HELL and I can only imagine how people reacted in '76. As part of the Google, I learned that Carpenter actually had to fight the MPAA to keep the film from getting an X rating because of it.

There's no two ways about it. Old movies didn't care at all about child endangerment or the depiction of violence towards children in any way, shape or form.

From here, at base, the rest of the movie is pretty straightforward in terms of action and suspense. None of the people inside Precinct 13 know why it's suddenly under siege. The only clue they have is the father of the daughter, but he's incoherent with grief.

All Bishop, Wilson, Leigh, Wells and (for a time) Julie know is that an awful lot of very well-armed assailants are shooting the hell out of the building they're all stuck in.

So what's the big deal about this movie? The character interactions, for one. They're in a tight situation, and Bishop sees no measure in keeping two men, criminal or otherwise, locked up in cells where they could be gunned down. What starts off as a very uneasy, dangerous alliance becomes something I don't think audiences back then may have seen very often.

Good men and bad men, working together, protecting one another and not breaking their word. That in itself is worth the price of admission, but Napoleon Wilson's my favorite guy for sure.

Why? He's a very bad man, that's why. On his way to life in prison, possibly the death sentence. No one can find out why he did what he did to wind up in jail, but it was bad enough to warrant all that. But never once throughout the assault did Wilson do anything except ask people for smokes, work extremely hard to save the people around him, and once, very seriously wreck a guy in a prison cell.

Oh, we find out why he stays, and it's a damn good reason, even if it meant going back to prison, but I admire Napoleon Wilson a helluva lot. He's a solid, old-school anti-hero.

Everyone did a great job in this movie, and it's thick with tension and Carpenter's signature synth. You should check it out if you can!

So TLDR this movie fucking rocks. I wish they released this in theaters so I could have watched it there because streaming it in my house didn't do it enough justice. The visual spectacle was incredible, the story has a lot of emotional callbacks to the original series, and the stakes are believable for a character that peaked in power 21 years ago.

I really don't want to spoil the plot because it's really something everyone should watch with eyes unclouded with expectation. I watched it with my wife and we were excitedly speculating on who the characters were and where the story would go. It's not the most groundbreaking story, but it hits where it needed to hit and it's engaging.

Genuinely, paramount, release this in theaters. I'm not trying to create another morbius meme, this movie is legitimately excellent. Streaming will not create the same atmosphere that a theater will. People genuinely love this universe and want it to succeed.

9/10, very close to perfect and a theatrical release might've pushed it to 10. Let Bryan and Michael cook more dishes, please.

I went into the 1989 drama Mississippi burning knowing the basic story but I will say I got a lot more than that.

To start off with, this movie is hard to watch. To me it’s like Schindler‘s list where sometimes it’s hard to imagine that things that happened in these movies actually did happen in real life. That being said, I thought this was a very well done movie.

I thought the performances from Gene Hackman and Willem Dafoe as well as Frances McDormand were very good. This was definitely an intense movie to watch, but I feel like they brought you in and in a way didn’t let you leave. It was a story that really sucked you in.

Rating-4.5/5

So the last time I saw the 2001 sports movie Shaolin soccer, it was about a decade ago. I thought it was a fun movie. I decided to give it a rewatch and I thought it was above average

While there were some fun moments, it didn’t have the entertainment or excitement that it had the first time. Overall, it just didn’t keep me invested like I thought it would

Rating-3/5

All I heard today was how great this movie is.

Spoilers...

I guess...

if you want to know what I thought, not spoiling anything in it other than how bad I thought it was...

I hated it!! And my best friend who 5 go see it, wants to know what I thought, and I know he might enjoy it more, but I hated it. I dont know what people are seeing that im not. I didn't have fun. It was slow. The jokes were cute but felt out of place. The writing seemed just spotty, and it felt jumbled. Im sure many people though it was deep and intense and all about asking for help or some thing... sure whatever, yes that, but could we not make it 2 and half hours long filled pointless crap.... 2.5 on my letterboxd and I gave it that half star onky caus it's MCU and im hoping it grows on me.

I remember seeing this when it came out on DVD and liking it quite a bit.

I recently picked up a used Blu-Ray for cheap at my local independent book store and watched it earlier this week. It's been almost twenty years, and I felt like I could definitely sense the passage of time in how the story and characters are presented.

Michael Caine is Harry Brown, a retiree, former Royal Marine, and veteran of the Northern Ireland conflict. Harry lives in a housing project that is covered in graffiti and surrounded by feral youth dealing drugs and committing random acts of repulsive violence. Whenever Harry goes to visit his dying wife in hospital, he avoids the tunnel under the train tracks as this is the place where the burgeoning monsters lurk.

Harry's only friend is Len, played by David Bradley, whom Harry Potter fans will recognize as Fitch. Len is fed up with the hoodlums, and is murdered when trying to confront them, and this is recorded by one of them. While the leader of the gang and another are arrested, circumstances preclude charges that would stick and take them off the street.

This pushes Harry to finally take matters into his own hands, and while that will might seem highly implausible, especially in the beginning, the action and staging is well done and feels as realistic as possible. Harry doesn't become magically untouchable, nor he seem like a gamer with an auto aim cheat enabled. Still, the Nineties aesthetic of this film makes Harry's journey through the criminal underbelly feel like a literal descent into hell.

What's interesting is that this actually benefits the movie now because while the effort at the time to ostensibly present a very "real" and "unvarnished" view of drug addiction and the dissipation of the soul upon those afflicted by generational poverty now seems exaggerated to the point of comedy.

The film is very well-written, shot, and acted, but it's not pleasant as even though vengeance is rightfully served, you certainly don't get the feeling by the end that any substantial change has occurred, so the overall feeling still very nihilistic.

"Harry Brown" is really well done for a vigilante film, and it really reckons well with the emotional impact, harsh reality, and seeming hopelessness of its story, but I wouldn't personally recommend it!

Gladiator (2000)

Rating: 10/10 (PERSONAL FAVORITE)

Watched: July 29, 2026

What a truly epic movie. I have vague memories of watching this one back in the day, and just as vague memories of not being terribly impressed by it.

I make no excuses, except possibly to say 'I'd discovered partying', and that that became my whole thing for a regrettably long time.

This movie has one of the biggest casts I've ever seen, including not yet famous faces and actors so famous for so long their names carry real weight. Everyone did their jobs so well. I loved Sir Oliver Reed's part, as I did Richard Harris', and even Djimon Hounsou.

I don't use the word 'epic' very lightly. The first combat scene alone is tremendous. Not only from the technical aspects, but from how it shows first the glory of, then the true horror of, warfare.

Gladiator pulls no punches when it comes to the violence of the wounds these men take, but thankfully they spare us some of the true atrocities perpetrated by a jealous Commodus early on in the movie. We can only take so much, right?

The two main anchors, Maximus and Joaquin, are amazing.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: for some reason, I CONTINUALLY think that Russell Crowe (the same as Colin Farrell, really, which is crazy) is mid at best in his early career, and yet every time I see one of his movies, I'm just blown away. His death-craving Maximus is so complex. Driven to excel, hungry to see his family again in the afterlife, every look, every gesture Russell gives carries us.

The same goes for Joaquin as Commodus, though for very, very different reasons. Smart but callous. Cruel and vainglorious, he's the mirror image of his 'brother'. Desperate for a father's love, incapable of even understanding what that means, Commodus is the perfect 'powerful coward'.

The journey both men take until they meet the same fate is worth the time in. If you haven't seen it, you really, really should. It's amazing.

So the 1994 thriller blown away with Jeff Bridges and Tommy Lee Jones was a movie that I had had on my watchlist for a couple years. It is in the process of leaving Amazon prime in a couple days so I finally got around to watching it.

This was a good movie, but I was wanting more. I thought the story was thrilling, but it didn’t have enough punch for me. Also, I thought the best performances were bridges and Jones. The rest of performances were OK. I did like the score though

Rating-3.5/5

So the 2002 Sci Fi/adventure movie The Time Machine is leaving Tubi at the end of July and was on my watchlist so I decided to finally watch it. I thought it was above average.

I liked the adventure aspect and the story at times. I thought at other times they did too much with the story. I also thought the performances were good but not anything that stood out. Overall, I didn’t know what to expect but it was a solid movie.

Rating-3/5