The Reel World

“In their time, humans were capable of many great things. They could fly, like eagles fly. They could speak across oceans. But now, it is our time ... and it is my kingdom. We will learn. Apes will learn. I will learn. And I ... will conquer.”

Just as you think that the Planet of the Apes franchise has run out of story to tell, especially following the death of the protagonist in the preceding film, they find a way to bring the story full circle with Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, the first of a new trilogy of Planet of the Apes films. In the Andy Serkis-led Caesar, we observed apes’ ascendency to becoming the dominant species on the planet. However, with this new franchise, we will get to see if absolute power truly does corrupt absolutely. I have to take my hat off to this franchise, not only for its ten installments, but for its successful execution of long-term storytelling. When the series rebooted back in 2011, I assumed that we were just getting the origin story for the films that came before. Following that logic, I presumed that following apes ascending to the top of the food chain would be the end of the journey. However, that is not the case, as things have been brought full circle, and there is still much story to tell. Caesar’s journey was merely a chapter in a larger story that is still being written. King of the Planet of Apes marks the beginning of that new chapter, and I for one am happy to be along for the ride.

"This is the story of one of America's great unsung heroes. I mean, you've seen him, but you never knew who he was. You've cheered for him and cried for him, and women have wanted to die for him. But did he ever get any credit, or the girl? No! He's what we call the "Stuntman", and the reason I'm talking so fondly about him is, well because it's me, Colt Seavers. Anyway, picture work isn't wall-to-wall employment, so maybe you wonder how a guy keeps his head together? Well, one way is to wait by the phone ... and wait and wait. The other is to take an occasional job with the court system of the United States of America, where a man is considered innocent until proven guilty. Unfortunately, sometimes a lot of these people get out of jail on what we call bail and they'd run like hell! ... and that's where I come in. I sometimes pick up rent money trying to find them and bring them back to justice." - Television series open.

Lee Majors performed a pretty solid television hat trick in his television career. Over three decades he starred in three iconic television shows that defined him for three successive generations. In the 1960's he was Heath Barkley on the TV western The Big Valley. Like the Cartwrights in the more popular series Bonanza, the Barkleys faced all of the elements of the Wild West, and Lee Majors was there for it all. From 1965 to 1969 he was in 112 episodes of the hit show. Then the 1970's arrived, which was the decade in which I became  acquainted with Majors as Steve Austin, "a man barely alive" until a secret government organization made him "better than he was" as The Six Million Dollar Man. He was "reassembled with a bionic arm, eye, and two legs. It made him "stronger ... faster ..." I spent many a summer afternoon running in slow motion and making that "chichichi" sound as a young boy. The Six Million Dollar Man ran from 1974 to 1978 and went 99 episodes, a couple of spinoffs, and several television movies. The show has been kicked around in Hollywood for decades with several attempts to make it a film franchise, often updated to The Six Billion Dollar Man. I guess a million bucks just doesn't go as far as it used to. Now it takes $126 million to put Majors' third series on the big screen. That happens to be the role of Hollywood stuntman-turned-action-hero Colt Seavers, and it ran from 1981 to 1986 and another 112 episodes. If you're keeping score at ,that's an amazing 323 + episodes of television over three decades. And now it's Colt who beats Steve and Heath to the big screen in The Fall Guy, directed by David Leitch and starring Ryan Gosling in Majors' Colt Seaver role and Emily Blunt as his co-star, playing Jody Moreno, originally played by Heather Thomas. But is this a movie that audiences are going to fall for?

“What can I say? I like playing with my food.”

I have to say, I was expecting more blood. When the cast speaks out and calls the film “the bloodiest thing they’ve ever worked on in terms of volume,” or “the most traumatic experiences,” and the director describes it as “just a bloodbath,” I guess I was just expecting it be pouring down from the walls. However, that was not really the case. In truth, I barely noticed a difference between this and your typical horror film. Granted, other horror films have less exploding vampires, which I assume was the reason for the film earning its gory reputation. I suppose that is to the film’s credit, the ability to use close to 30,000 liters of fake blood, yet I was no more disturbed than watching any other traditional vampire films. Aside from that surprise, I have no complaints about Abigail, a reimagining of the Universal horror classic, Dracula’s Daughter, starring Melissa Barrera, Dan Stevens, Kathryn Newton, Will Catlett, Kevin Durand, Angus Cloud, and Giancarlo Esposito. For Angus Cloud, this serves as his final role due to his passing in July 2023. Also noteworthy was that production wasn't completed until months after his death due to the SAG-AFTRA strike. However, Cloud managed to film all of his scenes before production was shut down.

“I've never been so scared in my entire life. And I've never felt more alive.”

Civil War paints quite the picture and is likely to leave a lasting impression. I know it did with me. Despite awareness of the film’s premise, I didn’t know what to expect from the film written and directed by Alex Garland, the filmmaker responsible for films like 28 Days Later, 28 Weeks Later, and Ex Machina. I suppose given his storied career in the dystopian film genre, I expected that this film would follow suit. However, while the film does fit comfortably in that genre, it also had the makings of a cautionary tale. The film, which follows a team of journalists who travel across the United States during a rapidly escalating second American civil war which has engulfed the entire nation was an intense and engaging experience that is not easily forgotten. Kirsten Dunst, Wagner Moura, Stephen McKinley Henderson, and Cailee Spaeny serve as our journalist team, and each and every one of them shine as they embark on this rollercoaster journey that leaves it mark on each character.

"The world is changing."

Maybe not as fast as you might think. It was the first days of summer 1976, and The Omen joined a crowded decade of satanical films that started with Rosemary's Baby in 1968 and following through The Exorcist in 1973, and by 1976 it was time for the ol’ Antichrist himself to be born in The Omen. All three of these became classic films. The Omen went on to have a couple of sequels that saw Damien, the Antichrist himself, grow up into Sam Neil and attempt to use his great political power to fulfil the Biblical prophesies of the End Days. It didn't work out so much for Damien, and Sam Neil ... well ... he went on to fight some dinosaurs in a little island park attraction called Jurassic Park. The franchise has been idle for decades, and when I heard it was going to be revised with a prequel called The First Omen? Let's just say my Spidey senses were tingling, and I was more worried about a cash grab that would really have very little to do with the first film and likely become a forgettable chapter in the whole business. I couldn't have been more wrong. The fact is that The First Omen is a pretty wonderful film on its own, but it doesn't stop there. The film pays high honor to the original film, and while not shot on film, it was shot with care to make it all feel like it has a connection to the earlier works not only in theme and subject, but in texture. It wouldn't hurt to take a look at The Omen first, but it's not necessary. This is a completely standalone film that pays off pretty nicely at the end if you are indeed familiar with the 1976 film.

“You like John Wick? I have the same gun from the movie!”

I choose the aforementioned quote because it is impossible not to draw parallels between Monkey Man and John Wick. Both are action-packed movies featuring a protagonist out for revenge. Additionally, both protagonists spend time on dishing it out, but also having to take a good deal of abuse while carrying out their bloody campaign. However, in Monkey Man I’d have to say the bloodshed is more of a prominent fixture. It works for it, though. Gives it a visceral edge. Making his directorial debut, Dev Patel showcases himself as a jack of all trades, as he not only directs but also stars in and co-writes the film. I never thought of Patel as an action star. To me, he’s the guy exploding on the scene with shows like Skins and movies like Slumdog Millionaire before establishing a stable career in the industry, usually in the drama genre. But after viewing the film I see his commitment to the authenticity and choreography. And before we launch into the debate about whether it was really him or a double taking the abuse, it’s worth noting that while filming this movie he sustained a number of injuries, including a broken hand, two broken toes, a torn shoulder, and an eye infection. And while the eye infection seems out of place next to the other more physical injuries, if that isn’t commitment to craft, I don’t know what is.

“I have a ghost to bust.”

When Afterlife was initially announced back in 2021, my thoughts were: why do we keep messing with things instead of preserving them? Ghostbusters was an iconic film franchise that already suffered one failed attempt at reboot. So when I went to see Afterlife, I was expecting the law of diminishing returns to be in effect. However, to my mind, Afterlife, with its homage to the dearly departed Harold Ramis and inclusion of the original crew, was not a reboot, but a continuation. It worked, and brought with it some of the nostalgia from the franchise’s original run. Now as expected, one good turn deserves another, and we now have Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire. Once again, we were at risk of destroying a good thing, but thankfully we had the right people at the helm who were able to blend the old with the new, which is no surprise given that the film was co-written by the son of the franchise’s original director. Additionally, not only does the film maintain credibility by bringing back the entire cast of Afterlife such as Mckenna Grace, Paul Rudd, Carrie Coon, and Finn Wolfhard; it also reaches back in time and brings together the original crew in the form of Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd (who also credited with the original story idea), Ernie Hudson, Annie Potts, and William Atherton. Throw in new cast members like Silicon Valley’s Kumail Nanijiani and Patton Oswalt, and you got yourself a party.

"Consider what you are about to do."

I first read Frank Herbert's initial Dune book back in the mid 1970's. I was introduced to one of the most complicated and extraordinary universes of literature I have still ever encountered. It's a masterpiece followed by several more books over the years that have more completely brought this world to life. The material's cinematic journey as been somewhat less captivating and quite a disappointment. The 1984 David Lynch film was a train wreck and quite possibly one of the greatest film failures in history. Since then a lot has changed. Today computer-generated images have progressed to the point that with enough money and artistic expertise a filmmaker can depict anything the mind can conceive. Images have become photorealistic, and the worlds of Herbert's Dune universe can finally be brought to the silver screen with almost no limitations. But is that enough? In 2021 Denis Villeneuve gave us the first film in an expected trilogy. Would he be able to capture literature lightning in a bottle in the same way Peter Jackson brought to life the Middle Earth worlds of Tolkien? It was a bit of a strange time. The world was hit with a pandemic that brought our lives to a standstill, and people were finally looking to be coaxed back into the multiplexes ... and they came. Dune delivered an exciting new experience, but it wasn't quite up to par in my book. The film was far too involved in exposition. The characters talked a lot more than they did ... anything. So I was a bit unimpressed even in the face of the technological marvel that the film certainly was. Now it's Part II, and the chances of the trilogy getting a conclusion depends heavily on what happens here. So what does happen here?

“The greater the spy. The bigger the lie.”

I had some reservations about the plot of this story when it was first announced. A reclusive author who writes espionage novels about a secret agent, and a global spy syndicate realizes the plot of the new book she's writing starts to mirror real-world events, in real time. That was a bit much for even someone with my imagination to digest easily. However, I remained excited. How could I not be? We are talking Matthew Vaughn’s panache, which took Kingsman to great heights. Then there’s Sam Rockwell’s compulsive dancing; I’m honestly starting to believe that he has that his character has to dance written into all his contracts. It’s sort of like Samuel L Jackson and his favorite expletive, which shockingly didn’t happen in this film. Not to mention that this film’s cast’s chock full of Hollywood heavy hitters that include the already mentioned Rockwell and Jackson, as well as Henry Cavill, John Cena, Bryce Dallas Howard, and Bryan Cranston. Still, the plot seemed a bit too farfetched. Too supernatural, given that it is intended to be a espionage thriller. Having now seen it, I can definitively say that it works. The explanation for the main character’s foresight is explained in an elegant and very clever way. However, you will have to see it for yourself. You won’t get a peek behind the curtain from me.

It’s January of a new year, and what that means for studios is that they like to release the last of their award-friendly films before the Oscars, and then there are the cast-off films that the studios release with few to no expectations. I felt this was the perfect time for a studio to release something of quality, because there’s literally no competition at the box office, but that might be what Universal is trying to do with their new release Night Swim. For horror fans, this title is one to be cautiously excited over, because it is the beginning of a partnership between Jason Blum and James Wan. The pair have united to release several horror projects in the near future. Night Swim was initially picked up as a feature after the success of the short film with the same title was released back in 2014 from directors Rod Blackhurst and Bryce McGuire. Now ten years later Bryce McGuire dives back in to create a feature length project about a haunted pool in the suburbs in an attempt to scare the floaties off its audience, but does he succeed? You know the rules, folks; no viewing after eating unless you’ve waited thirty minutes, and absolutely no viewing without supervision unless there is a lifeguard on duty. Now with that said, grab your swim trunks and settle in; we are taking the plunge into Night Swim.

The cold open on this film is honestly the best part of the film. I’m not saying this as a slight, but instead I got a little excited about this film because I enjoyed the opening so much. It worked as its own mini-movie filled with some tension and a decent jump scare. It starts up with a little girl simply trying to retrieve a toy boat of the pool for her sick brother, and we helplessly watch as her good deed does not end well. I love this as an opening for a horror film, because it shows us this director isn’t afraid to take chances, and if they have no problem killing a kid in the opening, then ANYONE can be a victim.