Jim & Andy, The Great Beyond: Lose Yourself

Jim and Andy: The Great Beyond is a documentary film directed by Chris Smith. It documents the production of the 1999 film Man On The Moon and shows the struggles of actor Jim Carrey as he remains in character as Andy Kaufman for the entirety of making the film. It shows the troubled production and highlights in a less literal sense, Jim Carrey’s mental health situation while making the film.

Now I have never seen the film Man On The Moon, but I have heard about the behind the scenes trouble of it, where Carrey as Kaufman was an arsehole to cast and crew and almost lost himself completely in the role, as he would suggest the deceased Kaufman was not only with him, but was trying to possess him.

This documentary shines a light on the dangers of Hollywood and to an extent stardom, it shows how actors are encouraged to be lose themselves in a role, sometimes to the detriment of their mental health, even going so far as to suggest that sometimes actors are cast because of their poor mental health. It presents Hollywood as almost another world, if someone was walking down the street and was behaving the way Carrey did on the set of Man On The Moon people would think he was mentally unwell, but in Hollywood that behaviour is seen as ‘oh that’s just Jim being Jim’ and is actively encouraged.

As someone who is a huge Jim Carrey fan I thought this documentary was fantastic as it showed me a more detailed look at his life, I learnt a lot of things I previously didn’t know, as well as this the documentary made me question the way I saw Carrey, instead of seeing him as his larger than life comic character I now see him as a very vulnerable broken human being who has been through a lot in his life.

I think if you’re a fan of the man himself, or of the film-making process than you will find a lot to like about this documentary. It might even encourage you to watch the film Man On The Moon like it did for me. Very informative and an engrossing watch.

Pros.

As a Jim Carrey fan I loved it.

It showed a peak behind Hollywood’s curtain.

It was engrossing and informative.

Cons.

It went on for a bit too long.

Some of it was a bit uncomfortable to watch.

3.5/5

Reviewed By Luke

Torchwood: Doctor Who After Dark

Torchwood is a science fiction TV series created by Russel T. Davis, the show acts as a spin-off to Doctor Who. The show follows a group of agents led by Captain Jack (John Barrowman), who fight to protect the human race from extra-terrestrial threats as well as paranormal ones.

This show is the anthesis of Doctor Who, for all that show is about exploring other worlds, in a family friendly manor, this show is Earth based and very much not fit for child viewing. To that extent there are moments in each episode that seems to push the boundaries of what they can show on television, or at least what the BBC will let them show. There are many quite gratuitous sex scenes and lots of over the top swearing and violence. Normally, this wouldn’t bother me, because normally it is done in a tasteful way, but here it really isn’t.

Another issue with this show is that unlike Doctor Who, classic Who not the current bastard version of the show, and even the other spin-off series The Sarah Jane Adventures, Torchwood does not have any memorable monsters. A lot of them are just fairly generic and don’t leave much of an impression on you, it is to that regard that I think this is the weakest of the 3 shows; as I am not even going to acknowledge Class.

Captain Jack is easily the one of the best characters Doctor Who ever created, he is both charming, funny and carefree, but also troubled and brooding; Barrowman can pull of both emotional ranges with ease. The episodes that focus on him are easily the best in the shows run, however, these are few and far between. Mostly we get episodes devoted to the other members of the agency, with Jack only playing a very small part in their adventures and most of these other characters are dull and uninspired. Moreover, the characters often do things that are morally reprehensible, Gwen (Eve Myles), and Owen (Burn Gorman), are both examples of this and yet we are supposed to cheer for them? I think not.

I think the later season of this show are far better than the early seasons as it very much finds itself somewhere during its second season. I think that this show tries too hard to be an adult version of Doctor Who, it loses sight of what it was originally intended to be, of all the shows in the Doctor Who Universe the only show worse than this was Class, and that is saying something.

With Captain Jack coming back to current Doctor Who I wouldn’t be surprised if Torchwood did as well, hopefully time will gift this show with a fresh and less unnecessary take.

Hellboy: Hell On Earth

Hellboy (2019) is a superhero film directed by Neil Marshall, based on the Dark Horse comic character of the same name. This film entirely ignores the Del Toro films that came before it and instead acts as a reboot of the series, moving away from family friendly territory and into Deadpool esque R-rated waters. The plot sees Hellboy, (David Harbour), try and stop a centuries old witch Vivienne Nimue (Mila Jovovich) from unleashing Hell on Earth.

I know this film was a bomb and a lot of people didn’t like it and the Del Toro films are better in a lot of ways, but I actually enjoyed this film; controversial I know. Before I get into why I liked it, I just want to say yeah I know this film has a lot of problems, the CGI ghost people that come out of Alice’s (Sasha Lane), throat are terrible and look like a child made them on After Effects and yes the plot line that Hellboy knew Alice as a child, but now she is kind of like his love interest for some reason, is creepy. That aside this is why I liked the film.

I like how this film sets up a larger world, you feel like there is more at play here than meets the eye, I like how it brings fantasy to a 21^st century version of London. I am also a massive Hellboy comics fan as well as the B.P.R.D so to see characters and elements of that world that the Del Toro films didn’t cover on screen was a blast for me.

I liked the fact that we got new characters rather than seeing the same team from the previous films, made up of Liz, Hellboy and Abe Saipan. Daniel Day Kim’s Ben Daimio is so cool, and the scene when he turns into a Werejugar is easily my favourite scene of the whole film, Alice is also a cool character, even if her powers look terrible.

Moreover, though it might sound heretical to say I like David Harbour as Hellboy. I think the film overdoes it with the jokes and the quips, trying far too hard to be like Deadpool, just like a certain superhero film that came out in 2020, despite this I like his take on the character and I would have liked to see more of him. Harbour plays the character with a lot of charm and warmth, he isn’t as brooding as Pearlman was with the character, but I think it is a good thing that this film tried to take the character in a new direction.

Finally, the practical effects on Baba Yaga were great, this was another highlight of the film for me. I am not going to get into the Pig monster thing: because I think the whole character was needless and the film could have done without that sub-plot.

Overall, this film is nothing like the Del Toro films, but I think that’s the point. If you can appreciate it for the dumb, schlocky fun that it is then there is a lot to like about this film. If not, you can take comfort in the fact their most certainly won’t be a sequel.

Pros.

Fresh take.

David Harbour.

New team with a tease of the old.

The practical effect on Baba Yaga.

Cons.

Terrible visual effects/icky subplots.

4/5

Reviewed by Luke

Pet Sematary: Sometimes Dead Is Better.

Pet Sematary is a supernatural horror film directed by Kevin Kolsch; based on the Stephen King novel of the same name. The film revolves around a family that finds a graveyard behind their house, that allows things to come back from the dead, this could be animals, or it could be people, but when they come back, they come back changed.

First things first, I just need to say I had very high expectations when I went in to see this film, as I love the work of Stephen King, as well as the 1980 version of this film. As a result of that I was disappointed with it and thought that while the new version did have a few cool scenes, it wasn’t a patch on the original film.

For me the issues began with the casting of Jason Clarke as Louis Reed. I don’t like Clarke and I certainly don’t rate him as an actor. I don’t know if I just haven’t seen him in the right role, but it seems like whenever he turns up in a film, that film turns out to be bad; the list of films that prove this point is long, but some choice examples are Winchester, Terminator Genesis and Serenity, however he is the best of a bad bunch.

This film has John Lithgow in it, he plays the neighbour that tells Louis about the pet semetary in the first place, Lithgow does the best with what little he has, but he is truly wasted in this film and his best scene is a scene that involves a child slashing the tendons in the base of his leg. What a waste.

The horror of this film is also not as well done as the 80’s version. Yes, that film was campy and a bit silly, but the scenes of the sister who is bed-bound in the attic, were genuinely frightening and left an impact. However, those same scenes in the 2019 version lose a lot of there impact thanks to an over-reliance on jump scares. I have talked at length about the plague that is jump scares, so I won’t go on about it here.

Finally, and perhaps worst of all we have the ending, which is significantly different from the book and the 1980 film, this time we see that the whole family has become evil thanks to the semetary and is going to kill baby Gage and that is how the film ends, so effectively the bad guys win. This could be done in such a way where it felt natural and earned, it is not inherently a bad thing. However, the way this ending is presented to us, leaves us feeling unsatisfied and let down; which then leaves a sour taste in the mouth when thinking about this film.

Overall, yet another remake that never needed to be made, disappointing, dumb and downright boring at times, don’t waste your money, watch it on TV, or stream it on Netflix.

Pros.

John Lithgow tries.

The classic song is back, even if it is a cover.

Cons.

Stop casting Jason Clarke!

The jump scares.

The lack of anything new or interesting.

2.5/5

Reviewed by Luke

Inside Number 9: A Black Mirror Killer

Inside No.9 is a British black comedy anthology series created by Reese Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton. Each episode usually stars both men, plus a wide array of British celebrities and has a different premise, some of them are horror themed and some of them more standard drama, it is very much similar to Black Mirror in that regard.

I have recently started watching this show after I watched a Youtube video about it, and I have to say it may be one of the best shows I have watched recently. Each episode usually has a twist that completely changes how you view the it, making it a must re-watch kind of show. The tone of the show is usually pitch black, occasionally there is some black comedy, but normally it plays it straight.

The writing on the show is very smart and it does things I haven’t seen on screen before, it is certainly not afraid to take risks. The first episode Sardines, shows a family getting together to play the hide and seek esque game sardines, while more and more people join the cupboard where the majority of the family is hiding a dark secret is revealed; this leads directly into the twist and then the end of the episode.

The reason why this is so excellent is because it adds to the already built tension, all the way through the episode we know that there is something not quite right going on, but every time we think we understand what is going on the show takes it in another way and you are left saying wait what.

So far, there has been 5 seasons of the show, with the 5^th currently airing in the UK now, and I have to say each season is as strong as the others, there are standout episodes in each; such as the Krampus episode, the demon episode at the end of the first season and so on. As you can see, I really enjoy the horror themed episodes. I think the only reason this show isn’t as big as something like Black Mirror, despite being better than it in a lot of ways, is because it doesn’t have the power of someone like Netflix behind it which stops it from reaching a wider international audience.

Definitely something to check out if you haven’t seen it already!

Pros.

The twists.

The experimentation.

The re-watchability.

The great casts.

It does Black Mirror but better.

Cons.

None really.

5/5

Reviewed by Luke

The Curse Of La Llorona: Behold The Horror!

The Curse Of La Llorona is a supernatural horror film directed by Michael Chaves and is the 6^th instalment in the Conjuring universe, though that fact is not marketed, for what reason you decide. The plot revolves around social worker Anna (Linda Cardellini), who after unwittingly letting a supernatural entity kill two kids, now has to face down the same entity, La Llorona (Marisol Ramirez), when her own kids become targets.

I am just going to say this once, the only reason this is a part of the Conjuring universe is because Warner Brothers know that without that title this film would flop, hard. What makes it even worse is the fact that its tie to said universe is so small and flimsy, most people won’t even recognise it. The way this film ties into the shared universe is by having the same actor who played a priest in the first Annabelle film return to his role for a blink and you will miss it cameo.

I understand that the folk tale of La Llorona is something that means a lot to people and that it was THE fear of their childhood, but that just makes this film sadder. Rather than give us a good film that explores La Llorona, the myth, the person, we have this forgettable bland excuse for a film. La Llorona could be swapped for any of the Conjuring universe baddies and the results would be the same. La Llorona in this film could easily be the nun from other entries, as they don’t bother to make her feel unique and different.

Moreover, the characters in this film are as dull and cliché filled as they can possibly be, these are characters that you have seen thousands of times before in this kind of film there is nothing to them and that makes them incredibly hard to care for. There were moments in this film when I was hoping La Llorona would kill one of them just to liven things up, but no. It is all just predictable and safe.

Don’t even get me started on the jump scares in this film, they are the most blatant and obvious ones I have ever seem in a film. Never has it been truer than in the case of this film where the creative team are putting in forced jump scares because there is no actually horror in their horror film. This is so un-scary it doesn’t deserve to be called a horror film, it could be shown in schools and even then, little kids wouldn’t find it scary, just tediously, aggressively, horrifically bad.

Pros.

The new priest guy is kind of cool.

Cons.

Oh, wait no they ruined him.

La Llorona herself is dull and repetitive.

It shows everything wrong with jump scares.

It is not in any way, in any shape or form a horror film.

0.5/5

Reviewed by Luke

My Favourite Films: It Follows

In this new series of pieces, I want to tell you about some of my favourite films and why I love them, hopefully with the aim of convincing you to give them a try if you haven’t already; first up is It Follows

It Follows is a supernatural physiological horror film directed by David Robert Marshall. The plot revolves around a curse that is being passed around through sex. When a person is infected with it an unknown entity will slowly follow them around wherever they go, getting closer and closer, this entity can take the form of anyone, someone you know and trust, or a stranger, but its goal remains the same when it catches up to you it will kill you and then move on to the next person down the line. We see this play out from the point of view of our protagonist Jay (Maika Monroe), who becomes infected with the curse and then has to do battle with the entity.

The reason why this film is so good is the inherent tension in the premise, a pretty much unstoppable creature is coming for you slowly, it never sleeps, never takes a break it is always getting closer and closer, it’s a terrifying idea to ponder. It Follows really dives into this sense of dread as well as we see Jay slowly losing her mind more and more as her battle becomes more and more futile. This film also asks some really riveting moral questions as well, posing is it better to just pass it on to someone else because then at least it will leave you alone until it kills the person you spread it to.

Another feather in It Follows cap is its beautifully done and implemented synth soundtrack, it has just enough 80’s esque charm to feel familiar, whilst also enough haunting emptiness to perfectly underpin the tone of the film as the non-diegetic music works perfectly as a mirror to the on-screen characters emotions.

One of the main reasons I love this film so much is because it relies on creating a tense atmosphere and a looming sense of dread to generate scares, rather than having a jump scares ever few minutes. I personally believe that It Follows approach to horror works better than something that features a lot of jump scares for the simple fact that jump scares are easy to spot and become predictable after a bit, whereas It Follows had me feeling uneasy throughout.

Written by Luke

The Final Girls: Your New Favourite Summer Movie!

Final Girls is a comedy slasher film directed by Todd Strauss-Schulson. The plot involves a group of friends who get sucked into a summer slasher film and have to survive until the end. Along with this there is a subplot about the main girl Max (Taissa Farmiga), getting to meet a younger version of her mother, who appears as an actress in the in-film film, which is important as she has recently lost her, so there is an element of personal journey their as well.

I think the best praise I can give this film is that it is effortlessly charming, to describe it in as few words as possible it is the best kind of 80’s inspired B movie. I have always had a soft spot in my heart for parody film, Scary Movie, Cabin In The Woods, The Cornetto Trilogy and it carries on here, I think the reason I enjoy this film so much is because it is such a good take on the slasher genre, the mockery is so spot on, but also done with a heaping table spoon of love.

Another thing I commend this film for is using TV actors who don’t/ or at least haven’t yet had the chance to do a lot of film work. This is mainly true of Taissa Farmiga, who unlike her sister hasn’t really translated to film, she has been in a few minor roles here and there and there was of course The Nun, but overall she has been underutilised, she has proven time and again with American Horror Story that she is a fantastic young actor. This film also features Alexander Ludwig, of Vikings fame, who again shines when given the opportunity to be on the big screen. I think both of the young stars prove they have potential and talent in spades with the performances they give in this film.

What’s more I liked the mother daughter dynamic the film has going, I think it nicely adds emotional stakes to the film, without being too melodramatic. The same can be said of the film’s comedy it is a nice compliment to the film rather than being fully focused on, thereby taking away from the excellent slasher horror.

Overall, if you like Slasher films or just Horror in general then you will like this film, it is smart and an excellent parody, boosted by some genuinely fantastic performances; don’t let this one slip under your radar, check it out!

Pros.

It is smart.

It is an excellent parody.

It takes chances on unproven actors.

They pay off, by giving great performances.

The ending is a thing of beauty.

Cons.

Non.

5/5

Reviewed by Luke

Locke & Key (Season 1): Do Doors Need To Be Opened?

Locke & Key (Season 1) is a supernatural horror drama TV show developed by Carlton Cuse, Meredith Averill and Aron Eli Coleite. The show is based off the Joe Hill comic series of the same name. The premise is that a family move back to their ancestral home after their father is murdered, once they arrive they begin to find a series of keys that grant magical and dangerous abilities, however, all is not well as a demon is also trapped on the property and it too is looking for the keys to open the Black Door.

As someone who is quite a big Joe Hill fan, when I heard this series was announced I was very excited for it and for the most part it met my expectations. I have not read the comic series so I can’t say how well this works as an adaptation of those books, or how accurate it is.

I think at it’s core this show has some good horror bones, there are quite a few menacing and scary moments scattered throughout, although something to note is that this isn’t the same kind of horror you would find in something like The Conjuring, this is more child friendly horror; think a cross between the previously mentioned film and the Jack Black Goosebumps film. It is because of this that I personally didn’t think this show is scary.

Moreover, this TV show is defiantly aiming at a younger/teenage audience: because as well as the more family friendly scares, you also have a lot and I mean a lot of teenage angst and high school politics thrown in for good measure. For the most part these sections are used sparingly and spread amongst the horror elements well, however, sometimes we get one really long bit of relationship drama and it made me groan every time. I think it is this focus on teen angst that stops this show from being great.

My big complaint with the show is that you can’t have you cake and eat it, by that I mean it can’t be a good horror show if every 5 seconds we need to cut away to a will they won’t they relationship and by the same token we can’t have a good teen drama if it plays too much into horror, this show needs to pick a side and stick to it, it needs to decide what it wants to be.

Overall, it has potential to be great, but it needs to commit to the horror and get better writers.

Pros.

Solid concept.

Some interesting mythology.

It has potential.

Cons.

Paper thin characters.

Too much teen drama.

3/5

Reviewed by Luke

Happy Death Day: The Best Kind Of Birthday!

Happy Death Day is a black comedy slasher film directed by Christopher Landon. The plot revolves around meangirl Tree (Jessica Rothe), who finds herself trapped in a time-loop in which she is fated to die at the end; on her birthday no less. Tree then decides she is going to find out who her killer is and stop them, thereby freeing herself from the time-loop; growing as a person along the way.

I genuinely believe that this film is Blumhouse’s best! This is not only my personal favourite slasher film ever, even topping John Carpenter’s original Halloween, but also it is in my top ten films of the last decade; I will now try and highlight why I think it is so good.

Ultimately, I will boil it down to one performance Jessica Rothe. Rothe is the perfect final girl as well as one of the easiest characters to root for ever put to screen, Rothe plays the character with so much easy confidence and charm that it is virtually impossible to not like her. What’s more the writing for her character is equally fantastic, she is layered, on the surface she appears as the typical mean girl stereotype, but underneath she has so much personal trauma, which the film deals with in such a sweet way; take note god awful 2019 Black Christmas.

Moreover, the romance of the film between Tree and Carter (Israel Broussard), is so well done that they have quickly become by favourite on-screen couple, the chemistry between the two is pitch perfect and I love every second they are on-screen together, it warms my romantic heart.

The fantastic characters aside, this film also works really well as a slasher film, as it is both smart and scary. Happy Death Day is very aware of what it is and as such it is very tongue in cheek about being a slasher film, not to the point of parody however; very much in a similar vein to something like the original Scream in that regard. Furthermore, there is also a great sense of tension throughout and the mystery of the film, as in who the killer is, is a perfect encapsulation of it, as it keeps you guessing right up until the last minute.

Overall, this is one of my favourite horror films of all time and I think if you haven’t seen it you should, I guarantee you won’t be disappointed!

Pros.

The tension.

The mystery.

Blumhouse at its finest.

Great on-screen chemistry.

Jessica Rothe.

Cons.

None.

5/5

Reviewed by Luke