Halloween Ends

Four years after her last encounter with masked killer Michael Myers, Laurie Strode is living with her granddaughter and trying to finish her memoir. Myers hasn't been seen since, and Laurie finally decides to liberate herself from rage and fear and embrace life. However, when a young man stands accused of murdering a boy that he was babysitting, it ignites a cascade of violence and terror that forces Laurie to confront the evil she can't control.

What the hell was this?   They legit just wanted a final battle with Laurie Strode and Michael Myers and tacked on a whole other movie a year later in order to show that scene during the last 15 minutes of the movie.  Everything up to that was beyond pointless, beyond crap and honestly became like comedic material.  I am baffled as to what their plan was here.  Totally baffled.

I would not recommend anyone watch this.  Ever.  This has to be the odds on favorite for worst movie of the year.

Smile

After witnessing a bizarre, traumatic incident involving a patient, Dr. Rose Cotter starts experiencing frightening occurrences that she can't explain. As an overwhelming terror begins taking over her life, Rose must confront her troubling past in order to survive and escape her horrifying new reality.

This preview has tormented me for months.  Might be one of the creepiest trailers of all time.   That had my expectations pretty high for this movie and that might have ended up hurting it in the end.  I liked the movie alot but there was too much down time between the crazy intense parts.   Too much fleshing out of a story that could have been explained simpler.

I would still recommend people checking this movie out.  There are some huge jump scares.   Just was not as good as I expected or as I think it could have been.  

Ticket To Paradise

A divorced couple teams up and travels to Bali to stop their daughter from making the same mistake they think they made 25 years ago.

This was a textbook rom-com.  There is nothing about this movie that you didn't know from the trailer.  You saw that and you pretty much saw the movie.  That being said - the chemistry between Clooney and Roberts was very legit and Madde the movie watchable/enjoyable even with how predictable it was in every way.  I wish that there would have been more laugh out loud moments during the movie like the beer pong scene but it was a decent watch regardless.  

I would recommend this to any fan of rom-coms.  It is a decent watch.  Not a must see by any means but enjoyable enough.  

The Woman King

The Woman King is a 2022 American historical epic film about the Agojie, the all-female warrior unit who protected the West African kingdom of Dahomey during the 17th to 19th centuries. Set in the 1820s, the film stars Viola Davis as a general who trains the next generation of warriors to fight their enemies.

I admittedly did not expect to enjoy this movie as much as I did.  It had great action, very well developed characters and relationships that you grow to care about.  Add that on top of how it was based on a true story and real people and the movie was just that much better.  Kudos to Viola Davis for being so badass and training so much for this.

I would definitely recommend people checking this out.  It was a really enjoyable watch especially for a September release.

Lyle Lyle Crocodile

When the Primm family moves to New York City, their young son, Josh, struggles to adapt to his new school and friends. All of that changes when he discovers Lyle, a singing crocodile that loves baths, caviar and great music. The two become fast friends, but when evil neighbor Mr. Grumps threatens Lyle's existence, the Primms must band together to show the world that family can come from the most unexpected places.

How is this a thing?   How the hell is Javier Bardem in this!?!?!?!  This movie was basically a massive insult to family movies.   They should be brought up on criminal charges for taking parents' hard earned money.   

This movie is beyond not recommended.  It is honestly criminal.

Amsterdam

Set in the '30s, it follows three friends who witness a murder, become suspects themselves, and uncover one of the most outrageous plots in American history.

This was one weird ass movie.  If I would have reviewed this right after watching it I probably would have ranted about how ridiculous it was and all over the place with you watching the whole thing saying what the f am I watching.  But when thinking about it overnight I realize that it was all by design.  It was taking a bunch of very dedicated method actors and putting them in this where you can't help but think a bunch of it is improvised and even though you have no idea where it is going or what is happening at so many points - you are definitely. hooked and invested and at no point entertaining pulling the plug.  Credit where its due that is actually pretty impressive.  

I would strangely recommend people checking this out.  Its a very enjoyable watch with awesome actors even though it is quite random and off the wall.  

Clerks III

Clerks III is a 2022 American comedy film written, produced, directed, and edited by Kevin Smith. It serves as the sequel to the 1994 and 2006 Clerks films.

Listen . . . . . this movie was meant to be nothing more than a full circle kind of nostalgia trip for fans of the original.  That's why it didn't get a legit wide release.   The movie is just as horribly bad as the original was.  But even though the first one was one of the most garbage movies ever made it became a staple and a cult classic for my generation.  There are few movies that I have seen more and there are few movies that I quote or reference more than the original.  This movie was for us and it worked.  It actually worked on an emotional level which was honestly the last thing I expected to experience when seeing this. 

I can't openly recommend people checking it out because A - it's not in theaters because of a limited day release thing and B - its not a good movie.  Again - just like the first one this is not a movie that you recommend based on how well done or acted it is.  But if you know the person will like it then you insist that they will.  I really enjoyed the fan service nostalgia trip.

Don't Worry Darling

In the 1950s, Alice and Jack live in the idealized community of Victory, an experimental company town that houses the men who work on a top-secret project. While the husbands toil away, the wives get to enjoy the beauty, luxury and debauchery of their seemingly perfect paradise. However, when cracks in her idyllic life begin to appear, exposing flashes of something sinister lurking below the surface, Alice can't help but question exactly what she's doing in Victory.

It's a shame that there has been so much behind the scenes drama for this movie kind of tainting it.  The movie is actually a very enjoyable watch in a dystopian world/Stepford Wives kind of way.  Florence Pugh is great and Harry Styles was actually really good too.  They succeeded in taking you to this place where it all felt possible/real.

I would recommend people checking this out.   It is an enjoyable watch and don't let all the drama from behind the scenes effect watching the movie

Bros

Bobby is a neurotic podcast host who's happy to go on Tinder dates and content not to have a serious relationship. That all changes when he meets Aaron, an equally detached lawyer who likes to play the field. Repeatedly drawn to each other, both men begin to show their vulnerable sides as their undeniable attraction turns into something resembling a commitment.

This movie was a decent watch overall.  It started as being very homosexually specific but then hit its groove when it really embraced the Rom Com formula.  The tough thing with this movie is that no matter how accepting you are of LGBTQ community, this is still a targeted watch.  Like heterosexual couples wouldn't see this as their date movie.  Families are not going to go see it.  I like that they put it out there for the targeted audience but it is a very targeted audience watch.

I would recommend this to anyone who is homosexual or is open minded enough to take it for what it is.  It's a decent rom com overall outside of some extreme sexual content.

Pearl

Trapped on her family's isolated farm, Pearl must tend to her ailing father under the bitter and overbearing watch of her devout mother. Hoping for a more glamorous life, Pearl's ambitions, temptations and repressions all collide to horrific effect.

X was a surprisingly good movie that came out of nowhere and now less than a year later it has a sequel that honestly has an incredibly unnerving creepiness to it the entire time - like even when something necessarily scary is not happening on the screen.   The actress playin Pearl is downright terrifying when she flips that switch and you see it multiple times and it just gets more and more creepy.  

I would definitely recommend people checking this movie out.  Especially horror fans because there are some nuts scenes and visuals in this.  Very impressive how in less than a year this has turned into one of the better horror "franchises" with a third one already on the way.

Three Thousand Years Of Longing

While attending a conference in Istanbul, Dr. Alithea Binnie happens to encounter a djinn who offers her three wishes in exchange for his freedom. This presents two problems: first, she doubts that he's real, and second, because she's a scholar of story and mythology, she knows all the cautionary tales of wishes gone wrong. The djinn pleads his case by telling her fantastical stories of his past. Eventually, she's beguiled and makes a wish that surprises them both.

This was an incredibly weird watch which you kind of figured from the trailer.  They tried to do a good job of fleshing it out but ultimately this was an incredibly long conversation between the two characters.  Like when you look back that is legit all it was.  LOL!  

I would not really recommend anyone bothering with this.  It's ALOT of heavy material on mythology and what not and again - its really just a very long conversation.

Top Gun: Maverick

After more than 30 years of service as one of the Navy's top aviators, Pete "Maverick" Mitchell is where he belongs, pushing the envelope as a courageous test pilot and dodging the advancement in rank that would ground him. Training a detachment of graduates for a special assignment, Maverick must confront the ghosts of his past and his deepest fears, culminating in a mission that demands the ultimate sacrifice from those who choose to fly it.

Wow!  This movie was awesome in every way.  And for the record, I am not one of those people that thinks the original is one of the best movies ever or puts it up on a pedestal.  I liked it but this one was the old school kind of movie that made me fall in love with going to the movies in the first place.  It was fun, you got connected, you go emotional both sad and massively happy at times.   You were invested in all the characters and the respect paid to the original was just insane.   

I would absolutely recommend everyone checking this one out.  This is a lock for my top ten list at the end of the year and would currently be the best movie of the year so far with ease.

Honk For Jesus. Save Your Soul.

Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul. is a 2022 American comedy film written, directed, and produced by Adamma Ebo, in her feature directorial debut. It is a feature-length adaptation of Ebo's 2018 short film of the same name.

What was this?  Advertised as a comedy.  Felt much more like a drama.  Advertised as a rockumentary.  Felt more like a not interesting documentary.  Regardless a massive waste of the talent involved.  

I would not recommend anyone bothering with this.   I couldn't even make it halfway through without turning it off.

Nope

Caretakers at a California horse ranch encounter a mysterious force that affects human and animal behaviour.

This was a tough one.  I'm a huge fan of Jorden Peele and LOVED Get Out and Us.  Visually - this movie had a lot of his similar direction and was great.  Unfortunately, that was the only real hook I felt by this movie.  Outside of that it was just a lot of build up to something that just didn't pay off.  On top of that one of the best parts of the movie was this flashback thing that I couldn't wait to see how it connected . . . . . . and it never really did.  

I wouldn't recommend people checking this one out.  It was very disappointing.  Hopefully it is just a misfire and Peele can get back on track with his next one. 

The Invitation

After the death of her mother and having no other known relatives, Evie takes a DNA test and discovers a long-lost cousin she never knew she had. Invited by her newfound family to a lavish wedding in the English countryside, Evie's at first seduced by the sexy aristocratic host. However, she's soon thrust into a nightmare of survival as she uncovers twisted secrets about her family history and the unsettling intentions behind their sinful generosity.

This movie made no sense.  They pretty much gave away the payoff or the curve of the movie during the trailer.  They then took like a hour and 20 minutes to get to said payoff . . . . . . and then the movie ends like 15-20 minutes later.  Like what the hell is that?  How was this a feature film.   Total waste of time.

I wouldn't recommend anyone bothering with this.  It was your textbook August/September horror movie release.