Film Review: “V/H/S Beyond”

Directed by: Jordan Downey, Christian and Justin Long, Justin Martinez, Virtal Pal, and Kate Siegel
Rated: NR
Running Time: 110 Minutes
Shudder

Our Score: 3.5 out of 5 Stars

Here at MediaMikes, we love the V/H/S franchise. While we haven’t reviewed every single entry, the ones we have have averaged 4 out of 5 Stars. Unfortunately I’m here to break that trend, but that shouldn’t distract from “V/H/S Beyond,” the latest entry. It appears to be the first foray into a solely sci-fi realm for the franchise. While not every short within the anthology has a sci-fi beat, it maintains the exaggerated style the films have held recently.

Continuing a recent trend in the franchise, “V/H/S Beyond” has a framing narrative that really doesn’t matter or fit into the overall structure at all. Thankfully “Abduction/Adduction” is as short as it is forgettable, moving straight into “Stork,” a short that feels like a first-person shooter. “Stork” is very much like a horror video game playthrough as a SWAT team storms a dilapidated building looking for the culprit behind missing babies. The short manages to squeeze in every ounce of creepiness, jump scares and unrelenting gore from its disturbing premise.

“Dream Girl” lets off the accelerator a tad as we watch two paparazzi members find out a somewhat predictable secret behind the latest Bollywood sensation. The superstar bloodbath that ensues doesn’t necessarily save the weak story in this one. Luckily, “Live and Let Dive” goes back to slamming the film’s foot on the accelerator. A group of friends are going skydiving for a pal’s birthday celebration, but a UFO and the American military have a different idea as chaos unfolds mid-air and on the ground. Outside of some wicked kills, “Live and Let Dive” has a great creature design and a concept that never lets go of you. Also ,it might actually be the only short in the whole movie that actually follows found footage rules.

If “Live and Let Dive,” didn’t rattle you, then surely “Fur Babies” will. You can kind of surmise what’s going to happen when a group of animal rights activists decide to sneak into the home of a pet and taxidermy enthusiast home to check out her doggy daycare. Even if you can predict what’s going to happen, it can’t prepare you for the horrific body horror comedy that follows. This, and “Stork,” are the highlights of “V/H/S Beyond.” These two shorts make the latest addition a worthy watch.

Before “Abduction/Adduction” wraps up, “Stowaway” provides an artistic reprieve from the chaos beforehand. A mother documents her journey into the desert to uncover what the mysterious lights she sees every night are. Unlike the other shorts, “Stowaway” has an emotional core as grainy cam footage appears to have overwritten a tragedy this woman is attempting to forget in the name of alien exploration. In that regard, I enjoyed it for bringing us back down to Earth (or out of Earth) after the insanity of “Fur Babies.”

Overall, I enjoyed “V/H/S Beyond,” but my head wasn’t joyously spinning as hard as the past few entries in the franchise. Just like before, found footage rules be damned as several shots were clearly just filmmaking and not footage from a body cam, handheld, cellphone, or something else. At this point it’s hard to tell if these newer films in the franchise actually go for an aesthetic. “V/H/S Beyond” feels like it should be sci-fi up and down, but “Stork” and “Fur Babies” prove that’s not entirely the case. If you were to remove those films, the entire anthology will feel a little hampered by a narrow sci-fi horror preference. Regardless, “V/H/S Beyond” offers a little bit of something for all horror fans, whether it be gallons of blood, gruesome dismemberments and shattered bones, creature designs burned into your retina or good ol’ fashioned jump scares. The “V/H/S” franchise is becoming a yearly treat for those who enjoy what makes horror great.

Blu-Ray Review: “MaXXXine”

Starring: Mia Goth, Elizabeth Debicki and Moses Sumney
Directed by: Ti West
Rated: R
Running Time: 104 minutes
A24

Film: 4 out of 5 Stars
Audio/Video: 5 out of 5 Stars
Extras: 3.5 out of 5 Stars
Overall: 4 out of 5 Stars

“What is Ti West trying to tell me?” That was a thought that kept popping up during the brief and distantly scattered lulls in “MaXXXine.” If you didn’t know, “MaXXXine” is the conclusion to director/writer West’s Mia Goth horror homage trilogy. Just like in “Pearl” and in “X,” Goth plays an antihero that we sympathize with because she’s fierce. She’s an ambitious young woman looking to escape a humdrum confining life. She finds power in violence, but will she finally achieve the infamy and freedom that she so desperately wants?

Maxine (Goth) just landed a role in “Puritan 2,” the upcoming horror sequel currently being protested by…well…modern day puritans. Radicalized individuals picket outside Hollywood studios in the background as Maxine sees a bright future ahead for herself. After years of porn work, she believes she has her big break. She’s so starstruck by her own potential stardom, she seems to care less that the Night Stalker is terrorizing the surrounding hills. Yes, it’s the 80s. Every corner of Hollywood looks like Skid Row, the morality police are in panic mode and slashers populate cinemas across the nation. Maxine blends in with it all, but her dreams of being a star seem too good to be true. A mysterious individual leaves a tape at her front door. What’s on it? Her dark past.

West has already solidified himself in the horror community, but with “MaXXXine,” he may have solidified himself as a household name with the completion of this fascinating and wildly entertaining trilogy. Each film, while fitting neatly in different aspects of the horror genre, manages to feel magnificently different and fresh. However, “MaXXXine” is the most audacious and grandiose of the bunch. While “MaXXXine” features a thick cast, like Kevin Bacon’s old school magnetism, Giancarlo Esposito’s scene chewing, or Elizabeth Debecki’s commanding screen presence, Goth casually remains the focus from her first time on screen to her last.

“MaXXXine” is able to entertain without any knowledge of the other films, just like “Pearl” and “X,” but it is immensely richer if you have seen the other films. Not only does “MaXXXine” love being self-referential, to the point of being meta on its own meta, it builds upon its own mythos in subtle ways. Watching the trilogy will also help you understand Maxine even more during her long stares and daydream fantasies. Also, let’s be blunt, this trilogy is a true horror showcase for Goth’s range and power to maintain viewer’s attention over five hours.

Back to the opening question of this review…West looked to tie his main theme in ”MaXXXine,” simply by going to Hollywood and going big. “MaXXXine” hammers home its nuanced commentary on art imitating life and vice versa. In all these movies, we not only see how the power of cinema impacts Goth’s character, but we see how much the act of making films, both the fictional ones within the movie and the actual films, become the ultimate commentary on the power of storytelling. “MaXXXine” takes place during the 80s when crazed Christians thought the devil had infested pop culture, and lawmakers were considering regulations and bans on art because of that moral panic. It took about 40 years for history to repeat itself. West loves filmmaking, it’s very obvious from not only watching “MaXXXine,” but this trilogy as a whole. Hell, maybe West channeled his life and ambitions into Maxine. Or, maybe West wants us to know Hollywood is not only a fucked up place, but so is everyone in it.

Extras

Belly of the Beast: This feature talks with the actors and crew about the making of “MaXXXine”

XXX Marks The Spot: This feature breaks down the visual aesthetic of the film while discussing it’s influences.

Hollywood Is A Killer: This features goes over the makeup and digital effects of the film.

Q&A With Ti West: This interview is a good 25 minutes of Writer/Director Ti West.

Trailers 

Film Review: “Megalopolis”

Starring: Adam Driver, Giancarlo Esposito and Nathalie Emmanuel
Directed by: Francis Ford Coppola
Rated: R
Running Time: 138 minutes
Lionsgate Films

Our Score: 2.5 out of 5 Stars

“Megalopolis” is a difficult film to summarize. It’s Writer/Director Francis Ford Coppola’s 40-years in the making magnum opus that’s equal parts Shakespearian, dystopian, utopian, unintentional comedy, self serious, overacted, haphazard, silly, and about a dozen other adjectives. If at one point you’re disgusted, bored, or chuckling to yourself, give it a few minutes and it’ll elicit another emotion. This is the kind of film that will draw, and has drawn, criticism for being over bloated, confusing and ultimately a flop. Others will find it to be a prophetic stroke of genius that will take years, if not decades to be appreciated. For me, it was an enjoyable, sometimes overwrought, experience that finds unique ways to entertain while finding baffling ways to tell a story.

“Megalopolis” takes place in New York City, I’m sorry, New Rome. The city represents the U.S., er, I’m sorry, ancient Rome. Basically New York City/the U.S. is ancient Rome. That is a nauseating metaphor that the movie uses constantly, and you can use it if you’re ever wondering what the hell is going on. As for what exactly is going on, Cesar Catilina (Adam Driver) is an architect and nephew to Hamilton Crassus III (Jon Voight), the billionaire, if not trillionaire, representation of capitalism in New Rome. Everything revolves around Crasuss’ money. Not only does Catilina rely on it, but so does Clodio Pulcher (Shia LaBeouf), Crassus’ anarchist nephew with political aspirations, TV news reporter Wow Platinum (Aubrey Plaza) whose face appears in the dictionary next to the term “gold digger,” and Mayor Franklyn Cicero (Giancarlo Esposito). Mayor Cicero recognizes the power the dollar has in New Rome, but believes that cash, through Catilina, Pulcher, Platinum and others, is corrupting the city. But the city is already corrupt and falling apart under Mayor Cicero’s abusive police force. Making sense so far? Good, because I haven’t even bothered explaining the magic metal element or Catilina’s ability to stop time.

There’s way too much plot getting in the way of…well…the plot. I haven’t even mentioned Jason Schwartzman’s useless character that seems to be contractually obligated to pop-up randomly in the background or foreground every 10 minutes, Nathalie Emmanuel simply being a “Romeo and Juliet” love interest, a virgin teen pop star controversy magnet played by Grace VanderWaal and Dustin Hoffman who’s character only seems to exist to pad the film’s star power. Which is another big reason the film, at times, feels dizzying. There’s characters that go nowhere, character actions that are never explained, much less hinted at, and Laurence Fishburne who plays the dual role of limo driver and narrator. Even the narration peters out towards the end and title cards, which were previously read by the narrator, flash on screen as if someone forgot to dub in Fishburne’s voice.

It’s obvious to see why this film has been called a mess, because it really is. Even if I found myself enjoying this thoroughly, I’d be struggling to find the words to even express the joy. Speaking of joy, the only thing stopping me from rating it lower than a 2.5 is that it’s an entertaining mess. Moments of exposition, which felt serious, had me smiling at the absurdity as if someone was handed the script to “Airplane!” but didn’t know they were making a comedy. You can actually never really predict where the film is going, even when it’s using obvious parallels between the U.S. in 2024. It sometimes avoids the low hanging fruit while ripping up that vary tree to gnaw at every single low hanging fruit. The movie restrains itself during some scenes while egregiously indulging Coppola’s ego in others.

This is truly a mess that seems like the writer/director has decided to unload every essence of his own humanity and perception of humanity into it. While the world seems bleak, dominated by narcissistic losers who’s only abilities are to manipulate those around them, Coppola’s film is ultimately an optimistic one. “Megalopolis” seems to believe that even when the pillars of a righteous civilization crack and break under the pressure of corruption, there is the ability to make amends and create something more beautiful in its wake. We see that through Catilina’s eyes, who may as well be Coppola himself; a flawed individual with talent. However, Coppola’s own ego gets in the way, several times, when we see characters seek Catalina’s admiration and love. Maybe that own Coppola ego is why some shots are visually impressive and hypnotic, while others feel right in line with a Sci-Fi original.

I’m sure many papers, videos and blog posts will be written about “Megalopolis,” negative and positive. For me, it was difficult to find the balance because I’m still at odds over the film. Did it need another four decades or maybe it should have been pushed out when the idea was fresh and hot. I honestly don’t think “Megalopolis” is a film I can fully recommend because it is so convoluted to explain, yet I can’t fully write off the film. It has some unspoken magnetism, a combination of art, politics, and history that has everything to say, yet sometimes says nothing. I can also see myself watching it again and again, either because it is truly awful or because it requires a thorough digestion.

Film Review: “Last Straw”

Starring: Jessica Belkin, Taylor Kowalski and Jeremy Sisto
Directed by: Alan Scott Neal
Rated: NR
Running Time: 81 minutes
Shout! Studios

Our Score: 3 out of 5 Stars

For horror fans, siege horror is nothing new. From “Assault on Precinct 13” to “The Mist,” humans have been trapped inside buildings by other humans, monsters, demons, etc. for decades. So, on paper, “Last Straw” doesn’t seem that unique, a woman terrorized in a diner alone overnight, but it’s how the story unfolds that I realize it’s more than just the protagonist at wit’s end.

When we first meet Nancy (Jessica Belkin) she’s metaphorically trapped. She’s dealing with an unwanted pregnancy, frustrated over doing nothing since high school, and having to waitress and manage a diner owned by her dad, earning the scorn of her co-workers. While she deals with a myriad of awful customers, some masked hoodlums manage to rattle her. She fires an employee, in an attempt to maintain some form of control over life, and takes on the late shift. We all know where this lonely late shift is going, especially after we witness one of the masked hoodlums from earlier threatening retaliation.

Nancy’s an interesting protagonist because she’s young and clearly taking out frustrations on everyone around her. Even a responding police officer isn’t immune from her ire. While that would make it hard for us to root for her, we find ourselves with a story that’s flipped on its head when the chaos unfolds. While we may not like Nancy for certain actions, the results of her actions, a lot of violence, are warranted. But does the violence beget violence? Without revealing too much, “Last Straw” manages flips everything you learn on its head in an entertaining second half.

If I had a major complaint, it’s that first time director Alan Scott Neal takes a lot of notes and ideas from past siege films and implements them haphazardly throughout. Sometimes they click right into place, and other times they feel shoehorned in. However, the real key to “Last Straw” is its messaging. While not handled as best as it could, it tells a very contemporary story in the vein of people not understanding the people around us, sometimes trapped in our own bubble of misery without realizing the harm we inflict on others.

“Last Straw” reminds me a bit of last year’s “Night of the Hunted.” There’s a rich theme, but “Last Straw” doesn’t quite hit all the right notes or go as deep on the subject as it could go. That being said, it conveys the point enough to where we find ourselves in murky moral waters at the end. If you’re simply looking for something fun and slightly clever, “Last Straw” will scratch that itch.

Film Review: “Dead Teenagers”

Starring: Jordan Myers, Maya Jeyam and Tony White
Directed by: Quinn Armstrong
Rated: NR
Running Time: 80 minutes
Cranked Up

Our Score: 3 out of 5 Stars

When we first meet Mandy (Jordan Myers), she’s waking up, getting showered, listening to catchy pop music and preparing for a great spring break day at a cabin. “Dead Teenagers” quickly dives into tropes, showing all of Mandy’s cliche friends and basically implying that Mandy will most likely be our final girl. Once the chess pieces have been set up, it’s only a matter of time before a psychotic masked man arrives to begin the slicing and dicing. However, our serial killer accidentally dies without a single horny teenager harmed in the process. That’s when the teens find a screenplay, called “Dead Teenagers.”

The first thing that really came to mind about “Dead Teenagers” (the movie, not the script) is “Cabin in the Woods.” It’s kind of hard to escape the shadow of the perfect trope send-up. That initial thought slowly dissolved over time though. While not as clever as the aforementioned film, “Dead Teenagers” shows what happens to all the horror film cliche characters as they grasp that their reality is now confined to a cabin and have their hands on the script. Each character in their own way, becomes the villain in an attempt to survive.

While I won’t say how the insanity unfolds, contorts and eventually concludes, I will state that the film feels more complete if you’ve watched the prior two films, “The Exorcism of Saint Patrick” and “Wolves Against the World,” that Quinn Armstrong has written and directed for his so-called “Fresh Hell” anthology trilogy. A lot of that has to do with the fact that the films have, at points, used similar actors, crew, settings and ideas.

The obvious conceit in all these films, other than being different horror genres, is dealing with emotional truths in an isolated setting. Even then, it’s nothing original, which kind of hampers the whole “fresh hell” idea. What’s kind of interesting about it though, is that “Dead Teenagers” feels like it’s being obvious. The title, the characters, the set-up, everything. What inevitably ends up making it unique is how self-reflective it is on the creative writing process.

Without rehashing the prior two films, and instead focusing on “Dead Teenagers,” what have we learned from the slasher genre? It’s stranger danger, the reflection of serial killers, the punishing of promiscuous teens, the inability to trust men, gender role reversals, racism, gentrification, trauma, unreliable narrators, etc. Mandy could be viewed as the writer, struggling to reinvent the wheel. Since “Wes Craven’s Final Nightmare” and “Scream,” you could make the argument that the slasher genre can only subvert expectations at this point without simply starting the whole process over.

Diving back into the two prior films, we see that attempt being made and getting a mixed bag. Sometimes the reinvention process falls flat or finds a sweet soft spot not yet found, but Armstrong can’t quite do that here. Instead he finds that, just like in this year’s “In a Violent Nature,” the reinvention is finding new and cruel ways to punish the on-screen teens. That all being said, “Dead Teenagers” is better after watching Armstrong’s prior films. Without them, “Dead Teenagers” barely hits the mark.

Film Review: “Wolves Against the World”

Starring; Michael Kunicki, Quinn Armstrong and Jordan Mullins
Directed by: Quinn Armstrong
Rated: NR
Running Time: 88 minutes
Cranked Up

Our Score: 2 out of 5 Stars

I kept wondering during “Wolves Against the World,” are these werewolves or wolves? What would the difference be? Being a werewolf is viewed as a curse whereas being a wolf wouldn’t necessarily be viewed as that because you’d be one of a pack. The werewolf/wolf line is a bit blurry in the film, but thankfully as the movie progressed, I settled on wolves. And for that reason, along with a few others, I couldn’t quite get into this movie.

“Wolves Against the World” is the second film in writer/director Quinn Armstrong’s “Fresh Hell Trilogy” anthology. It began with “The Exorcism of Saint Patrick,” an emotionally raw film about the hellish nightmare that conversion therapy and masculinity is. “Wolves Against the World” could be viewed in the same vein, as it’s an emotionally raw film about the hellish nightmare friendship and masculinity can be.

Louis (Michael Kunicki) is a reformed neo-Nazi, with a giant swastika tattoo that he can’t afford to remove. His neo-Nazi ideology was birthed while performing in a terrible black metal band with his best friend, Anders (Quinn Armstrong), along with the steady influence of Helvete (Jordan Mullins). Years later, after the suicide of a bandmate, Louis has left it all behind, but still has that horrific swastika tattoo. In an attempt to get a little cash to pay for its removal, he agrees to reconnect with Anders, who still owes him some doubt from his time in the band, and before you know it, you quickly deduce where this is going.

Basically, Louis used to be a part of a pack, albeit a super racist one. He didn’t necessarily become a lone wolf when breaking off from the pack, but he technically never left. He was friends with Anders before neo-Nazism encompassed the group and became a permanent bedfellow. So in a way, the film is about wolves fighting for dominance within their own pack, conflicting with their love for one another. Which is in line with the emotional commentary of how male friends can become toxic outlets for bigotry, hatred and violent anger. The inability to discuss emotions is also integral to the plot. We saw this in “Lord of Chaos” and I appreciate seeing this more and more in horror. That being said, you kind of piece this all together very early on, which makes you wonder for the rest of the film, why couldn’t they be werewolves?

You have the ingredients for a fantastic werewolf movie with a terrible black metal, a bunch of guys in the woods being douche canoes, and the potential for an unseen power turning men into flesh ravenous predators. But once you understand their wolves, with a few werewolf tropes, it doesn’t have the same bite. None of the characters are that nuanced and they’re bogged down by a non-linear storytelling device that adds nothing to the plot. While I enjoyed the practical effects, gooey blood and emotional story it told, “Wolves Against the World” seems to be against its own tone and story.

Film Review: “The Exorcism of Saint Patrick”

Starring: Steve Pinder, Michael J. Cline and Maya Jeyam
Directed by: Quinn Armstrong
Rated: NR
Running Time: 90 minutes
Cranked Up Films

Our Score: 3 out of 5 Stars

Horror is truly different for everyone. For me, it’s spiders. Most bugs I’ll get up and close with kleenex to dispose of, but if I spot a spider, I’m grabbing the nearest blunt object and potentially putting a hole in the wall. For others, it could be a variety of things, blood and guts, unnatural fears, possession, clowns, etc. For some, a film like “The Exorcism of Saint Patrick” is an all too real microscope on their own trauma that they’ve dealt with.

The film is primarily between Pastor Pat (Steven Pinder) and Patrick (Michael J. Cline). The two are at a lonesome cabin near the woods because Patrick’s parents want Pastor Pat to convert him. Not to Christianity, but to heterosexuality. The shy, bullied teenager is bullied even further by Pastor Pat. Pastor Pat only refers to him as Trick, basically implying that once he renounces his homosexuality, he’ll actually be identified as a person. Pastor Pat forces him to do repetitive demeaning tasks, belittles him, hits him, and a variety of other cruel “treatments.” Patrick is unwilling, afraid and alone, emphasized by how much his parents hope Pastor Pat’s “treatment” works. The film quickly addresses and touches on topics of LGBTQ+ oppression, suicide, assault, depression and it’s only a matter of time before past, deceased patients of Pastor Pat decide his reign of terror needs to end.

The first half of “The Exorcism of Saint Patrick” can easily be a real life horror of its own, before it takes a supernatural turn. The film is way more layered than what I’ve laid out, showing hints of Pastor Pat’s own personal sexual repression, as well as how he channels that into his profession and tactics. The dialogue between the two, at times, feels thoughtfully introspective. That being said, it doesn’t necessarily make Pastor Pat sympathetic because he has clearly channeled his own problems into undeniable cruelty.

As for whether or not the supernatural elements equal horror, I’m a little inclined to say it doesn’t necessarily coalesce in the end. The film does seem to drag a bit as it reaches the finish line. The film makes great use of practical gore, blood and other bodily fluid practical effects throughout, but it felt more like a drama than a horror. That being said, “The Exorcism of Saint Patrick” is terrifying for a certain segment who’ve had their sexuality questioned to the point of harm. The other aspect of this film is that it’s the first of a trilogy of anthology films, referred to as “Fresh Hell,” by writer-director Quinn Armstrong. Depending on how the following films shape-up, Armstrong is either exploring the individual horrors we all deal with or showing the wide-ranging ability of horror to be fun, scary and serious.

Film Review: “The Other Laurens”

Starring: Olivier Rabourdin, Kate Moran and Marc Barbe
Directed by: Claude Schmitz
Rated: R
Running Time: 117 minutes
Yellow Veil Pictures

Our Score: 2 out of 5 Stars

I feel like I’m flipping a coin anytime I see a horror or thriller film that had its premiere at Cannes Film Festival. For every time I get a film I enjoy, like “Parasite,” “The Innocents” or “Neon Demon,” I make the mistake of sitting through “The Killing of Sacred Deer” or “Titane.” In comes “The Other Laurens,” a film that checks the right boxes for me. Lynchian? Check. Neo-noir? Check. Dark comedy? Check. This should be good, but it isn’t.

Gabriel (Olivier Rabourdin) is a miserable private investigator in Brussels, who sticks out like a frog on a log, although most people would see him and immediately forget him. Compounding his misery is Jade (Louise Leroy), his identical twin brother’s daughter, notifying him that his brother Gabriel has died in a car crash, although the events surrounding it don’t add up. Having been estranged from his brother for quite some time, Gabriel not only finds that his brother’s life is a mess, but there could be something sinister pulling the strings he’s attempting to untangle.

About an hour into “The Other Laurens,” I began to wonder, not only where the time went, but if the plot had even furthered itself. While we get to understand more about Gabriel, Jade seems to just be viewer eye candy. Anytime we get to potentially learn more about it, the film seems certain that we need more reassurance that Gabriel is as frumpy as he looks. It’s nothing against the acting, at all, it’s just that Gabriel isn’t a compelling lead even if he is a flawed hero. I understand his purpose to the plot, and the theme of personal evolution and escaping the shadow of your much better sibling, but it never coalesces, even by the time the film warps up. At times it feels like it’s about to pull a fast one on you and make you re-evaluate it, but it doesn’t

“The Other Laurens” is well-acted, well-shot, and at times has a perfect atmospheric homage to 80s aesthetic, but it’s also exhaustingly written to a fault. It’s easy to fault a movie’s runtime when things begin to dry up, but it’s not just that. Even when the film is engaging you, it seems uninterested in Gabriel and even if you’re still interested. There are several scenes and moments of dialogue that really suck you in, but then it’s overshadowed by another moment that appears to serve no purpose other than to further the point that Gabriels’ life has been relatively meaningless and meandering up until this point. He’s potentially handling the most personal, and diabolical case of his life, yet it never feels like it. Some of the promotional material before I watched this film painted it as a slow burn, but it’s more like expecting damp wood to suddenly roar to life.

Film Review: “Satranic Panic”

Starring: Cassie Hamilton, Zarif and Chris Asimos
Directed by: Alice Maio Mackay
Rated: NR
Running Time: 81 minutes
Dark Star Pictures

Our Score: 3 out of 5 Stars

On one hand, “Satranic Panic” is a film featuring heaping doses of drag shows, demons and dismemberment. What more could you honestly ask for in an LGBTQ+ horror film? On the other hand, the film does something you wouldn’t expect in between scenes of blood and viscera, it makes you want to have a drink or a smoke with its characters while lending an ear as they discuss what’s on their world weary shoulders.

Aria (Cassie Hamilton) rules the stage, belting out mesmerizing songs that may or may not serve as plot points. Off stage, she misses Max (Sebastien Grech), the boyfriend of her best friend, Jay (Zarif). They casually recount, which helps set up the bizarre and sometimes comedic tone of the film, how Jay was murdered by Satanists, or at the very least, a group of people who enjoy demonic looking cult attire. During the discussion backstage, they’re attacked by a well-dress hillbilly man who shapeshifts into a demon. The encounter has convinced Aira and Jay that it’s finally time to find Max’s killers and get revenge, especially since Aria has demon sensing abilities, thanks to an estrogen shot.

While the plot comes off as chaotic, it’s never confusing. Instead of bogging the viewer down in more otherworldly details, it manages to take the cast from one adventurous excursion to another, while unveiling more about the emotional baggage and turmoil each character brings with them on the trip. Of course, the film has a villain and there is a connection between the cult who killed Max and the random appearances of demons. The villain represents what you can pretty much you can piece together from the title and cast of predominantly queer, nonbinary and trans individuals.

This was one of the many films I was unable to catch at 2024’s Panic Fest, which is a shame because this is the kind of film that works best with a crowd. While the laughs would be hearty, the attention to emotional reveals would be palpable by the hundreds of glued eyeballs on the screen. “Satranic Panic” has a bit of a Troma charm to it, which means it’s far from being a mainstream film and will be adored by horror fans. Generally speaking, horror has been a safe haven for the outcasts of society. Seeing the trans community swipe back at Christian nationalists who believe someone’s sexuality is the downfall of society, wouldn’t quite resonate as much as it does outside the horror fanbase and LGBTQ+ community.

Despite “Satranic Panic” being her fourth film, there’s this likable first-time indie vibe that permeates throughout director/writer Alice Maio Mackay’s work. It’s surprising because the vibe radiates underneath the cheeky and emotional confidence of its cast (with major props to Hamilton and Chris Asimos), its gloomy neon glow and ludicrous plot that makes us feel genuine connections to our characters on their chaotic road trip. While the movie sometimes fails to balance its cheese and seriousness, especially with it’s underlying themes, “Satranic Panic” is still an entertaining embodiment of gory cinematic passion.

Film Review: “The Greatest Surf Movie in the Universe”

Starring: Mick Fanning, Luke Hemsworth and Craig Anderson
Directed by: Vaughan Blakey and Nick Pollet
Rated: NR
Running Time: 81 minutes
Blue Fox Entertainment

Our Score: 1 out of 5 Stars

I don’t think I’ve seen a surf movie, and no, I don’t count “Point Break.” So, when I get a hold of a film called “The Greatest Surf Movie in the Universe,” I kind of have to take it at its word, regardless of my dislike of superlatives. The stop-motion doll film, with live-action narration by Luke Hemsworth, began oddly interestingly enough. A “not-completely-sold-on-the-premise” Hemsworth tells us that a deadly virus has wiped out about 75% of everything on the planet in 2034; humans, bugs, animals, etc. He explains that in a mad dash to stop the death of every known species, a scientist creates a vaccine that instantly erases all memories of surfing. Hemsworth, who still doesn’t seem sold on the premise after five scenery chewing minutes, tells us that the Surf God is getting a team together to save surfing.

The plot reads like a surfer stoner version of “Team America” mixed with a vaccine version of “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.” Unfortunately for the supposed best surf movie in the known universe, too much pot was smoked. Other than Hemsworth’s magnetism, the stop motion dolls are about as functional at moving a plot along as pre-schoolers playing with Barbies or G.I. Joes. Once you realize the jokes are all anatomical and scatalogical, without any real variation, the smallest of smirks starts inverting causing your eyes to roll. The film struggles mightily to land a joke and that’s what attempts to do for over an hour. The other issue is that our characters are all surfers, who don’t have acting chops, natural likeability or any discernible movie making skills. It’s made worse by the fact that Hemsworth pops up every once and a while, reminding us that even a C-List cast could have enhanced the characters, the humor, and the overall film.

Maybe I’m not the right demographic for this film, which is why I refuse to discuss my overall boredom with this film any longer. Maybe it’s all inside jokes and I need to spend a week on the beach catching waves to find it entertaining. Maybe the half dozen or so montages of real surfing were supposed to be cool instead of dry. Maybe I wasn’t supposed to get the urge to check my phone every minute. If that’s the case, an incredibly niche audience will adore this film. As for being the greatest, in a lot of ways it still is because it’s the only surf movie I’ve seen. That also means it’s the worst one I’ve ever seen.

Film Review: “Running on Empty”

Starring: Keir Gilchrist, Lucy Hale and Francesca Eastwood
Directed by: Daniel Andre
Rated: R
Running Time: 91 minutes
Lionsgate

Our Score: 1.5 out of 5 stars

Anytime I watch a bad comedy, I always feel like writing, “comedy is hard.” That’s because it is. During my most recent trip to San Diego Comic-Con, I spent an off-night watching comedians at an open-mic night. I’d like to say they all performed well, but 3 out of 4 times, the unknown comedian on-stage bombed. At least the 1 out of 4 kept things interesting every 15 minutes. Cut to several weeks later, I’m watching another comedian, director/writer Daniel Andre bomb on screen with “Running on Empty.”

The film starts out interestingly enough. Mort (Keir Gilchrist) is a mortician (I can’t tell if this is a play on words or a bad joke) who lives in a world where we have figured out a way to determine one’s death day, or as the film calls it; life day count. Ignoring the science and notion that life is predetermined, we focus on Mort who finds out he has less than a year to live, which causes his fiance, who has a much, much, much longer life day count, to dump him on the spot. In an effort to cheer Mort up, his friend recommends a dating site for other 20-to-30-somethings in his position who have only days left on this Earth. Then the film keeps making the plot more complicated than it should be with a montage of bad dates, a sex worker, an angry pimp, a family that is troubled, but rarely seen, and the potential of finding the love of his life. Also, for whatever reason, he continues to work his 9-to-5 at the morgue.

There’s a lot of funny people in “Running on Empty,” like Jim Gaffigan and Jay Pharoah, but just like the title, their creative juices are hampered and running low. Gaffigan gets in a few clever quips (or maybe I like him enough to forgive the bad humor), but it’s obvious he only was on-set for a day. Same with Pharoah. As for Chilchrist, it’s difficult to put any blame on him for Mort’s dull unlikeability. The only time Mort works as a character is when he does find love, but it’s so brief and fleeting it makes you wonder if Andre even knew how to write the romantic part of his romantic comedy. “Running on Empty” is like an unrealized idea for a love story with a series of sketch comedy ideas that are tonally inconsistent, predictable and awkwardly portrayed beforehand.

There’s actually some good stuff here, but it’s briefly scattered throughout. The only part that kept me constantly entertained was relegated to the end, for whatever reason. Andre could have benefitted from input, or even improvisation by the cast. The dialogue is wooden because none of the conversations between characters feels natural. Even the comedy feels like a stand-up comedian feeling around to see what works, only to find out that none of it does before it’s too late.

SDCC 2024: A Triumphant Return with Tony Stark, Unforgettable Offsites, and Comic-Con Magic

So, Tony Stark is back. That will be the big takeaway for those who didn’t attend the 2024 edition of San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC). For those who waited in line after line to attend the Marvel panel on Saturday, it was probably a fantastic moment. But that’s only 6,000 of the 130,000 who enter the exhibition hall on Saturday. That’s not including the 100,000s outside taking part in offsites, parties, signings, etc. So, while we always enjoy a little bit of Robert Downey Jr. in our lives, this year’s SDCC had a lot more for those who may not have wanted to spend Friday in a line in the hopes of waiting in line on Saturday.

In my prior wrap-ups of SDCC, I made note that the COVID-19 pandemic and writer’s strike seemed to hamper things, whether it was the attendees, the celebrities or everyone. 2024 is by no means perfect, there were plenty of messes left and right, but this was the first time since 2019 that things began to feel normal. Yes, there were people wearing masks, but to each their own when it comes to safety. Yes, there was a strike called by SAG-AFTRA against major video game publishers, but the festivities went on, delighting young and old, geeky, nerdy, dorky, and even the local passerbys of San Diego.

While we didn’t make it to the exhibition floor for Wednesday’s preview night, we did make it to several fantastic offsites. While the swag wasn’t available for the press preview, Adult Swim made it’s triumphant return after a one-year hiatus with a pirate party, featuring games and photo opportunities from shows like “Rick and Morty” and “Smiling Friends.” Adult Swim, as they always do, cranked the fun up to 11 in coming days with live wrestling events, daily DJs and swag that might be too big to fit into your carry-on. We also checked out Paramount+’s Lodge, which showcased some upcoming shows, like “Dexter: Original Sin” and “Tulsa King” while celebrating 25 years of Spongebob. Wait…25 years…geez I’m getting old. While both were fantastic events, especially the free drinks and pizza at the Lodge, the “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” activation was a combination of “Apes” history and the magic of modern special effects. Not only did they have a museum of Ape film artifacts, highlighting the rich history that stretches back to 1968, but several actors and crew from the latest film were on hand to talk with fans and press. If you attended, you also could had a few drinks and hors d’oeuvres with them.

The action kept rolling Thursday, although the day began with a bit of a whimper. Focus Features was celebrating 20 years of “Shaun of the Dead” with a Winchester Tavern pop-up. The only problem was, there was no air-conditioning and the free beer couldn’t be consumed on-site. As soon as word spread, it became one of the least frequented offsites of the weekend. Thankfully FX and Hulu’s Animayhem offsite activations were up next and offered some decent swag and reprieve from the heat. Knowing that they’d be under the blaring California sun, FX offered free, customized umbrellas (even if the line was an hour long) before exploring various other portions of their activation. However, FX was a mixed bag as many thought the wait to get into “The Bear” activation wasn’t worth it. Hulu managed to help fans beat the heat by setting up misting fans and overhead awnings to ensure those waiting in line for their activation didn’t leave with a wicked sunburn. The activation featured various activities, food and a collection of pins that fans of “Solar Opposites,” “Futurama” or “Hit Monkey” will treasure forever. While the day could have ended with a load of panels, instead MediaMikes’ first panel of the day hosted by Fandom, ended with us going to Fandom’s 20th anniversary party. You can read more HERE.

With offsites out of the way, Friday and Saturday was loaded with exploring the exhibition hall and attending various panels. The exhibition hall reminds us that while the big players, LEGO, Marvel, and others, take up the most space on the sales floor, fans will always find that small booth, that tiny artist, or that one thing stowed away that will ultimately bring the biggest smile to their face. For me, it was a photo with Lloyd Kaufman. The legendary director/writer/everything gladly talked with those who knew Troma, ensuring everyone who stopped by will remember him as Uncle Lloyd. One stand-out panel from the day was the audiobook preview of “Red Dead History” with Arthur Morgan (voiced by the highly personable Roger Clark) attending the panel and snapping selfies with fans of the 2018 game. While I could continue to gloat about the various panels with their various surprises, it would become a long winded article of me bragging.

What is the big takeaway from this year’s SDCC? Was it perfect? No. Was it amazing despite its flaws? Yes. It usually is. SDCC offers enough unique experiences so that you won’t be bored. Want to check out board games that could one day become the next “Axis and Allies?” SDCC has got you. Want to check out some independent films? SDCC has got you. I say all this because there were rumblings, just like in prior years, that SDCC could go somewhere else. But it’s hard to beat San Diego weather and the Gaslamp district’s amenities. While it’s impossible to do everything, it’s possible to get a life changing experience, no matter who you are or what you enjoy. Scout out those panels, ask those questions when attending, compliment the cosplayers, talk to strangers about the great time or to get some insight on other happenings and most important, put on some sunscreen. As a Midwesterner, where an average summer day feels like Satan breathing down your neck, the mid-to-upper 70s can trick you into thinking you won’t crisp up in a few hours.

Inside Fandom’s Exclusive 20th Anniversary Bash at Comic-Con: Cosplay, Celebs, and Jason Derulo Rocking the Rooftop

We’ve all had that moment in life, you hear about a party that you don’t think you’re cool enough to go to, or you don’t get the invite, or maybe you just hear about it after the fact. Whatever the reason, it has free booze, free food, cool celebrities, a pool, a concert, and it’s all on a rooftop. It’s the kind of party Hollywood glamorizes in various films as a place to rub elbows with greats. Well, at San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC), for several years now, it’s been Fandom’s annual party. MediaMikes was lucky enough to join the Fandom party for the first time as they celebrated their 20th anniversary.

While one of the most difficult parties to get into at SDCC, the entertainment company still makes it accessible to regular people, whether by invite, social media, or pure chance (like us). While not invited, MediaMikes managed to score some passes at a Fandom panel. That means, if you’re attending future SDCC’s, you should attend as many Fandom panels as you can. This year’s Fandom party was a breathless display of amazing cosplay, a gorgeous view of the Gaslamp district atop the Hard Rock hotel, demos for “Dragon Age: The Veilguard,” and of course, a raucous set by Jason Derulo with various celebrities scattered about the crowd, including Colin Kaepernick, Kevin Durand, and others.

If you couldn’t make it, we took several photos you can enjoy below, but if you want to be part of the excitement, keep track of Fandom on social media, keep an eye on the news leading up to SDCC 2025, and of course, just like we did, try and stump a panel of Fandom experts. A big thank you to Fandom for throwing a party that has become one of the many crown jewels of SDCC, we hope to see you next year.

Film Review: “MaXXXine”

Starring: Mia Goth, Elizabeth Debicki and Moses Sumney
Directed by: Ti West
Rated: R
Running Time: 104 minutes
A24

Our Score: 4 out of 5 Stars

“What is Ti West trying to tell me?” That was a thought that kept popping up during the brief and distantly scattered lulls in “MaXXXine.” If you didn’t know, “MaXXXine” is the conclusion to director/writer West’s Mia Goth horror homage trilogy. Just like in “Pearl” and in “X,” Goth plays an antihero that we sympathize with because she’s fierce. She’s an ambitious young woman looking to escape a humdrum confining life. She finds power in violence, but will she finally achieve the infamy and freedom that she so desperately wants?

Maxine (Goth) just landed a role in “Puritan 2,” the upcoming horror sequel currently being protested by…well…modern day puritans. Radicalized individuals picket outside Hollywood studios in the background as Maxine sees a bright future ahead for herself. After years of porn work, she believes she has her big break. She’s so starstruck by her own potential stardom, she seems to care less that the Night Stalker is terrorizing the surrounding hills. Yes, it’s the 80s. Every corner of Hollywood looks like Skid Row, the morality police are in panic mode and slashers populate cinemas across the nation. Maxine blends in with it all, but her dreams of being a star seem too good to be true. A mysterious individual leaves a tape at her front door. What’s on it? Her dark past.

West has already solidified himself in the horror community, but with “MaXXXine,” he may have solidified himself as a household name with the completion of this fascinating and wildly entertaining trilogy. Each film, while fitting neatly in different aspects of the horror genre, manages to feel magnificently different and fresh. However, “MaXXXine” is the most audacious and grandiose of the bunch. While “MaXXXine” features a thick cast, like Kevin Bacon’s old school magnetism, Giancarlo Esposito’s scene chewing, or Elizabeth Debecki’s commanding screen presence, Goth casually remains the focus from her first time on screen to her last.

“MaXXXine” is able to entertain without any knowledge of the other films, just like “Pearl” and “X,” but it is immensely richer if you have seen the other films. Not only does “MaXXXine” love being self-referential, to the point of being meta on its own meta, it builds upon its own mythos in subtle ways. Watching the trilogy will also help you understand Maxine even more during her long stares and daydream fantasies. Also, let’s be blunt, this trilogy is a true horror showcase for Goth’s range and power to maintain viewer’s attention over five hours.

Back to the opening question of this review…West looked to tie his main theme in ”MaXXXine,” simply by going to Hollywood and going big. “MaXXXine” hammers home its nuanced commentary on art imitating life and vice versa. In all these movies, we not only see how the power of cinema impacts Goth’s character, but we see how much the act of making films, both the fictional ones within the movie and the actual films, become the ultimate commentary on the power of storytelling. “MaXXXine” takes place during the 80s when crazed Christians thought the devil had infested pop culture, and lawmakers were considering regulations and bans on art because of that moral panic. It took about 40 years for history to repeat itself. West loves filmmaking, it’s very obvious from not only watching “MaXXXine,” but this trilogy as a whole. Hell, maybe West channeled his life and ambitions into Maxine. Or, maybe West wants us to know Hollywood is not only a fucked up place, but so is everyone in it.

Film Review: “In a Violent Nature”

Starring: Ry Barrett, Andrea Pavlovic and Cameron Love
Directed by: Chris Nash
Rated: NR
Running Time: 94 minutes
IFC Films and Shudder

Our Score: 4 out of 5 Stars

Is it possible to reinvent the slasher genre in the 21st century? I think there’s always a discussion about it, but I ultimately think it’s incredibly difficult, especially since some confuse reinvigorating with reinventing. It’s hard to transform the slasher genre because it’s solely built on the singular purpose of seeing people killed in brutal ways. I’m not saying it’s too simplistic, but I’ve rarely seen instances of films attempting to reinvent one of horror cinema’s greatest wheels. The most recent occurrence of reinvention is when Wes Craven unleashed “Scream” upon the world. That being said, “In a Violent Nature” comes pretty damn close.

I wasn’t sold immediately as “In a Violent Nature” opened on a deteriorating structure in the middle of a lush summertime forest. We hear a few men off-screen talking over the sounds of nature; birds, the rustling of trees in the soft breeze and the like. Then we see a locket necklace removed from a pipe shooting out of the ground. That removal is what causes our main character to emerge from the hardened, yet seemingly fresh dirt below. Johnny (Ry Barrett) crawls out of the Earth from his undead slumber and begins to shamble around the pristine woods around him. The cameras follow Johnny throughout “In a Violent Nature,” sometimes methodically, sometimes suspensefully, but ultimately with an unspoken purpose.

It’s easy to compare “In a Violent Nature” to a film like the remake of “Maniac,” where we see not only have a first person view of the killer’s world, but hear his internal monologue. “In a Violent Nature” is third person and we never get to hear what Johnny is thinking. You could almost say that we more or less see what happens during other slashers as our main killer lumbers towards an unspeakable goal or illogical destination. You can joke that in other slashers, the killer is generally just twiddling their thumbs or possibly checking their Instagram notifications as they await another teenage victim to slash and gash. Instead, we’re left to ponder for several long lapses what Johnny is doing. Revenge? Bloodlust? Boredom?

Come to think of it, I really wasn’t sold on “In a Violent Nature,” until the film’s second kill. The film juxtapositions these moments of brutality with Johnny calmly walking about. We see him as he encounters the stereotypical group of teenagers looking to camp in a place they shouldn’t be, and how he reacts. Johnny doesn’t necessarily react the way we’ve imagined Jason Vorhees or others before Johnny. Vorhees jump scares into the picture, machete in hand, and quickly mutilates his victims. Johnny just walks up. Is that what Vorhees, Krueger and Myers have been doing all along? Casually strolling up? Like slashers before him, Johnny seems focused on a singular notion, but what is that notion? What drives Johnny? At a certain point, does Johnny’s backstory answer our burning questions or merely attempt to explain the unexplainable? “In a Violent Nature” performs an autopsy and you’re left to wonder what all the different organs are and why some are disfigured while others aren’t.

The film checks all the slasher boxes, a memorable killer, creative and gruesome kills, the drowning feeling of isolation, and a pace that balances viciousness with quiet curiosity. Is “In a Violent Nature” a deconstruction of the genre, much like “Cabin in the Woods?” It’s difficult to say because the silence breeds speculation and ultimately makes the viewer deconstruct the film more than the genre. “In a Violent Nature” starts out as an homage and slowly becomes a social commentary like great slashers before it. Slashers have always tapped into societal trauma, like the breakdown of safe spaces, whether it be a pristine lake in the woods or the safety of a suburban community on Halloween. The main thing it tapped into was a fear of the unknown. It’s very human to be fearful or anxious of the uncertainty and unseen around us. It’s what made “The Strangers” so effective, murderers can come for you just because. So, in today’s digital age of data where we have access to a wide range of sources and information, we fail to remember one thing that “In a Violent Nature” reminds us of, some things will never be explained. Johnny, just like the universe, may just be random and cruel. While some may suffer fates worse than death, survivors will be haunted by its unanswered questions.