love movies

Director : Jason Reitman – Cast Includes : Carrie Coon, Paul Rudd, Mckenna Grace

Has it really been 32yrs since Ivan Reitman’s Ghostbusters II hit the screen? and why didn’t someone ask Jason to get behind the camera and film Afterlife earlier, boy how I’ve missed this supernatural franchise… : GHOSTBUSTERS: AFTERLIFE is MAGNIFICENT… the humor, those kids, the music, the cameos and those little mashmallow folk gave me goosebumps and the memories I hold dear from those classic 80s movies came flooding back… as I sat watching the film from my favorite seat in my local cinema I could feel my heart pound like a jack hammer, my legs tapping with excitment and my mouth in the smile position right the way throughout as the nostalgia and the film’s energy swept over me like a ghost performing a flyby… I felt the way Reitman handled the opening ten minutes was vital for the direction of the movie and for me it was PERFECTION… although we don’t see his face we know it’s Egon, the chase scene with the ghosts, the trap not working and inside the farmhouse the crossover from old to new just felt so right… on-top of that Afterlife has such a likeable, fresh looking cast led by the front by the formidable 15yr old Mckenna Grace who steals EVERY scene she’s part of with her witt, her mannerisms and the action scene’s she embraces such as when she boards the Ecto-1 and takes the gun seat in her stride, she’s crazy good for someone so young, Paul Rudd once again delivers his charm with the scenes in the local Wallmart facing off against the Mini-Pufts and demon dog being one of the many highlights and what can I say about Logan Kim who makes his movie debut playing podcast, what a talent reminding me so much of Vern in Stand By Me this kid is going places… : unlike Paul Feig’s Ghostbusters back in 2016, which by he way was lots of fun AFTERLIFE is a game changer, sticking more to the original two in sentiment and style and as a fan it’s EVERYTHING that I hoped for and so much MORE !! ps…there’s also a couple of after credit scenes so don’t leave your seat early ★★★★★

Director : Christopher Alender – Cast Includes : Brigitte Kali Canales, Andrea Cortés

I must confess I’d not heard of filmmaker Christopher Alender before watching this movie, his only other feature was back in 1999 called Memorial Day a horror film I’d not come across but after watching his latest I will certainly be tracking this down, he’s a director I hope to see more of in the future… armed with a devilishly good score by composer Ben Lovett who also worked on Jim Cummings awesome werewolf movie The Wolf of Snow Hollow I really found THE OLD WAYS a creepy, atmospheric ghost story with unsettling scenes of demonic rituals including a snake extraction, haunting scenes of candles burning out, animal teeth and that poor rat… the lightening and makeup felt authentic and the main girl who played Cristina, Fear the Walking Dead’s Brigitte Kali Canales delivers a strong performance : WELL WORTH A WATCH ★★★½

Director : Brandon Christensen – Cast Includes : Sarah Canning, Osric Chau, Gracie Gillam

Recently watched SUPERHOST a new horror film written & directed by Stillborn filmmaker Brandon Christensen… and what an absolute blast I had watching this infectious slice of low budget horror : if like me you like your rental house, unhinged misery kinda sub-genre with a plot that’s relevant, utterly bonkers and a cast that’s on point then you have to see this one… Sarah Canning (The Vampire Diaries) & Osric Chau (The Flash) are both terrific but it’s the crazy energy of Gracie Gillam that really wins the day : TOP NOTCH ★★★½

Director : Ryan Kruger – Cast Includes : Gary Green, Chanelle de Jager, Brett Williams

I’m not quite sure where to start with FRIED BARRY the directorial debut of South African filmmaker Ryan Kruger… and I don’t even think the guy who wrote the story James C. Williamson knew either… from it’s alien abuction, sex fueled Greasy Strangler vibe to it’s drug tripping, chainsaw killing Cuckoo’s Nest insanity Fried Barry is a stomach churning, chaotic slice of weird that needs a sequel and I’m here waiting for it… sometimes you just have to sit back and admire a filmmaker & his cast especially actor Gary Green who plays Barry for being brave and creating something wildly original, dark & squeamish and so far out : this is MY KIND OF INSANE BLISS watch it if you DARE !! ★★★★

Director : George Gallo – Cast Includes : Robert De Niro, Tommy Lee Jones, Zach Braff

The Comeback Trail : from George Gallo the writer of Wise Guys and Midnight Run comes a remake of the 1982 comedy of the same name about two movie producers who need some money to make their dream project and pay of a local mobster before he comes a calling… as remakes go THE COMEBACK TRAIL is a hoot, full of delightful nods to the movie world of yesteryear, terrific acting by it’s ageing cast with Braff & De Niro sharing some wonderful chemistry and scenes of pure hollywood gold including De Niro getting kicked by buttercup the horse, that whole scene with Emile Hirsch’s Moore trying to buy De Niro’s Paradise script is soooo damn good and of course Duke Montana egging Walter to cross further along the rope bridge that’s been sabotaged by Max is hilarious and amongst the films madcap highlights… The Comeback Trail may not be perfect but I had so much fun with it’s well worked story, funny scenarios and anytime I get to see three movie legends share the same movie screen then COUNT ME IN ★★★★

Director : Justin Lee – Cast Includes : Scout Taylor-Compton, Stuart Townsend, Thomas Jane

Apache Junction : I love a good old cowboy and Justin Lee’s movie is reminiscent of the westerns of yesteryear with less focus on nudity & violence and more on it’s solid plotline that’s also written by it’s director known for his work on Badland & Big Legend… it’s story that follows a female reporter Annabelle Angel played by Halloween’s Scout Taylor-Compton who’s sent to an outpost at Apache Junction to write a new piece for her paper but gets mixed up with a local outlaw played by Stuart Townsend, Tomas Jane’s propreitor come barman, the calvary led by Trace Adkins Captain Hensley and Oslo Pike a villanious gunslinger with a name to match who’s after notoriety… although the film’s pace is sluggish at times, the musical score is great, the characters throughout are interesting and I found myself enjoying it’s satisfying and entertaining shoot out at it’s finish : ENJOYED !! ★★★

Director : Antoine Fuqua – Cast Includes : Jake Gyllenhaal, Adrian Martinez

The Guilty : from Training Day director Antoine Fuqua comes a remake of the Danish thriller Den skyldige… the film follows a police detective played by Gyllenhaal who’s been demoted to a 911 operator whilst under investigation for possible misconduct… The Guilty is GRIPPING from start to finish, the acting from Jake Gyllenhaal is off the charts, he’s an excellent actor and in Joe he submerges himself into this emotional trainwreck of a guy and takes us along for this chaotic bumpy ride… it’s script by True Detective’s Nic Pizzolatto is smart, quick paced and packs a punch with it’s suspense and hard hitting final act and it’s nice seeing Adrian Martinez getting some screen time, such an underrated actor… The Guilty is top notch filmmaking and is just as much about what you can’t see as to what you can, the sounds of the sirens, the voices on the other end of the phone stir the atmosphere pot to boiling and like Steven Knight’s Locke and Schumacher’s Phone Booth both of which are recent examples of this claustrophobic meltdown The Guilty is compelling, nail biting and entirely brilliant to watch ★★★★½

Corey Feldman joins the 50’s

Posted by absolutebadasses on July 16, 2021

Posted in: Views. Tagged: 80s, 80s movies, 90s, corey feldman, corey feldman 50, edgar frog, films, films stills, gremlins, happy birthday corey feldman, horror movies, icon, love movies, mouth the goonies, movie, photography, stand by me, teddy duchamp, the frog brothers, the goonies, the lost boys. Leave a comment

Can you believe COREY FELDMAN has joined the 50’s club? (well neither can I)… during the 80s this guy freaking rocked, his films and the character’s he brought to life were a huge part of my youth so it’s only right we here at Absolute Badasses say Happy 50th to this ICON… from those early roles playing Tommy in Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter, Billy’s friend Pete in the 1984 gem Gremlins to being part of The Goonies with his character Mouth adding so much humor to the group, he also stole the show as the loose cannon Teddy Duchamp in the coming of age Stand by Me and of course, not forgetting his role as Edgar Frog in one of my favorite cult classic’s The Lost Boys… in the 90s he went on to star in The ‘Burbs with Tom Hanks and voiced one of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, had a small cameo in Maverick and also starred in a 1994 episode of Tales from the Crypt… in 2008 he returned as one of the Frog Brothers in Lost Boys: The Tribe and then in 2010 returned once more for Lost Boys: The Thirst and although his career has slowed down a tad over the years Corey is still working with his latest roles coming in the horror anthology The Sunday Night Slaughter and lending his vocals as the Sorcerer Beast in William Cox’s Age of Stone & Sky: The Sorcerer Beast… Happy Birthday Corey Feldman !!

Richard Donner (1930-2021)

Posted by absolutebadasses on July 6, 2021

Posted in: Views. Tagged: cinephile, classic 80s movies, Danny Glover, film, film blog, jodie foster, lethal weapon, love movies, Mel Gibson, movie website, richard donner, steven spielberg, the goonies. Leave a comment

Heartbreaking… Richard Donner’s films have been on repeat in my house for over the last three decades, his body of work have brought tears of laughter, smiles of joy and and you know something? they still seem as fresh today as they did back then… he was a Maverick of his time with movies such as Superman, The Goonies, the Lethal Weapon movies and so many more… he was loved by his peers, adored by his fans and although he’s no longer with us his legacy will continue to shine… “Hey, you guuuys!”

Following the Abbott family who are forced to venture into pastures new as they quickly realise that the alien creatures that hunt by sound are not the only threats lurking beyond the sand path : A QUIET PLACE Part II opens up with a flashback… Day 1 starts with happier times where we get to see the the small American town where the Abbott’s lived right before the Alien invasion took place, there’s smiles aplenty as the kids are playing baseball, we get to see Brody’s Pizzeria an obvious nod to Spielberg’s Jaws and we get our first look at a new character Emmett played by Cillian Murphy, a family man watching the baseball when his and everyone’s life changes forever : if your a horror fan then the darkness of the Cinema is the best place to watch A Quiet Place Part II as Polly Morgan’s imaginative camera work, the muted sound with flashes of screeching, screaming Alien attacks and the tension with each scene as the family attempt to navigate their now crushed world without making a sound is unbearable : I know I touched on this after 2018’s first movie but I have to say how impressed I am with Millie Simmonds who’s easily the star of this sequel, her character Regan is fearless & clever and the train and boat yard scenes with Cillian are terrific to watch, Emily Blunt of course is superb, the pain Evelyn feels in defending her children & insurmountable loss is the backbone of the movie, from heartfelt moments such as leaving her wedding ring on the cross and her fight with the creature whilst carrying two oxygen tanks is formidable, Peaky Blinder Cillian Murphy is a welcome additon to the cast, his character Emmett plays a pivotel role in the Abbott families survival and The Undoing’s young star Noah Jupe is once again fabulous, that scene where Marcus is running out of air in the safe had my pulse racing and my knuckles turning white as I gripped the arms of the chair, nearly knocking my popcorn all over the place : it’s no mean feat to direct a sequel that stands up well alongside it’s original yet somehow John Krasinksi has managed just that… yes if I was being slightly picky the film finishes rather abruptly and could have benefitted with an extra thirty minutes… but since a third film in the franchise has been green lit with no other than Jeff “Midnight Special” Nichols directing then I’ll let this one pass and look forward to another chapter where being quiet is the new norm : TERRIFYING ★★★★

Today marks the 67th Birthday of Kathleen Turner, she’s not only one of my favorite all time actresses and a lady of immense talent but during my hey day back in the good old 80s she really did own the words SCREEN BEAUTY with sizzling turns in the likes of Body Heat, Crimes of Passion, The Man with Two Brains and of course Romancing the Stone and it’s sequel The Jewel of the Nile : but Kathleen is no one trick pony, she’s a superb theatre actress with two TONY nominations for her performances in Broadway roles as Maggie in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and as Martha in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? and PLEASE people we need to talk more about Kathleen’s imense comedy work she’s incredibly FUNNY, check out The War of the Roses, Serial Mom, Prizzi’s Honor and Switching Channels and wasn’t it BLISS watching her reunite with Michael Douglas recently in the third and final series of the The Kominsky Method : Kathleen is someone who’s brought so much happiness to my movie loving bubble and yes I know she’s a tad older now but I’m still keeping my fingers crossed for the movie gods to sanction a third Jack & Joan outing and of course bringing Ralph back would be the icing… but until then… Happy Birthday Kathleen 🙂

A prequel feature following a young Cruella de Vil : Craig Gillespie directs CRUELLA like Joel Schumacher directed his Batman movies with passion & enthusiasim, using the screen as his canvas by splashing color throughout his sets and giving us some of the most exciting and vibrant costumes I’ve seen put to film : I love Dodie Smith’s novel and of course the 60s animated gem The Hundred and One Dalmatians and yes I even have a soft spot for the Glenn Close‘s 1996 movie but if I’m honest neither compare to watching Emma Stone transform herself into this excitingly fresh, refreshing edgy Cruella de Vil, there’s a bubbly confidence that oozes from Stone, an actress who just keeps getting better and better with each role so watching her take on this iconic Jekyll and Hyde persona, dressing in the coolest of clothes, pulling her trademark faces and filling the screen with so much energy was an absolute delight : there’s so many crazy good scenes in Cruella like the Baroness party where the team try and steal the necklace, the prison break, those early childhood moments captured giddly by the maestro that is Nicolas Karakatsanis and each and every time Cruella sabotages one of the Baroness’s fashion shows : it’s over two hours of joyous cinema that lifts you up and puts a smile on your face, with characters such as Jasper & Horace played by Joel Fry and the brilliant Paul Walter Hauser respectively, Estella’s side-kick the adorable Buddy (and of course the master of disguise Wink), a bouncy soundtrack that matches it’s 70s setting and a Disney Villain in Baroness von Hellman done justice by the wonderfully delicious Emma Thompson : so if you fancy a giggle then take yourself to the cinema and watch CRUELLA you’ll have a wickidly good time ★★★★½

Harvey Keitel : 82 Today

Posted by absolutebadasses on May 13, 2021

Posted in: Views. Tagged: bad lieutenant, film collector, film nerd, film website, films, Harvey Keitel, harvey keitel images, like, love movies, mean streets, movie fan, movies, new yorker, reservoir dogs, taxi driver. Leave a comment

Happy Birthday to the GREAT New Yorker HARVEY KEITEL : in my eyes he’s up there in the top 20 actors of all time, displaying passion & energy in some of my favorite films of all time : I remember watching Harvey give a powerhouse of a display for a young Scorsese in Mean Streets alongside De Niro and after watching realising this guy is gona be the new Brando, of course his collaborations with Marty are incredible and some of his best work but for me My top two Keitel performances both came in 1992 and both exploded from the screen like a stick of dynamite, Mr White in Quentin Tarantino’s debut Reservoir Dogs and of course his raw and disturbing LT in Abel Ferrara’s no nonsence Bad Lieutenant : for me Keitel stands tall with the greats of film, his performances have been varied and most of all consistently GREAT : Happy 82nd Legend !!

Frank McRae (1941 – 2021)

Posted by absolutebadasses on May 6, 2021

Posted in: Views. Tagged: 007, 1941, 48hrs, Batteries Not Included, character actor, film blog, film characters, film collection, film geek, films, frank mcrae, frank mcrae rip, license to kill, like, loaded weapon, love, love movies, movie website, movies, red dawn, rock films, the last action hero. Leave a comment

sad news the badass Frank McRae has died aged 80 : although he wasn’t a huge star and quite often found himself in smaller roles Frank managed to put his own stamp on the movie world, giving us character’s we fondly remember, with eye catching performances such as Harry in *batteries Not Included, Ogden Jones alongside Dan Aykroyd in 1941, Mr Teasdale in the 1984’s cult classic Red Dawn, Dekker in The Last Action Hero, and Haden in 48hrs, he also starred in other films such as 007’s Licence to Kill, 1973’s gangster film Dillinger and not to mention his collaboration’s with Sylvester Stallone on film’s such as F.I.S.T., Paradise Alley, Lock Up and Rocky II : as I look around my film library and spot some of the film’s mentioned I’m sad at his loss but I also smile reminiscing at the many delightful performances this wonderful character actor has given us….

Yaphet Kotto (1939 – 2021)

Posted by absolutebadasses on March 16, 2021

Posted in: Views. Tagged: alien 1979, alonzo mosely, cinema, cinephile, film geek, hollywood, live and let die, love movies, midnight run, movies, parker, parker alien, the running man, the star chamber, Yaphet Kotto, Yaphet Kotto RIP. Leave a comment

Yet another screen favorite has passed away : the charismatic, cool as fuck YAPHET KOTTO has died aged 81, Yaphet was such a good actor, he made ordinary looking roles ICONIC giving life to such memorable characters such as Parker in Ridley Scott’s Alien, playing Laughlin alongside Arnie in the 80s scifi gem The Running Man, his brilliant turn as Alonzo Mosely in Midnight Run, Lieutenant Al Giardello in TVs Homicide and of course his villainous turn in 007s Live and Let Die as Mr Big : although it’s time to say goodbye to this wonderful talent his movies will always be there to bring pleasure to this cinephiles movie loving heart…..

Scare Me (2021) : Movie Thoughts

Posted by absolutebadasses on March 6, 2021

Posted in: Movie Reviews, Reviews. Tagged: actor, actress, author, Aya Cash, Aya Cash stormfront, cabin, catskills, cinema, cinephile, digital, film geek, film night, filmmaker, films, ghost stories, horror, horror comedy, horror fan, horror films, horror night, Josh Ruben, love movies, low budget movies, movies, photography, scare me, scare me movie, unique, writer. Leave a comment

During a vacation in the Catskills, an author and a stranger from a neighbouring cabin are thrown together after a power outage strikes the area : Both decide to pass the time by telling ghost stories which leads to chaos and their ultimate fears slowly starting to become reality : Josh Ruben’s Cabin in the Catskills horror movie SCARE ME is certainly my kind of movie jam, a slice of original horror that showcases the ability to scare whilst acting almost theatre like with it’s sharp and smart dialogue that’s executed in a fresh and creative style : Ruben and his co-star Aya Cash who’s energy matches the display she gives as Stormfront in the television show The Boys are outrageous, both feeding off each other like piranah’s with the movies ultimate payoff being delivered with satisfying style : I really dug how Ruben utilises the sound effects in the movie to enhance the visuals creating this scary vibe that’s deliciously atmospheric and adds so much to it’s horror telling, you just know something’s going to happen and it’s fun finding out when….. a low budget gem and one I feel would benefit from multiple viewings ★★★★

In 1943 during World War II, a mysterious lady Maude Garrett climbs aboard a B-17 Bomber called The Fool’s Errand, during the flight the Errand is attacked by a Japanese War Plane and then suddenly Maude spots something lurking in the clouds…. as she’s travelling with with top-secret documents and a mostly male chauvinistic crew, Maude finds herself alone and it’s upto her to save the day : SHADOW IN THE CLOUD has a familiar tone reminding me a little of that episode of the Twilight Zone titled “Nightmare at 20,000 Feet” and “The Mission” episode in Amazing Stories, I never give too much away with my reviews but there’s no doubt that these episodes were an inspiration to Liang’s strangely bizzare, spooky and tension ridden picture : I loved it’s animated private snafu intro, it’s atmospheric synth score, the snappy runtime and even it’s bizzare plot that’s fractured, ridiculous and a tad crazy in a decent sort of way : maybe Roseanne Liang’s re-writes of Max Landis original script had a lot to do with the way the movie feels slightly disjointed, as the film ends up becoming this insanely cross-genre of World War II mystery and scifi creature flick that works on some level but also feels rather confusing if not wildly entertaining : is the movie worth watching? the answer is most certainly yes !! the early parts are gripping as we follow Maude and that mysterious box she carries onto the bomber (what’s in the box?), I love the locker posters at the beginning (keep your eyes peeled) and when the film switches tact and it’s direction goes one way and another it’s action is sublime and effects tremendous with Chloë Grace Moretz and a rather wildly out of place yet scintillating score giving Shadow in the Cloud this watchable vibe and allowing us to see the promise in Roseanne Liang as an action helmer for bigger and better things to come ★★★½

Hal Holbrook (1925-2021)

Posted by absolutebadasses on February 2, 2021

Posted in: Views. Tagged: all the president's men, cinephile, father malone, film, hal holbrook, like, love movies, magnum force, photos, rip hal holbrook, rituals, the creeper, the firm, the fog, tv star. Leave a comment

“Why not six, Blake? Why not me?” (John Carpenter’s The Fog) : always sad to loose an actor who’s body of work spans the decades, who’s roles in films such as All the President’s Men, Magnum Force, Rituals, The Fog and so many more still make an impression on me to this day…

One day on vacation with his wife Scott Carey gets exposed to a mysterious cloud of radiation and insecticide, six months later he starts to shrink, the doctors are helpless and Scott finds himself spiriling downwards into a world of unthinkable madness : Every year I submerge myself in the classic scifi of yester-year, and in my opinion they don’t come much bigger or better than the 1957 Universal Picture The Incredible Shrinking Man : the movie is a tremendous adaption of Richard Matheson’s 1956 novel The Shrinking Man and is brought to the screen by the master of 50s science fiction Jack Arnold who previously directed three gems of the era 1953’s It Came from Outer Space, 1954’s atmospheric Creature from the Black Lagoon & the scary 1955 gem that is Tarantula : although each of these are classics in their own right I just felt The Incredible Shrinking Man has this captivating aura surrounding it, a quite stunning movie with mind boggling & creative effects that are unbelievable, I can only imagine what it was like to sit in a movie theatre in 1957 watching Scott start to shrink into his new world of danger and uncertainty, it must have been watched with wide eyed terror : the acting in the movie is top notch too with Randy Stuart & April Kent catching the eye but it’s a terrific, athletic turn by Grant Williams that makes you believe, reminding me of a young Burt Lancaster with those scenes in the basement which were shot on Stage 12 of Universal Studios being quite unforgettable as Scott fights off floods, starvation and a deadly black widow spider : the end to the movie left me cold, it’s one of those scenes you want more from, your left saddened by what transpires but are ultimately in agreeance that it could not of ended any other way : rewatching some of the CLASSIC universal stock from the 50’s makes me wish I was from that time, an era full of ICONIC science fiction horror that opens up your imagination & consumes you with excitement and wonder : so if you’ve never delved into the past for your movie fix then what are you waiting for? start with Arnold’s The Incredible Shrinking Man and you can thank me later….. ★★★★★