Genre: Horror/Thriller
Director: Sam Loh
Cast: Justin Cheung Kin Sing, Hedwig Tam Sin Yin, Jennifer Yu Heung Ying, Lam Yiu Sing, Raymond Chiu Wing Hung, Kate Yeung, Anna Ng Yuen Yee
Runtime: 1 hr 32 mins
Rating: NC16 (Horror)
Released By: mm2 Entertainment
Official Website:
Opening Day: 27 October 2022
Synopsis: A loving mother makes a death pact with a spirit by sacrificing her life to save her child. Years later, he grows up and is bullied whilst studying in medical school, resulting in his death. Reunited in death as vengeful spirits, mother and son open up a hell hole to those who had wronged them.
Movie Review:
Caught in the whirlwind of a global pandemic, there were plenty of hold-ups where motion pictures slated to be released on a much earlier date had to be shelved for the time being. And Sam Loh's long-awaited addition to our line-up of scary movies is finally premiering on big screen this Halloween.
Being in the wrong place at the wrong time may sometimes be dubbed as fate or destiny. But is it really one's karmic repercussions where they are compelled to be at a place that is notoriously reputed for its distressing past, while being an open portal for more unsuspecting souls? Or is it just plain evil that is on the prowl for bolstering the unholy building with more deaths?
A tackily dressed young trio enters the dilapidated building that screams nothing but sinister, while being equipped with just their mobile phones and imprudence. Guided by faint melancholic weeps that seem to be coming from a place not too far off, they find themselves in a dark and dingy room only to see an elderly lady rocking back and forth, murmuring some raspy chants. And Hell Hole opens up through the eyes of this lady that seems to be waiting with bated breath to tell her-story.
With a predominantly young and talented cast ensemble, the visual gore achieved with CGI as suggested by the dope theatrical poster that has the title splashed in bloody red, Hell Hole boasts a plot that doesn’t just send chills down spines but also tugs on heart strings. And what good is a horror number sans the requisite dark, sinister and brooding vibe and this was effortlessly acquired with an apt setting, characterisation and a befitting theme.
The plot unfurls in 1995 where it certainly was an era that was rampant with stereotypical, husband-snatching, vixen-like personas and side chicks that won the day. The horror gets underway in a hospital in the outskirts of Kowloon, that already had an ominous reputation of an alleged murky past. The plot then advances into 2005, where history insists on repeating itself.
Although this Halloween release goes lax on jump scares as seen in the trailer, since its plot is meant to be grave serious (pun intended), it progressively makes up for it by seamlessly binding three different narratives that had transpired over different timelines. And it all happens in the same building that had assumed many avatars from being a hospital, to a medical school and finally a cut-rate office space.
Speaking of which, the trailer definitely aced the game of hook, line and sinker with its comedic scenes. But here's a little spoiler alert. It’s best advised not to anticipate humour throughout the entire film. A slapstick comedy sequence is planted only in the final leg of the sombre storyline and that might bring about a teeny bit of disconnect.
Far from the mythical hopping vampires that we all grew up watching, the 91-minute horror drama also succeeds in staying abreast of Hong Kong's urban legends where students of a notable university are strictly prohibited from locking up fellow classmates in the morgue and this is even made imperative on student handbooks. Psst! Unfortunately, this rule was implemented after a perplexing true incident that had happened in the 80s.
Buckle up and get ready to experience a melange of horror, gore and nostalgia with a dash of humour with this Cantonese addition to the slew of silver screen treats this October. That’s because it is no ordinary rabbit hole…
Movie Rating:
(If you are a true-blue buff of supernatural numbers that feature a place or building with a brooding past as its prime horror element paired with a neatly-written plot, then gear up to be beckoned into the Hell Hole this Halloween)
Review by Asha Gizelle Mariadas
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HYUN BIN AND THE OMEGA SPEEDMASTERPosted on 11 Oct 2022 |
Genre: Drama/Musical
Director: Choi Kook-hee
Cast: Ryu Seung-ryong, Yum Jung-ah, Ong Seong-wu, Park Se-wan
Runtime: 2 hrs 2 mins
Rating: PG (Some Sexual References)
Released By: Golden Village Pictures
Official Website:
Opening Day: 3 November 2022
Synopsis: Se-yeon who has devoted her entire life to her family as a mother and wife, suddenly learns she is gravely ill. Now determined to live for herself more than ever, Se-yeon leaves in search of her 'first love' from her high school. Though unhappy with his wife's decision, Se-yeon's stern husband, Jin-bong goes along on her search to honor her earnest wishes. Through their journey together, Se-yeon and Jin-bong are reminded of the most glittering, beautiful moments of their lives.
Movie Review:
If you sang “Dancing Queen” along with Meryl Streep as she belted the beloved ABBA tune in Phyllida Lloyd’s jukebox musical film Mama Mia! (2008), or joyfully tapped your feet to the delightful opening sequence "Another Day of Sun" from Damien Chazelle’s La La Land (2016) as the ensemble sang and danced to the catchy song on an LA highway, then you’ll definitely enjoy this Korean movie directed by Choi Kook-hee.
Marketed as Korea’s first jukebox musical film, the story is actually a bittersweet one. We are introduced to Se-yeon (Yum Jung-ah), a housewife who has devoted her entire life to her family, serving everyone’s needs and completing one household chore after another. This is a character many of us may have seen in our mothers. Her husband is Jin-bong (Ryu Seung-ryong), a civil servant who may have lost his empathy after being sucked into the bureaucratic system. At home, he is a grumpy husband and father, a trait we may have seen in our own fathers.
Se-yeon finds out that she has lung cancer and only a few months left to live. She asks Jin-bong to help her locate her first high school crush to fulfil her dying wish. He unwillingly does so, and as the road trip across the country progresses, they relive some of their memorable life events together. And yes, that’s also when viewers will enjoy many song and dance sequences, choreographed against beautiful backdrops.
If you are familiar with popular Korean hit songs from the 1970s to the 2000s, then this 122 minute movie will be a treat. It doesn’t matter if you haven’t heard any of the tunes in the film, because it is just as pleasing listening to them for the first time. With the subtitles, you’ll fully appreciate how the songs are expressing the characters’ emotions and you may even find yourself humming along to the music.
While Yum and Ryu are veterans in showbiz, they reportedly do not have experience in a musical production and gamely took up the challenge to be the leads in Choi’s film. With lots of practice, you’ll applaud their efforts to be able to pull off the music sequences, especially the ones that require complicated dance steps – you can tell they aren’t as proficient as the backup dancers.
The movie garnered five nominations (Best Actor, Best Actress, Best New Actor, Best Music, Best Costume Design) at the upcoming Grand Bell Awards, the Korean equivalent of the American Academy Awards. We are hoping it’ll bring home some prizes as it faces fierce competition from other worthy films.
While enjoying the song and dance, you’ll also be moved by the poignant message of the movie. Emotions are running high as the husband and wife take their supposedly final journey together. There will be laughter and tears, as Jin-bong eventually organises a party for Se-yeon because she has been lamenting she hasn’t gotten any parties for her birthdays. And this is when you’ll celebrate life with the couple, while appreciating the seemingly uncreative title of the film.
Movie Rating:
(A thoroughly enjoyable jukebox musical movie that also tells a poignantly beautiful story about life)
Review by John Li
Genre: Horror/Thriller
Director: David Gordon Green
Cast: Jamie Lee Curtis, Andi Matichak, Rohan Campbell, Will Patton, Kyle Richards, James Jude Courtney
Runtime: 1 hr 51 mins
Rating: M18 (Violence and Gore)
Released By: UIP
Official Website:
Opening Day: 13 October 2022
Synopsis: This is Laurie Strode’s last stand. After 45 years, the most acclaimed, revered horror franchise in film history reaches its epic, terrifying conclusion as Laurie Strode faces off for the last time against the embodiment of evil, Michael Myers, in a final confrontation unlike any captured on-screen before. Only one of them will survive. Icon Jamie Lee Curtis returns for the last time as Laurie Strode, horror’s first “final girl” and the role that launched Curtis’ career. Curtis has portrayed Laurie for more than four decades now, one of the longest actor-character pairings in cinema history. When the franchise relaunched in 2018, Halloween shattered box office records, becoming the franchise’s highest-grossing chapter and set a new record for the biggest opening weekend for a horror film starring a woman. Four years after the events of last year’s Halloween Kills, Laurie is living with her granddaughter Allyson (Andi Matichak) and is finishing writing her memoir. Michael Myers hasn’t been seen since. Laurie, after allowing the specter of Michael to determine and drive her reality for decades, has decided to liberate herself from fear and rage and embrace life. But when a young man, Corey Cunningham (Rohan Campbell; The Hardy Boys, Virgin River), is accused of killing a boy he was babysitting, it ignites a cascade of violence and terror that will force Laurie to finally confront the evil she can’t control, once and for all.
Movie Review:
44 years after Michael Myers first terrorised the town of Haddonfield, Illinois, ‘Halloween Ends’ promises to bring it all to an end. Whether that is in reference to David Gordon Green’s trilogy that started four years ago as a direct sequel to John Carpenter’s 1978 original or to the franchise that has thus far seen 13 movies is anybody’s guess, but at least with regard to the former, there will be no doubt by the end of it that Michael is truly dead.
How satisfying you find this conclusion will depend on how much you buy into Green’s exploration of the corrosive effects of trauma in his reboot. Even as it paid homage to Carpenter, 2018’s ‘Halloween’ was also an examination of the Strode family living under the shadow of what had happened four decades ago. Last year’s ‘Halloween Kills’ expanded that to the community of Haddonfield, with a sobering lesson on how mob justice would not solve anything. ‘Halloween Ends’ takes it one step further by studying trauma in the context of both family and community.
The community in question here remains Haddonfield, which remains infected by violence, death and pain because of Michael (James Jude Courtney). These sentiments in turn fuel the town’s resentment towards Corey Cunningham (Rohan Campbell), a geeky lad whose tragic babysitting on Halloween night in 2019 resulted in a dead child, a murder trial and an acquittal. Though cleared of charges, Corey is regarded as a pariah around town, and is picked on by a gang of four teenage punks who make no apologies for taunting him whenever they run into him.
Likewise, the family in question here remains Strode, or more precisely Laurie (Jamie Lee Curtis) and her granddaughter Allyson (Andi Matichak), who following the death of Laurie’s daughter (and Allyson’s mother) in the last movie have moved back to Haddonfield. In an attempt to heal, Laurie has been working on a memoir covering her decades-long ordeal, while throwing herself into domestic comforts such as knitting and making pies. A chance encounter sees Laurie standing up for Corey when he is cornered by the punks at a gas station, whereupon she engineers a meet-cute with Allyson by bringing Corey to get his injured hand treated at the local clinic where Allyson is working as a nurse.
Those hoping for Curtis to reclaim the lead after being relegated to supporting player in ‘Halloween Kills’ will undoubtedly be disappointed; despite it being her last ‘Halloween’ film, she pretty much sits out the first hour. Instead, Green, who co-wrote the script with Paul Brad Logan, Chris Bernier and Danny McBride spend that hour on the burgeoning relationship between Corey and Allyson as well as Corey’s transformation following a run-in with Michael. The former has its own sweet rhythm, while the latter works as its antithesis, threatening to corrupt what is genuine with something both sinister and malevolent. That juxtaposition is inherently tricky, and Green fumbles every now and then in both tone and pacing.
That Green tries to elevate ‘Halloween Ends’ into psychological and sociopolitical horror is admirable, though whether he truly succeeds is suspect. In particular, Corey’s descent into evil is too rapid to be convincing, even as we sympathise with his anger and bitterness at the cruel townspeople, including its deputy sheriff and local radio jock (Keraun Harris). It is probably unsurprising that Corey will slip under Michael’s mask at some point, but that turning point also underscores how the relationship between Corey and Michael needs sharper definition.
That said, Green will eventually fulfil fan demands for a popcorn shocker. Once Corey picks up the knife and Michael re-emerges, the bloodletting hardly stops to catch a breath. A scene where Michael lifts a woman up by his bare hand and plunges a knife into her chest to pin her to a painting on the wall is chilling to say the least. Another scene where Corey gets revenge by blowtorch is wince-inducing. A severed tongue circling lazily on a record turntable provides yet another memorably gory scene. As for the final showdown between Laurie and Michael, we’d say as brutal as it is, we’d wish Green had played it longer with suspense; we suspect though that their fight to the death still provides just gratifying enough finality for loyal fans.
In her final hurrah, Curtis is riveting as ever, rocking it once again as a grizzled survivor who struggles to move on and yet steel herself for Michael’s inevitable comeback. We’d wished Laurie was the main character here, and that she were given a more compelling treatment in the movie, but that doesn’t dim the joy of seeing Curtis find closure with the defining role of her career. That Laurie gets the chance to find happiness with law enforcement officer Frank Hawkins (Will Patton) makes the goodbye more rewarding.
Is it as fitting an ending as we hoped? Not exactly. ‘Halloween Ends’ has intriguing themes, but not quite the sophistication to pull them off, even if the attempt at both emotion and character development is noteworthy. It also does so at the expense of greater screen time with Curtis as Laurie, which will likely be a sore point given how this is her final go-around. It does still have plenty of blood and guts and terror to spare and spill, so it won’t leave fans hanging entirely. Like we said, whether this is just the end of a trilogy or truly the end of a franchise, time (and Hollywood) will tell.
Movie Rating:
(There's blood and guts and terror to spare, but this much-touted end to a classic horror franchise sidelines its iconic heroine for far too long, in service of a character-driven narrative not quite compelling enough)
Review by Gabriel Chong
Genre: Drama/Disaster
Director: Lo Chi Leung
Cast: Donnie Yen, Cecilia Han, Jia Bing, Tang Xu, Hou Tianlai, Xu Guangyu, Cai Xin, Lin Chenhan, Hu Min
Runtime: 1 hr 48 mins
Rating: PG (Some Intense Sequences)
Released By: Golden Village Pictures
Official Website:
Opening Day: 27 October 2022
Synopsis: In the cold winter, a group of Shenzhen tourist families take a trip to the northeast Changbai Mountain. It was originally intended to be a happy and harmonious holiday, but due to the negligence of his father, an 8-year-old boy is unfortunately lost. The parents seek assistance from the relevant local authorities, and the search and rescue operation begins immediately. The golden rescue time of 24 hours passes, followed by the routine safety limit of 48 hours, but the child is still nowhere to be found. Even if there is little hope, the father and the search and rescue teams will not give up… .
Movie Review:
Unfortunately for Donnie Yen, few in Mainland China cared about him playing a desperate father trying to locate his eight-year old son in the snowy wilderness. Despite opening over the lucrative Golden Week period, ‘Come Back Home’ barely made a dent at the box office, and would probably go down as one of his worst-performing movies in recent memory. That is indeed a pity, for the disaster thriller sees the 59-year old action star put aside his fists to turn in a sincere, grounded and even heartfelt performance which deserves to be seen in its own right.
Written and directed by veteran Hong Kong filmmaker Lo Chi-leung, ‘Come Back Home’ centres on the ordeal De (Yen) goes through when a winter family vacation in the Changbai Mountains in northeast China goes awry. Even though it isn’t immediately clear why Yen would spark to such a role, it is evident by the halfway mark that De is a lot more complex than initially envisioned. Through a series of flashbacks, we learn that De was responsible for leaving Lele (Yuan Jinhui) at a remote cabin as punishment for the latter’s bratty behaviour on the road shortly before, only to find that Lele had ventured into the mountains on his own than wait for De to return.
Because of this, De is well aware his wife Xuan (Cecilia Han) would hold him personally responsible if Lele were never to be found or loses his life as a result. It is not only why De takes it upon himself to mount his own search when the local police’s response the first night is found wanting, but also why De goes to extremes like trying to cross a fast-flowing river on his own to try to get the search and rescue party to expand their efforts towards the direction of Lake Tian where he had promised to bring Lele to see the ‘lake monster’.
To his credit, Yen is surprisingly believable in the role of De, casting aside all hint of vanity to throw himself into a flawed everyday character. De’s recklessness in the first act might come off frustrating and somewhat contrived, but Yen largely keeps it in check from the point of view of how De had lost Lele in the first place. Yen’s portrait of stoic determination is deeply affecting especially in the last act when the cost of the search and rescue (SAR) operation mounts, and without giving too much away, let’s just say the end is both gratifying and sobering at the same time.
Whilst Yen is quietly compelling, Lo’s film on the whole however falls short. Than simply follow the convention of a procedural, Lo gets distracted every now and then with unnecessary narrative detours, including the vagaries of citizen journalism, the politics of modern-day police work, and even questions about parenting methods. Only in the second half does Lo fully settle down to focus on the search proper, as hope fades and an avalanche causes the unexpected death of a key member of the search party; otherwise, the first half treats the ticking hours too cursorily, skipping across hours in a stretch, and not giving us sufficient perspective of the SAR efforts.
At least though, despite its flaws, ‘Come Back Home’ boasts consistently stunning visuals, thanks to the production team’s commitment to film on location across two winters in sub-zero temperatures. There is never any doubt how scary it would be to lose a kid in such weather, or how difficult it would be to hold out against hope, and Lo makes good use of these relatable emotions to draw us into his movie. Like we said, it’s a pity the film didn’t get its due recognition at the box office, but on the account of his performance alone, true-blue Yen fans should not miss him in quite possibly one of his best dramatic roles.
Movie Rating:
(Some of the best acting Donnie Yen has done in recent memory, 'Come Back Home' suffers from some storytelling gaps in its first half, but redeems itself with a strong character-driven arc by the time it comes to an uncompromising end)
Review by Gabriel Chong
Genre: Action
Director: Ken Ng Lai Huat
Cast: Zheng Ge Ping, Vincent Ng, Fattah Amin, Dato Rosyam Nor, Tien Hsin, Zhu Hou Ren, Henley Hii, Jack Neo, Pablo Amirul
Runtime: 1 hr 30 mins
Rating: NC16 (Violence & Some Disturbing Scenes)
Released By: Golden Village Pictures
Official Website:
Opening Day: 3 November 2022
Synopsis: The story starts with a Malaysian police detective – Chia Zhong Yi. In his desperate search for his daughter Hazel who was being kidnapped by child traffickers. He unintentionally caused grievous hurt to a male suspect in a moment of rashness. As a consequence of his actions, he was convicted and sentenced to 3 years in prison. Nevertheless, he never gave up hope in finding his daughter. Exploiting his status as an ex-convict, he infiltrated the crime syndicate and befriended a human trafficker Ghost, to find out about his daughter’s whereabouts. On the other side of the fence, we have Vincent Yong who was part of the Singapore Police Force - Star Team. He leads a successful raid against Four Faced Buddha, but was unable to apprehend him and his son. Meanwhile, in order to gather a large quantity of human organs for trafficking, Four Faced Buddha instructed his son, a dangerous hacker who goes by the name of Saviour, to steal the medical records from all the major hospitals in the regions. To escape from detection by the Interpol, Savior has remained hidden overseas, and it wasn’t until 3 years later that he was caught by the Malaysia Police Inspector Aron. Vincent was being ordered to extradite Savior back to Singapore and to persuade him to turn as a key prosecuting witness against Four Faced Buddha. At the same time, Ghost has been ordered by his boss Four Faced Buddha to rescue his son Savior during the extradition process. The loyalties of these few men are being severely tested. In an intense gun fight, Ghost was killed by Zhong Yi and his identity came under the suspicion of Vincent, creating conflicts between the two of them. In a wicked twist of fate, Vincent also accidentally discovers that his former Star Team instructor Jusuf whom he deeply respects has broken the law, and exploited the sting operation as a decoy to steal a smuggled heart to save his very own sick daughter.
Movie Review:
Deleted has a noble cause at its heart. In support of the United Nations World Day Against Trafficking In Persons (30 July), the film has planted the theme of child trafficking at the centre of its story. To further establish their commitment, the filmmakers have even worked with Malaysia’s MAPO - National Council of Anti-Trafficking and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants, as well as nine other NGOs.
That said, does the movie work, either as an advocate piece or stirring entertainment? Not quite.
Billed to be an action piece, Deleted follows Malaysian police detective Chia Zhong Yi (Zheng Geping) as he attempts to find his kidnapped daughter, Hazel. Faced with a network of child traffickers, he eventually finds his way to the potential culprits - a man nicknamed Four- faced Buddha, and his two sons. At the same time, Vincent Yong (Vincent Ng) is leading a team from Singapore to apprehend this trio, and eventually crosses paths with Zhong Yi. The two then try to work together to bring an end to the insidious operations.
If there is a dupe for Taken, this is it. There’s no getting around the fact that Deleted is the poorer cousin by miles, with a cliche storyline that offers little beyond an aspiration. And while other titles had factors lifting up the movie, there’s very little in Deleted to make it anymore than a straight-to-video piece.
There are two main reasons for Deleted’s downfall - the writing and the editing. With the opening scene, the film’s fate was sealed. It features a group of Interpol officers announcing child trafficking figures to each other, over a table with holographic screens illustrating their reports. It’s exposition at its worst - like a preachy propaganda piece - of which the writers have a tendency to repeat excessively in the film.
The conversations between the characters become incredibly stilted because of this. Often they don’t converse like people but reveal information that nobody had asked. Then at other times, not enough is revealed. I remember a scene where Vincent - gratuitously topless at the beach - was remembering a childhood scene of him playing with two friends when his retired instructor (Datuk Rosyam Nor) approached him, telling him to move on from the past. What this past was or who those two kids are… were never revealed.
In probably one of the worst examples (spoiler ahead), Hazel was prepped to be Zhong Yi’s motivation for his rampage. And while her progress after being kidnapped was there in the first half an hour - including seeing one of the sons, Saviour, telling his lackey to take her aside from the rest because she’s special - she never gets mentioned again until the end when her fate is revealed. Why did Saviour keep her aside? We’ll never know.
This naturally affects our characters, of which Geping’s Zhongyi has it the worst. His father character is incredibly unlikeable because there’s no nuance in his rage - making him out to be more psychotic than intense, and rather senseless in his actions. The most laughable has to be his plan in locating his daughter again - of which there is none. He just chases after leads and kills them, and then gets angry at everyone else before storming off to act out his remorse (in classic angsty ways like banging his head against a wall). When he finally gets close to the top honchos by becoming an informant, he abandons this role barely into the first mission. I just don’t understand this guy.
Much better are the other characters, though not by that much (again no thanks to the writing). Vincent probably comes off the most unscathed, not only because he shows facets to his officer role but also being incredibly believable in the action sequences. In truth, it’s good to see him back because his moves are really quite incredible to watch, and in this film, it helps to keep some of the thrills going.
The rest pale in comparison, even with Geping’s segments. The choreography can be clearly seen in the way the actors connect, which takes believability straight out of the window. Much of this is also due to the shoddy editing - clearly just alternating between shots from a traditional 3-camera setup, making the pacing and visuals terribly disconnected. It brings to mind the saying: If you can’t convince them, confuse them.
The film does come up for air at times, but for the most parts, this production lacks seasoned hands.
Movie Rating:
(Even with its noble intentions, this title cannot aspire to be anything more than a straight-to- video production with its patchy work)
Review by Morgan Awyong
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ROBBIE COLTRANE (1950 - 2022)Posted on 15 Oct 2022 |
SYNOPSIS: A father (Marlon Wayans) and his teenage daughter (Priah Ferguson) are forced to team up and save their town after an ancient and mischievous spirit causes Halloween decorations to come to life and wreak havoc.
MOVIE REVIEW:
Marlon Wayans (White Chicks) replaces Adam Sandler for this year Netflix Halloween movie. As expected, it’s a non-scare fest which is tailored made for the entire family and runs efficiently at just 91 minutes.
Being offered a teaching post at Bridge Hollow, Howard has to relocate from Brooklyn together with his wife, Emily (Kelly Rowland) and teenage daughter, Sydney (Priah Ferguson). While Howard is not a big fan of Halloween, the townfolks are crazy about it. Thus when Howard and Sydney accidentally unleashed an ancient curse resulting in the Halloween decorations coming to life, the duo must reluctantly find a way to stop the curse or risk the lives of the townfolks and Emily.
The Curse of Bridge Hollow comes very close to Goosebumps and Goosebumps 2 in terms of execution. It’s largely an inconsequential comedy with some horror elements thrown in. Most of the danger and spook are done via CGI which to be fair is very decently carried out here. Despite featuring zombies, gigantic spider and killer clowns, this is very much a kids-friendly feature.
Helmed by Jeff Wadlow who did Kick-Ass 2 and Truth Or Dare, Wadlow manages to turn a familiar premise and cut them into several relentless horror set pieces resulting in a breezy horror comedy. Wayans is very much likeable as the science teacher who has a phobia for Halloween. He is a man who prefers logic than believing in the supernatural.
Pairing Priah Ferguson whom many will remember as the smarty pants Erica from Stranger Things with Wayans is a godsend. These two generate enough chemistry to make the trip to Bridge Hollow worthwhile although it’s always good to see a much tone down Wayans as compared to his overly exaggerated performances in the Scary Movie outings. A few more familiar faces appear in the flick as well. Rob Riggle appears as Howard’s neighbour, John Michael Higgins from Pitch Perfect appears as the school principal and Lauren Lapkus (Jurassic World) plays the town’s eccentric mayor.
The Curse of Bridge Hollow is generally a whole lot of fun unless you prefer blood-soaking violence and far more realistic horror tropes. At least it’s way better than getting a sequel to Hubie Halloween.
MOVIE RATING:
Review by Linus Tee
SYNOPSIS: Best friends Sophie and Agatha find their bond put to the test when they're whisked away to a magical school for future fairy-tale heroes and villains.
MOVIE REVIEW:
The magic just keeps getting bigger on the small screen with the Netflix release of Paul Feig’s cinematic adaptation of the 2013 best-selling young adult novel, The School for Good and Evil.
Sophie (Sophia Anne Caruso) and Agatha (Sofia Wylie) are best friends who lives in a small village called Gavaldon. Sophie dreams of becoming a princess and leaves Gavaldon behind while Agatha just wants people to stop calling her a witch until one day they are both transported to a magical learning institution called School for Good and Evil (SGE). Sophie is dropped off at the School for Evil to learn to be a proper witch and ironically, Agatha is at the School for Good with the rest of the Princesses.
Desperate and thinking they are on the wrong side, Sophie and Agatha scramble to escape their fate not knowing that they are trapped in a vicious coup planned by none other than Rafal (Kit Young), the evil twin brother of the School Master (Laurence Fishburne).
Comparing this to the first Harry Potter is obvious given the number of similarities. Instead of a sorting hat, we have bony flying birds to drop them direct at the doorstep of the respective schools. While Hogwarts has its Dumbledore, Snape and McGonagall, we have Lady Lesso (Charlize Theron), the Dean of the School of Evil and Professor Dovey (Kerry Washington), Dean of the School of Good and Michelle Yeoh as Anemone, the Professor for Beautification. Then of course, there are the variety of magical classes the students have to attend.
Paul Feig and screenwriter David Magee (Finding Neverland, Life of Pi) sure packed in as much exposition as possible into the movie without making it dry and detached to non-readers. Even the dialogue (and soundtrack) sounds too modernised for a period fantasy flick whether its intended or not. It all feels similar and cheesy yet compelling to a certain extent when you realised that all supposedly classic stories of good versus evil that we knew of are born in this school and the students are actually offspring of Captain Hook, King Arthur and more.
No matter what, there’s a limit to every YA material out there. And The School for Good and Evil starts to see its cracks by its third act with its seemingly never ending twists and convoluted definition of good and evil. Sure, there are lots of CGI enhanced action and magic spells to keep every eyeball busy. The production design especially the costumes are also flawless. Two stars for Feig and his team.
Talking about stars. Charlize Theron is deliciously evil as Lady Lesso and the two young leads, Sophia Anne Caruso and Sofia Wylie often lands with the right amount of emotion. Not to divulge any further, Yeoh and Fishburne are mostly wasted right here. Adding to the star-studded affair is Cate Blanchett who lends her voice as the narrator/the Storian. Another star for Feig and his team.
Feig obviously received a lot of backlash for his 2016 reboot of the Ghostbusters. Still, the filmmaker who is known for his collaborations with female stars turned in yet another commercial worthy, visually enriching fest. Is it good enough for another gothic fantasy sequel which the ending hints? Probably.
MOVIE RATING:
Review by Linus Tee
SYNOPSIS: Based on a true story, Father Stu is an unflinchingly honest, funny and ultimately uplifting drama about a lost soul who finds his purpose in a most unexpected place. When an injury ends his amateur boxing career, Stuart Long (Mark Wahlberg) moves to L.A. dreaming of stardom. While scraping by as a supermarket clerk, he meets Carmen (Teresa Ruiz), a Catholic Sunday school teacher who seems immune to his bad-boy charm. Determined to win her over, the longtime agnostic starts going to church to impress her. But surviving a terrible motorcycle accident leaves him wondering if he can use his second chance to help others find their way, leading to the surprising realization that he is meant to be a Catholic priest. Despite a devastating health crisis and the skepticism of Church officials and his estranged parents (Mel Gibson and Jacki Weaver), Stu pursues his vocation with courage and compassion, inspiring not only those closest to him but countless others along the way.
MOVIE REVIEW:
At one point in the movie, Jacki Weaver’s character suggests her son, Stu (played by Mark Wahlberg) to find work on an oil rig and later on, asking if he is going to be starring in a porno. In reality, Wahlberg has starred as an oil rig technician in Deepwater Horizon and a porn star in Boogie Nights.
The man indeed has come a long way. And in Father Stu, the prolific actor and producer stars as the late Stuart Long, a boxer-turned-priest in this genuinely entertaining biography drama about religion and redemption.
Long, an amateur boxer for most of his life decides to move from Montana to LA to pursue his dream of being an actor. But shortly after, Long falls for a Hispanic church-going girl, Carmen (Teresa Ruiz) and gets himself baptised. After surviving a near-death bike accident where the once atheist Long experienced a religious awakening of sort, decides to enrol himself to be a priest.
Like it or not, the role of Stuart Long seems tailored made for Mark Wahlberg. As the foul-mouthed, uncouth Long, Wahlberg is at his acting best. At times, it might seem unbelievable or preposterous. Who is that mysterious man who sips water at a bar that told him not to ride? Is he God’s messenger? We are not going to judge it further but at the very least, Wahlberg is not wearing a suit and playing a stiff professor.
For a faith-based drama, there’s an equal amount of coarse language and discussion on God’s grace. Some of the exchanges are both humorous and well, engaging. There are no prolonged dreary talk about religion merely honest, inspirational words coming out from Wahlberg’s character because he sincerely believed God made him a better person in the end. Long’s eventual battle with inclusion body myositis (a form of muscle disorder) makes this flick even more inspiring than it should be.
Australian actress Jacki Weaver adds much weight and clout to the role of Long’s mother and real-life troubled actor Mel Gibson plays his estranged dad. It’s up to your own debate whether there is a deeper meaning in casting Gibson for the role consider his character is fighting his own demon after losing his younger boy at the age of six. Gibson, once an acclaimed director and actor of course is fighting a different form of demon for years though we should not use it to judge his brilliant presence here.
A spiritual story with a classic redemption arc might not appeal to the crowds but Father Stu works tremendously well due to Wahlberg’s charismatic performance and the obvious wide appeal of the fact that the story is based on the life of an inspiring real Father.
MOVIE RATING:
Review by Linus Tee
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