Friday, February 3, 2023

Attack of the Killer Donuts (2016)



Streaming Service: Peacock
Movie Name/Year: Attack of the Killer Donuts (2016)
Genre: Action, Comedy, Horror
Length: 1h 25min
Rating: Unrated
Production/Distribution: Restless Nomad Films, Rogue State, Level 33 Entertainment, Showtime Entertainment
Director: Scott Wheeler
Writer: Nathan Dalton, Chris De Christopher, Rafael Diaz-Wagner
Actors: Justin Ray, Kassandra Voyagis, Michael Swan, Kayla Compton, Lauren Compton, Chris De Christopher, Fredrick Burns, C. Thomas Howell
 
Blurb from IMDb: A chemical accident turns ordinary donuts into bloodthirsty killers.
 

Selina’s Point of View:
Before I write anything about Attack of the Killer Donuts, I feel it necessary to remind people that it’s important to judge a film based on the way it compares to flicks that are similar. I wouldn’t compare something like Rubber (2010) to Carrie (1976), after all. They might both include telekinesis, but they’re still very different projects.
 
That’s important to remember because I enjoyed Attack of the Killer Donuts. It was a good movie for what it was: a corny, parody-esk, B-creature feature. I feel like I would have enjoyed it more if I had something mind altering, but it was still decent. This is exactly the kind of thing I would want to sit down and watch with some friends, and drinks, during a night in.
 
Attack of the Killer Donuts never tries to be anything it’s not. It tried to be as silly and dumb as humanly possible. It wanted to get a laugh however it could, and it was successful. It always went just far enough to hit that ‘so bad, it’s good’ balance that is so difficult to obtain.  
 

I have to note that there’s this one character, played by Fredrick Burns (Punching Henry, Cleaver Family Reunion, Litorra), that approaches every scene he’s in as if it were a hardcore action flick put out by the makers of Die Hard (1988). Every time he’s on screen, hitting his part as straight as possible, it amused me to no end. Especially since he does it alongside C. Thomas Howell (SEAL Team, The Wrong Path, Beast Mode). The last time I saw Howell he was playing George Foyet, one of the most terrifying serial killers in Criminal Minds (2009-).
 
Seeing Howell act like a dumb ass hit extra hard for me.  
 
I thought Attack of the Killer Donuts would be among the strangest films I’ve seen, but it’s not. It’s very much in the vein of Attack of the Killer Tomatos (1978). It’s just sillier and updated, with better video quality.
 
Do not let Peacock fool you with the thumbnail, the video quality is actually very good.
 
You know what? I’d watch Attack of the Killer Donuts again. I would definitely have a drink in hand, though.
 
Maybe a special brownie.
 

Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score – None
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score – 44%
Metascore – None
Metacritic User Score – 7.6
IMDB Score –3.8/10
 
Trust the Dice: Selina’s Rating 3.5/5
 
Trust-the-Dice’s Parental Advisory Rating: PG-13
 
P.S. There’s a short after-credits scene.
 
Movie Trailer:

Wednesday, February 1, 2023

Top 20 Movies to Look Out For In February (2023)

According to: Selina


20 – Disquiet (2/10)
 

Production/Distribution: SP Media Group, Government Island, Paramount Global
Director: Michael Winnick
Writer: Michael Winnick
Actors: Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Rachelle Goulding, Elyse Levesque, Lochlyn Munro, Trezzo Mahoro, Garry Chalk, Anita Brown
Genre: Thriller
Rated: R
Length: 1h 25
 
IMDb Blurb: After a near-fatal car accident, Sam (Meyers) wakes to discover he is trapped in an abandoned hospital by mysterious and sinister forces that have no intention of letting him leave.
 
My initial thought while watching the trailer for Disquiet is that the character played by Jonathan Rhys Meyers (American Night, The Good Neighbor, Hide and Seek) is in some kind of coma-related purgatory. I don’t hate the idea.
 
I love the psychological aspect that forces us to ask if what the character is going through is real or not. I’ll admit that I find it most fulfilling when it does turn out to be real, but I’ve seen it done successfully both ways.
 
There are some very creepy scenes highlighted throughout the trailer. The part with the two mummy-wrapped women reminds me of the nurses in Silent Hill (2006).
 
It’s looking like reviews are negative for Disquiet so far, but I’m looking forward to seeing for myself.
 
19 – Mummies (2/24)
 

Production/Distribution: Warner Bros. Entertainment España, 4 Cats Pictures, Anangu Grup, Moomios Movie AIE, Atresmedia Cine, Movistar+, With Televisió de Catalunya (TV3), Warner Bros.
Director: Juan Jesús García Galocha
Writer: Jordi Gasull, Javier López Barreira
Actors: Sean Bean, Joe Thomas, Eleanor Tomlinson, Santiago Winder, Hugh Bonneville, Celia Imrie, Dan Starkey, Shakka
Genre: Animation, Comedy, Family
Rated: PG
Length: 1h 28min
 
IMDb Blurb: It follows three mummies as they end up in present-day London and embark on a journey in search of an old ring belonging to the Royal Family, stolen by the ambitious archaeologist Lord Carnaby.
 
Mummies looks like a simple, funny, kids’ movie that might not completely bore the adults they’re with at the theaters. It’s not going to reinvent any wheels, it’s probably not going to be all that deep, but it should be a cute introduction to Egyptian mythos for children.
 
18 – Huesera: The Bone Woman (2/10)
 

Production/Distribution: Disruptiva Films, Machete Producciones, Maligno Gorehouse, Terminal, XYZ Films
Director: Michelle Garza Cervera
Writer: Michelle Garza Cervera, Abia Castillo, Patricio Saiz
Actors: Alfonso Dosal, Mayra Batalla, Natalia Solián, Sonia Couoh, Samantha Castillo, Mercedes Hernández, Aida López, Enoc Leaño, Martha Claudia Moreno
Genre: Drama, Horror
Rated: Unrated
Length: 1h 33min
 
IMDb Blurb: Valeria has long dreamed about becoming a mother. After learning that she's pregnant, she expects to feel happy, yet something's off.
 
The fear of birth and motherhood is more common than people think. I, personally, had a miserable pregnancy/birth experience. I had bad doctors, health issues, and significant mood alterations – most of which I was required to hide while people told me how happy I SHOULD be. The only way to keep from getting into constant fights with these people was to pretend I was.
 
I don’t regret getting pregnant, my daughter is my world, but you would not believe the amount of people who believe that had the right to tell me how to feel at the time and who still try to guilt trip me into remembering it positively. Even more that still try to pressure me into doing it again.
 
Movies like Huesera: The Bone Woman really amp up the anxiety and horror of that bad birth experience. I find them somewhat cathartic. I imagine I’m not the only one.
 
Huesera: The Bone Woman has some psychological aspects – or supernatural, depending on the way they opt to go – that really seems to elevate the horror of it all.
 
17 – The Amazing Maurice (2/3)
 

Production/Distribution: Studio Rakete, Red Star 3D, Cantilever Group, Moonshot Films, Narrativia, Sky, Squeeze Studio Animation, Ulysses Filmproduktion, Viva Pictures, Viva Kids
Director: Toby Genkel, Florian Westermann
Writer: Terry Rossio, Terry Pratchett, Robert Chandler, Toby Genkel
Actors: Hugh Laurie, Emilia Clarke, David Thewlis, Himesh Patel, Gemma Arterton, Rob Brydon, Hugh Bonneville, David Tennant, Peter Serafinowicz
Genre: Animation, Adventure, Comedy
Rated: PG
Length: 1h 33min
 
IMDb Blurb: This story follows Maurice, a goofy streetwise cat, who has the perfect money-making scam. He finds a dumb-looking kid who plays a pipe and has his very own horde of rats, who are strangely literate.
 
How cute does The Amazing Maurice look?
 
This hilarious tale about a fat streetwise cat is based on a novel by Terry Pratchett (Good Omens, Hogfather, Welcome to the Discworld). That alone makes it a must see, but then the jokes shown in the trailer are also pretty funny. I’m particularly amused by the part about the dead rats. That hits me right in my funny bone.
 
Also, David Tennant (Doctor Who, Fright Night, Good Omens) is voicing a character named Dangerous Beans and I just can’t get past that.
 
16 – Swallowed (2/14)
 

Production/Distribution: All the Dead Boys, Leroi, Witchcraft Motion Picture Company, Momentum Pictures
Director: Carter Smith
Writer: Carter Smith
Actors: Jena Malone, Cooper Koch, Mark Patton, Jose Colon, Roe Pacheco, Michael Shawn Curtis
Genre: Horror, Thriller
Rated: R
Length: 1h 32min
 
IMDb Blurb: Follows two best friends on their final night together, with a nightmare of drugs, bugs, and horrific intimacy.
 
On first look I thought Swallowed was going to be a super basic crime film about smuggling drugs. I was so bored by the idea that my eyes started to glaze over. Then the big twist came, and I found myself needing to watch the trailer a second time.
 
I’m not sure what kind of bug, alien, or supernatural creature the characters in Swallowed are forced to smuggle, but I’m dying to find out.
 
The trailer gives just enough information to let me know this isn’t your basic gritty crime thriller, then leaves me hanging on the answers – which is a great way to approach the coming attractions for this kind of plot.
 
I know only enough to know I want to know more.
 
15 – Who Are You People (2/17)
 

Production/Distribution: Paperclip Limited, Gravitas Ventures
Director: Ben Epstein
Writer: Ben Epstein
Actors: Alyssa Milano, Devon Sawa, Ema Horvath, Yeardley Smith, John Ales, Reid Miller, Peter Parros, Siddharth Dhananjay
Genre: Drama
Rated: Unrated
Length: Unknown Length
 
IMDb Blurb: After a botched attempt to seduce her English teacher, 16-year-old Alex runs away from boarding school to seek out the biological father her mother always kept hidden and learn the dark secret of her roots.
 
The cast for Who Are You People was the first thing that caught my eye.
 
Devon Sawa (Final Destination, Chucky, SLC Punk!) is criminally underrated. Even when he was younger, he was a lot more versatile than he was given credit for. Now he’s got that grizzled action look to him, and he’s got even more options. Going from something like Hunter Hunter (2020), which was memorably suspenseful and terrifying, to something like this that’s much more heartfelt and down-to-Earth, proves that.
 
I’ve opted not to hold Brazen (2022) against Alyssa Milano (You Are My Home, Insatiable, Little Italy). She’s still a draw, as far as I’m concerned.
 
Then there’s Ema Horvath (Don’t Look Deeper, What Lies Below, Like.Share.Follow.). She’s newer on the scene, but I remember her from The Mortuary Collection (2019). She was impressive there. I haven’t seen her in much else yet, but I have some high hopes just based on that one film.
 
The trailer shows a relatable story to anyone who’s ever felt out of place with their family. I have a feeling Who Are You People is going to require a box of tissues close by.
 
14 – Cocaine Bear (2/24)
 

Production/Distribution: Universal Pictures, Brownstone Productions (II), Lord Miller
Director: Elizabeth Banks
Writer: Jimmy Warden
Actors: Ray Liotta, Margo Martindale, Keri Russell, Alden Ehrenreich, Matthew Rhys, Kristofer Hivju, Isiah Whitlock Jr., O’Shea Jackson Jr., Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Brooklynn Prince, Christian Convery
Genre: Thriller
Rated: R
Length: 1h 35min
 
IMDb Blurb: An oddball group of cops, criminals, tourists, and teens converge in a Georgia forest where a 500-pound black bear goes on a murderous rampage after unintentionally ingesting cocaine.
 
I did a double take when I first saw this film on our list. I figured it was some kind of SYFY creature feature made by The Asylum. When I saw an actual cast list, with a big-name production company involved, it was a little hard to digest. I had no idea what to expect.
 
The trailer for Cocaine Bear was absolutely wild. It was bloody and hilarious, with some awful CGI.
 
Now, the awful CGI isn’t necessarily a bad thing. With a plot based around a bear that’s gotten high off some lost drugs (loosely inspired by a true story) the ridiculousness of some janky CGI might just heighten the humor aspect. You still get the blood and gore of the story, but it becomes easier to swallow when you can’t take the bear design seriously.
 
It’s one of the things I find amusing about movies that are so bad they’re good.
 
I don’t think Cocaine Bear will be a masterpiece, but I do think it’ll be amusing and fun to watch with some drunk friends.
 
13 – Somebody I Used to Know (2/10)
 

Production/Distribution: Amazon Studios, Black Bear Pictures, Temple Hill Entertainment, Amazon Prime Video
Director: Dave Franco
Writer: Dave Franco, Alison Brie
Actors: Alison Brie, Jay Ellis, Kiersey Clemons, Danny Pudi, Olga Merediz, Haley Joel Osment, Julie Hagerty, Ayden Mayeri, Fabi Reyna, Marian Li, Ted Rooney
Genre: Comedy, Romance
Rated: R
Length: 1h 46min
 
IMDb Blurb: On a trip to her hometown, workaholic Ally reminisces with her ex Sean and starts to question everything about the person she's become. Things only get more confusing when she meets Cassidy, who reminds her of the person she used to be.
 
I’ll admit that the story in Somebody I Used to Know reminds me – just a bit – of My Best Friend’s Wedding. The prelude is different, but the basic feel is pretty much the same. There are two differences that made me want to see this one.
 
I am a big fan of Dave Franco (Day Shift, The Disaster Artist, Nerve). He’s not acting in Somebody I Used to Know, but he is directing. He also wrote the script alongside his significant other. I’m really interested in seeing what he’s got. I haven’t seen The Rental (2020) yet, which was his debut as writer/director, but I’ve heard good things. This film would be a big difference, though, since The Rental was a horror.
 
The second thing that really intrigued me about the trailer for Somebody I Used to Know is that it hints at a unique and somewhat daring ending.
 
If Franco and his co-writer Alison Brie (Spine Me Round, Happiest Season, Promising Young Woman) took the road less traveled, Somebody I Used to Know could very well end in a multi-partner relationship. I find that very interesting. It’s not something I’ve ever seen in a mainstream romance.
 
Now, the chances of it are very low, but there are enough clues in the trailer that lead me to believe it’s a possibility that I’m really interested in seeing how it plays out.
 
12 – Sharper (2/10)
 
 
Production/Distribution: A24, Apple TV+, Picturestart
Director: Benjamin Caron
Writer: Brian Gatewood, Alessandro Tanaka
Actors: Justice Smith, Briana Middleton, Sebastian Stan, Julianne Moore, John Lithgow, Hannah Dunne, Giullian Yao Gioiello, Phillip Johnson Richardson
Genre: Drama
Rated: R
Length: 1h 56min
 
IMDb Blurb: A con artist takes on Manhattan's billionaires.
 
Sharper is labeled as a single-genre drama, which is not my go-to kind of movie at all, but there’s clearly more to it.
 
There’s intrigue involved. Suspense. Even if the film doesn’t delve as deep as it could into those themes, it’s still there. Enough-so that it doesn’t feel like a single-genre at all.
 
Not only that, but the cast is more than decent.
 
I’m becoming a big fan of Justice Smith (Pokémon: Detective Pikachu, Jurassic World: Dominion, Ron’s Gone Wrong). Even in movies I don’t enjoy, he still stands out to me as a great addition. Then there’s Sebastian Stan (Fresh, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, The Devil All the Time), Julianne Moore (Dear Evan Hansen, When You Finish Saving the World, Kingsman: The Golden Circle), and John Lithgow (Bombshell, Interstellar, This is 40) – all who speak for themselves.
 
There’s a lot to look forward to with Sharper.
 
11 – Knock at the Cabin (2/3)
 

Production/Distribution: Universal Pictures, Blinding Edge Pictures, FilmNation Entertainment, Perfect World Pictures, Wishmore
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Writer: M. Night Shyamalan, Steve Desmond, Michael Sherman, Paul Tremblay
Actors: Dave Bautista, Jonathan Groff, Ben Aldridge, Nikki Amuka-Bird, Rupert Grint, Abby Quinn, Kristen Cui
Genre: Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Rated: R
Length: 1h 40min
 
IMDb Blurb: While vacationing, a girl and her parents are taken hostage by armed strangers who demand that the family make a choice to avert the apocalypse.
 
The trailer for Knock at the Cabin shows just enough for me to feel a desperate need to know more. Is the apocalypse really coming, or are the four antagonists not playing with a full deck? What choice does this family need to make?
 
The general feel of the movie is shown well in the coming attractions. It explains the premise and leaves everything else to my incredibly dark imagination. It’s exactly what a trailer should be. Especially for a horror/mystery. There is no part of me that thinks anything it showed will be a spoiler.
 
That said, it is written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan (Old, The Visit, Split).
 
I love a good twist in a story, so I’m inclined to give him the benefit of the doubt, but Shyamalan’s proved that he would include a twist even at the cost of the overall quality of the story. I’m a little nervous about where he’ll go with this. In my mind, the biggest twist of all would be if the apocalypse really occurred, but I highly doubt that’s the direction he’d go.
 
I’m going to remain cautiously optimistic.
 

10 – Marlowe (2/15)
 

Production/Distribution: Parallel Film Productions, Hills Productions AIE, Davis-Films, H2L Media Group, Nickel City Pictures, Storyboard, Aperture Media Partners, Elipsis Capital, Jeff Rice Films, Fís Éireann / Screen Ireland, Briarcliffe Entertainment
Director: Neil Jordan
Writer: William Monahan, John Banville, Raymond Chandler
Actors: Liam Neeson, Diane Kruger, Jessica Lange, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Colm Meaney, Daniela Melchior, Alan Cumming, Danny Huston, Seána Kerslake, François Arnaud, Ian Hart
Genre: Crime, Mystery, Thriller
Rated: R
Length: 1h 50min
 
IMDb Blurb: In late 1930's Bay City, a brooding, down on his luck detective is hired to find the ex-lover of a glamorous heiress.
 
Film noir is a hard genre to beat. When done right, it’s full of so much intrigue that even the slow moments feel tense. Marlowe seems like a fully updated form.
 
I’m not saying it’s modern in setting, but in feel. The story telling is from our century, while the subject is the past. I love that kind of thing. Viewing the past through updated views and ideals sheds a new light on stories like these. It’s interesting.
 
There are absolute legends in the cast, and the trailer looks exciting. I want to see what they do with this one.
 
9 – Magic Mike’s Last Dance (2/10)
 

Production/Distribution: Warner Bros., HBO Max
Director: Steven Soderbergh
Writer: Reid Carolin
Actors: Salma Hayek, Channing Tatum, Caitlin Gerard, Nancy Carroll, Gavin Spokes, Christopher Bencomo, Juliette Motamed, Ayub Khan-Din
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Rated: R
Length: 1h 52min
 
IMDb Blurb: Mike takes to the stage again, following a business deal that went bust, leaving him broke and taking bartender gigs in Florida. Mike heads to London with a wealthy socialite who lures him with an offer he can't refuse.
 
There’s a part of me wondering if Channing Tatum (Dog, Kingsman: The Golden Circle, Logan Lucky) is pulling from real life experiences for his performance in Magic Mike’s Last Dance. Going from stripping to mainstream entertainment is how he started after all.
 
If he is, then we could be looking at one of his best performances. He won’t have to wonder what anything feels like, he knows. That means that he can portray specifics that other actors might not have thought of in the same part.
 
There’s bound to be some amazing dance numbers shuffled into everything. Tatum never disappoints in that area.
 
It does seem a bit different than the first two. I don’t think a love for the franchise will be necessary to enjoy this one, however. We’ll see.
 
8 – True Spirit (2/3)
 

Production/Distribution: Resonate Entertainment, Martin Chase Productions, Sunstar Entertainment, The Rebel Fleet, Netflix
Director: Sarah Spillane
Writer: Rebecca Banner, Cathy Randall, Sarah Spillane
Actors: Anna Paquin, Cliff Curtis, Teagan Croft, Josh Lawson, Todd Lasance, Alyla Browne, Alice Tate
Genre: Adventure, Biography, Drama
Rated: Unrated
Length: 1h 49min
 
IMDb Blurb: The story of Australian teenager, Jessica Watson, the youngest person ever to sail solo, non-stop around the world.
 
For years the world has been spiraling in a way that has made a lot of people give up. I don’t have statistics for the whole world, but I know that my own life has seen a lot of it. I cringe now when the phone rings.
 
You never know what’s going to help someone. Maybe it’s a simple adventure film that tells someone it’s ok to be struggling right now. It’s ok to not be ok.
 
There’s a way through it.
 
When we first watched the trailer for True Spirit that’s what stuck out in my head most. There’s an uplifting quality to it that really speaks to me right now. A message that says you can do absolutely anything you put your mind to, even if the world tells you otherwise. The fact that it’s based on a true story makes the message even more compelling.
 
I’m looking forward to seeing True Spirit. We’ll be scheduling it for review next month.
 
7 – We Have a Ghost (2/24)
 

Production/Distribution: Legendary Entertainment, Temple Hill Entertainment, Netflix
Director: Christopher Landon
Writer: Christopher Landon, Geoff Manaugh
Actors: Anthony Mackie, Erica Ash, Jennifer Coolidge, David Harbour, Tig Notaro, Steve Coulter, Tom Bower, Niles Fitch
Genre: Adventure, Comedy, Family
Rated: PG-13
Length: 2h 6min
 
IMDb Blurb: Finding a ghost named Ernest haunting their new home turns Kevin's family into overnight social media sensations. But when Kevin and Ernest investigate the mystery of Ernest's past, they become a target of the CIA.
 
I absolutely adore the premise to We Have a Ghost.
 
Instead of going full horror, like Paranormal Activity (2007), or full comedy, like Casper (1995), We Have a Ghost takes the haunting tale to a mixed genre that looks awesome. There are tons of hilarious moments in the trailer, but with scenes like the face melting one, you can’t ignore the potential for horror. Even if it’s mostly geared toward teens.
 
With a cast involving Anthony Mackie (The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Outside the Wire, The Banker) and David Harbour (Stranger Things, Violent Night, Black Widow) among the main protagonists, backed up by people like Tig Notaro (Army of the Dead, Together Together, Lucy in the Sky), Jennifer Coolidge (Shotgun Wedding, The Watcher, 2 Broke Girls) and Steve Coulter (Shotgun Wedding, A Little Prayer, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law), we’re guaranteed a good time.
 
6 – Winnie the Pooh: Blood And Honey (2/15)
 

Production/Distribution: ITN Studios, Jagged Edge Productions, ITN Distribution, Fathom Events
Director: Rhys Frake-Waterfield
Writer: Rhys Frake-Waterfield, A.A. Milne
Actors: Gillian Broderick, Paula Coiz, Chris Cordell, Frederick Dallaway, Amber Doig-Thorne, Craig David Dowsett, Simon Ellis, Mark Haldor, May Kelly, Nikolai Leon
Genre: Horror
Rated: Unrated
Length: 1h 24min
 
IMDb Blurb: It follows Pooh and Piglet as they go on a rampage after Christopher Robin abandons them for college.
 
I’ve been hearing about this movie for a while, but I thought it was a joke. Or, at the most, a fan flick that was going to come out straight to DVD. There are a lot of those based around horror cults – such as Voorhees (2020), Never Hike Alone (2017), Krueger: Tales from Elm Street (2017), or Scream: Obsession (2020). To name only a few.
 
What I didn’t realize was that on January 1, 2022 Winnie-the-Pooh characters from the original story (made in 1926) became part of the public domain. It is now perfectly legal to take the characters and do whatever you want with them – commercially.
 
Naturally the first thing people decided to throw the beloved children’s characters in was a horror flick. As antagonists.
 
And it’s coming out in theaters.
 
Sure, it’s a limited release, but it’s still going to be hitting big screens. My inner child is way too curious for me to miss it. I don’t hear great things, but I’m still excited.
 
I have to know how they execute this one.
 
No pun intended.
 
5 – Attachment (2/9)
 

Production/Distribution: Nordisk Film Productions, Shudder
Director: Gabriel Bier Gislason  
Writer: Gabriel Bier Gislason      
Actors: David Dencik, Ellie Kendrick, Sofie Gråbøl, Josephine Park, Elinor Znaider, Filippa Marcella Olesen Olsson
Genre: Comedy, Horror, Romance
Rated: Unrated
Length: 1h 45min
 
IMDb Blurb: Maja, a Danish has-been actress, falls in love with Leah, a Jewish academic from London. Leah suffers a mysterious seizure, and Maja returns with her to London. There, she meets Leah's mother, Chana, a woman who could hold dark secrets.
 
You don’t really see a lot of Jewish horror films. Yes, you see dybbuks used a bit, but those stories barely scratch the surface of the mythology behind it. In the case of Attachment, the plot goes much further into Jewish culture and folklore.
 
I’m really interested in seeing how they opt to portray the bits and pieces of mythos that Attachment is delving into.
 
Even without appealing to me on a cultural level, the trailer looks sufficiently creepy. It’s coming out on Shudder and I’m psyched.
 
4 – Shehzada (2/17)
 

Production/Distribution: Allu Entertainment, Allu Mantena Media Ventures, Brat Films, FAVS Global, Haarika & Hassine Creations, T-Series Films, PVR Pictures, Yash Raj Films, Netflix
Director: Rohit Dhawan
Writer: Hussain Dalal, Rohit Dhawan, Trivikram Srinivas
Actors: Kartik Aaryan, Kriti Sanon, Paresh Rawal, Manisha Koirala, Ronit Roy, Sachin Khedekar, Rajpal Naurang Yadav, Ankur Rathee, Sunny Hinduja
Genre: Action, Comedy, Drama
Rated: Unrated
Length: 2h 33min
 
IMDb Blurb: Bantu is hated by his father Valmiki since he was a toddler. Samara, his boss show him affection and love until he discovers that the Jindals are his parents. Bantu decides to seek Jindals love and protect them from threats they facing.
 
The trailer for Shehzada is a trip. On first watch-through, it’s almost confusing. It’s as if two movies are smushed together for the coming attraction.
 
The first half of the trailer makes it seem like a light-hearted comedy flick. Not unlike some of the Hallmark stuff you see during December, but with brighter colors and exceptional song/dance breaks. Then you get to about the 2-minute mark and some dude gets stabbed with an umbrella. The vibe totally changes.
 
It goes from delightful musical to bad-ass action flick. And some of the action scenes that are highlighted are really unique.
 
After the success of RRR (2022), we’re bound to see more and more Indian films drawing attention in US cinemas. Shehzada has all the ingredients of the kind of film that can do just that. I want to see more of this.
 
3 – Murder, Anyone? (2/7)
 

Production/Distribution: Red Phoenix Productions, Sandaled Kid Productions, Uncork’d Entertainment
Director: James Cullen Bressack
Writer: Gordon Bressack
Actors: Kristos Andrews, Galadriel Stineman, Maurice LaMarche, Charles M. Howell IV, Carla Collins, Spencer Breslin
Genre: Comedy
Rated: Unrated
Length: Unknown Length
 
IMDb Blurb: Two playwrights, George and Charlie, are tasked with the challenge of creating the next "avant-garde, surrealistic, mind-bending neo-noire thriller". As they write, the story comes to life in real time. However, their own emotions and arguments also begin to manifest on film, creating sharp twists and turns that affect the entire movie. Filled with hilarity and chaos, Murder, Anyone? is a comedic play-within-a-play-within-a-movie that contemplates the complexities of language, art, theater, film and more.
 
Murder, Anyone? has a genius concept.
 
Low budget films get a bad rap. People picture low video quality, bad acting, and a corny script when you mention that a film is low budget. With Murder, Anyone? the writer and director take those expectations and use them in favor of the film.
 
Because most of the story occurs in the mind of the two writers, there’s a ton of leeway with everything else. If it’s done correctly, I can see it being on the same lines as The Gamers: Dorkness Rising (2008). Most of the story in that took place in the minds of the role-players. The over-the-top acting made everything fit better than it would have if it’d been made with the best of the best. The low budget MADE that film as fun as was.
 
I think Murder, Anyone? has the same potential. I cannot wait to see it.
 
2 – Unlocked (2/17)
 

Production/Distribution: Studio N, Netflix
Director: Tae-joon Kim
Writer: Akira Shiga
Actors: Si-wan Yim, Woo-hee Chun, Kim Hee-won, Park Ho-San, Jeon Jin-oh, Kim Ye-Won
Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery
Rated: Unrated
Length: 1h 57min
 
IMDb Blurb: "Stolen Identity" is a realistic thriller that tracks the incidents that occur when an ordinary company employee begins to get her entire life threatened after she loses her smartphone containing all her personal information.
 
I’ve been known to complain about the way horror films do their best to ignore modern technology.
 
Way too many new horror movies attempt to live in the 80s and 90s. Instead of using cell phones to add a new layer of fear to a slasher flick, they do whatever necessary to take it out of consideration. There’s no service. The character lost it. Someone stepped on it. It’s always the same nonsense, time and time again.
 
That’s probably why I immediately gravitate toward movies like Unlocked when I see them. It feels current… modern.
 
We have a ton of technology at our fingertips every day, and a lot of it is naturally dangerous. You wouldn’t have to modify much to make it terrifying. Even just a cautionary tale could be made into a horror story – easily. That’s what Unlocked seems to do.
 
A stalker with access to a lost phone and social media pages makes him near invincible. Not to mention that laws haven’t fully caught up to technology and stalking doesn’t carry much, if any, punishment. That makes the trailer terrifying.
 
When the antagonist in the Unlocked trailer admits to doing it because he found her phone, it sends shivers up my spine and makes me think of every time I’ve accidentally left my phone behind or found it fallen out of my pocket. It’s an aspect of everyday life that the horror genre could be doing a hell of a lot more with.
 
I’m also a huge fan of Korean cinema – especially horrors.
 
1 – Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2/17)
 

Production/Distribution: Marvel Studios, Truenorth Productions, Walt Disney Pictures, Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Director: Peyton Reed
Writer: Jack Kirby, Jeff Loveness
Actors: Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Jonathan Majors, Kathryn Newton, William Jackson Harper, Katy M. O’Brian, Michelle Pfeiffer, Michael Douglas, Bill Murray, Randall Park
Genre: Action, Adventure, Comedy
Rated: PG-13
Length: 2h 5min
 
IMDb Blurb: Scott Lang and Hope Van Dyne, along with Hank Pym and Janet Van Dyne, explore the Quantum Realm, where they interact with strange creatures and embark on an adventure that goes beyond the limits of what they thought was possible.
 
As a Marvel fangirl, was there any doubt that this would be my number 1?
 
Kevin Feige (Loki, I Am Groot, Moon Knight) has said that Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is going to be “a direct line” into Phase 5. It’s going to forever alter the MCU. How could I possibly hear something like that and not be more excited than I have been in a while.
 
Of course, I was excited for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, but I was also nervous. The whole thing was a bit more bittersweet because of Chadwick Boseman’s (Marshall, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, Da 5 Bloods) passing. I couldn’t even see that one in theaters. I had to watch it at home where I could ugly cry without judgment.
 
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania has the benefit of being the movie we move forward with. There’s less sadness woven into it, and it gives us something big to look forward to.
 
Movies to Look out For
According to: Cat
 
Shehzada .20
Huesera: The Bone Woman .19
Freedom’s Path .18
Disquiet .17
Your Place or Mine .16
Attachment .15
Legion of Super-Heroes .14
True Spirit .13
At Midnight .12
Murder, Anyone? .11
80 for Brady .10
Magic Mike’s Last Dance .9
We Have a Ghost .8
The Amazing Maurice .7
 Mummies .6
Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey .5
Knock at the Cabin .4
Marlowe .3
Cocaine Bear .2
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania .1
 
FAQ:
          What makes a movie eligible for Trust the Dice’s Top 20?

Monday, January 30, 2023

Shotgun Wedding (2023)



Streaming Service: Amazon Prime
Movie Name/Year: Shotgun Wedding (2023)
Genre: Action, Comedy, Romance
Length:  1h 40min
Rating: R
Production/Distribution: Mandeville Films, Maximum Effort, Nuyorican Productions, Lionsgate, Amazon Prime Video
Director: Jason Moore
Writers: Mark Hammer
Actors: Jennifer Lopez, Josh Duhamel, Lenny Kravitz, Cheech Marin, Jennifer Coolidge, Alex Mallari Jr., Callie Hernandez, D'Arcy Carden, Desmin Borges, Héctor Aníbal, Melissa Hunter, Sônia Braga, Steve Coulter
 
IMDb Blurb: A couple's extravagant destination wedding is hijacked by criminals. In the process of saving their families, they rediscover why they fell in love in the first place.
  

Cat’s Point of View:
Was Shotgun Wedding the best movie I’ve seen this month? No, not by a long shot. That being said, however, it wasn’t the worst, either. Don’t get me wrong – I had a great time watching Shotgun Wedding. It was a bit of a mixed bag, though. Of course, that warrants a bit of explanation.
 
I was pretty excited at the prospect of Shotgun Wedding. The trailer had me in stitches, and the combination of Josh Duhamel (Night of the Animated Dead, Blade Runner: Black Lotus, Bandit) and Jennifer Lopez (Shades of Blue, Second Act, Hustlers) - not to mention the rest of the well-known supporting cast – felt like a real winning combination. I even listed this movie as my #4 on January 2023’s Top 20 list.

 
Action and comedy are a winning pairing and Shotgun Wedding promised both and pirates! With Jason Moore (Pitch Perfect, Sisters, Tales of the City) at the helm, it felt like at the very least the comedy and dramatic elements were in good hands. It was the action that I was a little concerned about. All told, those parts weren’t too shabby.
 
Were there some really hokey bits here and there? Yes, absolutely – and it was clear that it was done that way on purpose. Everything felt a bit more light-hearted… even when super serious events were taking place.

 
I don’t really understand the hate the critics have been lobbing at Shotgun Wedding. It was fun and actually had a few elements in it that I hadn’t seen done 1000 times before. For a rom-com, that’s saying something. Though, I get it to some extent. It just wasn’t Marry Me (2022). That was the point, though, right? It wasn’t meant to have the same vibe as the film J-Lo had done before.
 
Anyone who finds themselves poking through Prime Video and is in the mood for a laugh wouldn’t go wrong by selecting Shotgun Wedding. I wouldn’t even mind watching it again, myself.

 
Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score – 47%
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score –59%
Metascore – 46%
Metacritic User Score – 8.1/10
IMDB Score –5.6 /10
 
Trust the Dice: Cat’s Rating – 4/5
 
Movie Trailer: