"We're not critics. We're professional fan-girls." --- This blog is dedicated to movies and the entertainment industry. We use random selection to bring into light the best and worst of streaming films and entertainment news.
20 – Under Paris
(6/5) Director: Xavier
Gens Writer: Sebastien
Auscher, Yannick Dahan, Xavier Gens, Maud Heywang, Yaël Langmann, Olivier
Torres Actors: Bérénice
Bejo, Nassim Lyes, Anaïs Parello, Iñaki Lartigue, Léa Léviant Genre: Action,
Drama, Horror Rated: Unrated Length: 1h 41min IMDb Blurb: Sophia, a brilliant scientist comes to know that a
large shark is swimming deep in the river. I simply cannot get enough sharksploitation. I tend to even enjoy
the bad ones, and this one seems more in the mid-range. Never-the-less, I’m the
target audience. 19 – Daddio
(6/28) Director: Christy
Hall Writer: Christy
Hall Actors: Dakota
Johnson, Sean Penn, Marcos A. Gonzalez, Shannon Gannon Genre: Drama Rated: R Length: 1h 41min IMDb Blurb: A woman taking a cab ride from JFK engages in a conversation
with the taxi driver about the important relationships in their lives. Movies starring mainly two people are a rough sell. Those
two actors need to be enough to hold the attention of the audience. There are
some successful flicks, but a lot of them do wind up falling flat. When it
comes to Dakota Johnson and Sean Penn (Asphalt City, Flag Day, The Gunman),
I blow hot and cold with both. I need to see which way the wind goes before I
commit to anything higher than 19 for Daddio. 18 – The Present
(6/13) Director: Christian
Ditter Writer: Jay
Martel Actors: Shawn
Balentine, Jaden Betts, Bryan Billy Boone, Iman Crosson, Michael Daruler, David
Eisen, Isla Fisher, Ryan Guzman, Symera Jackson, Mason Shea Joyce, Greg
Kinnear, Madeline Logan, Sarah Jane MacKay Genre: Comedy Rated: Unrated Length: 1h 26min IMDb Blurb: A brilliant boy discovers that he can manipulate
time using a family heirloom. He soon teams up with his siblings in returning
to the time of their parents' separation, with hopes of changing the outcome. I might have had The Present up higher on my list if
it was last year. It looks quirky and fun, full of fantasy. Seeing the same
thing from the perspective of kids with parents going through a separation is a
bit too close to home for me now, but that doesn’t change how good the film
looks. 17 – Ghostlight
(6/14)
Director: Kelly
O'Sullivan, Alex Thompson Writer: Kelly
O’Sullivan Actors: Keith
Kupferer, Katherine Mallen Kupferer, Tara Mallen, Dolly De Leon, Hanna Dworkin,
Dexter Zollicoffer, H.B. Ward, Tommy Rivera-Vega, Alma Washington Genre: Comedy,
Drama Rated: R Length: 1h 50min IMDb Blurb: When a construction worker unexpectedly joins a
local theater's production of Romeo and Juliet, the drama onstage starts to
mirror his own life. It’s important in a coming-of-age flick to get the parents
just as right as the kids or it feels like there’s something missing. It looks
like Ghostlight does just that; giving the parents some things to work
out alongside the kids. That opens it up to being relatable to people of all
ages. 16 – Tuesday
(6/14) Director: Daina
Oniunas-Pusic Writer: Daina
Oniunas-Pusic Actors: Arinzé
Kene, Lola Petticrew, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Leah Harvey, Ellie James, Taru
Devani, Jay Simpson Genre: Fantasy Rated: R Length: 1h 51min IMDb Blurb: A mother and her teenage daughter must confront
Death when it arrives in the form of an astonishing talking bird. This trailer took a hard left turn. What I thought was just
going to be a heartbreaking drama suddenly became a fantasy, and it caught my
attention. A decent cast with a unique concept, I think Tuesday is going
to be a fantastic watch – even if we do need a ton of tissues. 15 – Am I Ok?
(6/6) Director: Stephanie
Allynne, Tig Notaro Writer: Lauren
Pomerantz Actors: Dakota
Johnson, Sonoya Mizuno, Jermaine Fowler, Kiersey Clemons, Molly Gordon, Whitmer
Thomas, Sean Hayes, Tig Notaro, Odessa A’zion Genre: Comedy,
Drama, Romance Rated: R Length: 1h 26min IMDb Blurb: Lucy and Jane have been best friends their entire
lives. Only when Lucy embarks on a personal journey, will she face a test of
her friendship, and her sense of self, on a path she may not be entirely ready
to take. Dakota Johnson (Fifty Shades of Grey, The Social Network,
Madame Web) is getting a ton of work lately. Am I Ok? Would look more
cringey without the way she plays the lead role in the trailer. Instead, it
winds up feeling more endearing. There’s always the possibility that the
trailer shows all her best moments, but I think that won’t happen here. Am I
Ok? Is exactly the kind of movie Johnson could elevate. 14 – The Watchers
(6/7) Director: Ishana
Shyamalan Writer: Ishana
Shyamalan, A.M. Shine Actors: Dakota
Fanning, Georgina Campbell, Olwen Fouéré, Siobhan Hewlett, Shane O’Regan,
Hannah Howland, Oliver Finnegan Genre: Fantasy,
Horror, Mystery Rated: PG-13 Length: 1h 42min IMDb Blurb: A young artist gets stranded in an extensive,
immaculate forest in western Ireland, where, after finding shelter, she becomes
trapped alongside three strangers, stalked by mysterious creatures each night. The trailer for The Watchers is interesting. It’d be
higher up on my list, except M. Night Shyamalan’s (Old, Split, The Last
Airbender) name doesn’t carry the weight it once did. That’s unfortunate,
because I don’t know the first thing about his daughter, Ishana Shyamalan (Servant). I’m interested in what she can do with this concept though. 13 – Horizon: An
American Saga Chapter 1 (6/28) Director: Kevin
Costner Writer: Jon
Baird, Kevin Costner Actors: Kevin Costner,
Abbey Lee, Sienna Miller, Jena Malone, Dale Dickey, Isabelle Fuhrman, Will
Patton, Tom Payne, Jamie Campbell Bower, Sam Worthington, Michael Rooker,
Thomas Haden Church, Giovanni Ribisi, Luke Wilson, Danny Huston Genre: Drama,
Western Rated: R Length: 3h 1min IMDb Blurb: Chronicles a multi-faceted, 15-year span of pre-and
post-Civil War expansion and settlement of the American west. I know. A western film on my top 20 is damn near unheard of.
I’m notorious for absolutely despising western films. They all feel roughly the
same to me – unless they have another genre woven in, like with Serenity
(2005). In fact, the only single genre western I’ve ever enjoyed is 3:10 to
Yuma (1957). Even then, there were parts that made me roll my eyes. In the case of Horizon: An American Saga Chapter 1, I
can’t deny the efficacy of the trailer. It would still take a lot for me to
actively sit down and watch it… but just having the desire to is strange for
me. Deserves to be noted. 12 – Trigger
Warning (6/21) Director: Mouly
Surya Writer: John
Brancato, Josh Olson, Halley Wegryn Gross Actors: Jessica
Alba, Mark Webber, Anthony Michael Hall, Alejandro De Hoyos, Tone Bell, Jake
Weary Genre: Action,
Thriller Rated: Unrated Length: 1h 46min IMDb Blurb: A skilled Special Forces commando (Jessica Alba)
takes ownership of her father's bar after he suddenly dies, and soon finds
herself at odds with a violent gang running rampant in her hometown. I’m a fan of Jessica Alba (Idle Hands, Honey, Sin City)
from way back in her Dark Angel (2000-2002) days. I’m always happy to
see a new flick with her in it. In this case, the trailer looks decent. A solid
action. I’m just hoping they didn’t show all the exciting parts in the coming
attractions. 11 – Bad Boys:
Ride or Die (6/7) Director: Adil El
Arbi, Bilall Fallah Writer: Chris
Bremner, Will Beall, George Gallo Actors: Will
Smith, Martin Lawrence, Vanessa Hudgens, Alexander Ludwig, Paola Núñez, Eric
Dane, Ioan Gruffudd, Jacob Scipio, Melanie Liburd, Tasha Smith, Tiffany
Haddish, Joe Pantoliano Genre: Action,
Adventure, Comedy Rated: R Length: 1h 50min IMDb Blurb: When their former captain is implicated in corruption,
two Miami police officers have to work to clear his name. Bad Boys is a series I’m always going to be
interested in. Even though Will Smith (The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Men in
Black, King Richard) is slapping comedians and Martin Lawrence (Martin,
The Soul Man, Death at a Funeral) is definitely too old for this shit. It’s
just an iconic series that I couldn’t not want to watch the next one of. I hope it’s worth it.
10 – The
Bikeriders (6/21) Director: Jeff
Nichols Writer: Jeff
Nichols Actors: Jodie
Comer, Austin Butler, Tom Hardy, Michael Shannon, Mike Faist, Boyd Holbrook,
Norman Reedus, Damon Herriman, Beau Knapp Genre: Crime,
Drama Rated: R Length: 1h 56min IMDb Blurb: After a chance encounter, headstrong Kathy is drawn
to Benny, member of Midwestern motorcycle club the Vandals. As the club
transforms into a dangerous underworld of violence, Benny must choose between
Kathy and his loyalty to the club. I got a very Sons of Anarchy (2008-2014) vibe from
the trailer for The Bikeriders. The blurb even reminds me of a story arc
from the show. I’m all for seeing a flick that brings me back to that feeling. There’s a fantastic cast involved, and it’s written/directed
by Jeff Nichols (Take Shelter, Loving, Mud) – a man that has not made a
dud film yet. I have absolute faith that The Bikeriders is going to be
incredible. 9 – Trim Season
(6/7) Director: Ariel
Vida Writer: David
Blair, Sean E. DeMott, Cullen Poythress, Megan Sutherland, Ariel Vida Actors: Bethlehem
Million, Alexandra Essoe, Ally Ioannides, Bex Taylor-Klaus, Juliette Kenn De
Balinthazy, Jane Badler, Ryan Donowho, Cory Hart Genre: Horror,
Thriller Rated: Unrated Length: 1h 40min IMDb Blurb: A group of young people go to a remote marijuana
farm where they hope to make quick cash. But, they discover the location's dark
secrets and now must try to escape the mountain on which they are trapped. I am not the wake and bake type. I usually wind up ignoring
most media that revolves around marijuana. I have nothing against it, or people
who use it, but I know I’m going to miss a lot of the references and some of
the humor will be lost on me. At least, I assume it will be. I was ready to
write Trim Season off as ‘not for me’ because of that. The trailer made that impossible. If you ask me, most movies could take a cue from Trim
Season’s trailer. It left me with a bunch of questions that I want answers
to. That’s what a trailer is meant to do, and what a lot simply don’t. As a
result, I’m super interested in seeing something that I would have written off
immediately if it had weaker coming attractions. 8 – Kinds of
Kindness (6/21) Director: Yorgos
Lanthimos Writer: Efthimis
Filippou, Yorgos Lanthimos Actors: Emma
Stone, Jesse Plemons, Willem Dafoe, Margaret Qualley, Hong Chau, Joe Alwyn,
Mamoudou Athie, Hunter Schafer Genre: Comedy,
Drama Rated: R Length: 2h 44min IMDb Blurb: A man seeks to break free from his predetermined
path, a cop questions his wife's demeanor after her return from a supposed
drowning, and a woman searches for an extraordinary individual prophesied to
become a renowned spiritual guide. I love anthologies. Give me some nicely framed short stories
all put together by a genius director – which Yorgos Lanthimos (Poor Things,
The Lobster, The Killing of a Sacred Deer) is – and I’m a happy girl. In
this case, there’s also an insane cast. Emma Stone (La La Land, Poor Things,
Cruella), Jesse Plemons (The Power of the Dog, The Irishman, Civil War),
Willen Dafoe (Spider-Man, The Lighthouse, The Florida Project), Margaret
Qualley (Kenzo World, Novitiate, Poor Things), Mamoudou Athie (The
Get Down, The Boy and the Heron, Black Box), Hong Chau (The Whale, The
Menu, Asteroid City), and Joe Alwyn (The Favourite, Harriet, Mary Queen
of Scots) are all fantastic additions to a flick like this. The best part of an anthology? If you don’t like one story,
the next one could always be better. 7 – Hit Man (6/7) Director: Richard
Linklater Writer: Richard
Linklater, Glen Powell, Skip Hollandsworth Actors: Adria
Arjona, Glen Powell, Retta, Austin Amelio, Molly Bernard, Mike Markoff, Bath
Bartley Genre: Action,
Comedy, Crime Rated: R Length: 1h 55min IMDb Blurb: A professor moonlighting as a hit man of sorts for
his city police department, descends into dangerous, dubious territory when he
finds himself attracted to a woman who enlists his services. When Richard Linklater (Boyhood, Before Midnight, Bernie)
comes out with a new movie, you must take notice. Most of his stuff is
relatable and humorous. He very rarely goes to a place of cringe or something
over-the-top. It’s almost a given that anything he puts out will be a fun
watch. Hit Man in general has a cute concept, and even the
trailer made me laugh. It’s going to be a good one. 6 – The Exorcism
(6/21) Director: Joshua
John Miller Writer: M.A.
Fortin, Joshua John Miller Actors: Russell
Crowe, Ryan Simpkins, Sam Worthington, Chloe Bailey, Adam Goldberg, Adrian
Pasdar, David Hyde Pierce Genre: Horror,
Thriller Rated: R Length: 1h 33min IMDb Blurb: A troubled actor begins to exhibit a disruptive
behavior while shooting a horror film. His estranged daughter wonders if he's
slipping back into his past addictions or if there's something more sinister at
play. Just about every cinema fan knows the behind-the-scenes
stories that follow certain kinds of horror flicks. Like the trailer suggests,
movies like The Exorcist (1973) and The Omen (1976) have a ton of
horrific stories of things that have happened on set. Trust the Dice has seen plenty of movies that play with the
idea, my favorite probably being The Cleansing Hour (2019). That film
goes into what happens when a fake exorcism becomes real. I thought, even
watching that flick, that a movie depicting those kinds of behind-the-scenes
stories would be fantastic. I’m pretty sure Cat and I had a whole conversation
about it. Probably on stream. And here it is. I am hoping we’ll get to see The Exorcism this month
when it comes out, because I’m absolutely loving the trailer. 5 – Thelma (6/21) Director: Josh
Margolin Writer: Josh
Margolin Actors: June
Squibb, Fred Hechinger, Parker Posey, Clark Gregg, Chase Kim, Richard Roundtree Genre: Action,
Comedy Rated: PG-13 Length: 1h 37min IMDb Blurb: When 93-year-old Thelma Post gets duped by a phone
scammer pretending to be her grandson, she sets out on a treacherous quest
across the city to reclaim what was taken from her. June Squibb (Nebraska, About Schmidt, Godmothered) is
a national treasure. I’ve said it before and I’m positive I’ll be saying it
again. Seeing her in this outstandingly adorable trailer was so much fun that
it’s impossible to not look forward to the movie. It’s going to be hilarious. 4 – Ultraman:
Rising (6/14) Director: Shannon
Tindle, John Aoshima Writer: Shannon
Tindle, Marc Haimes Actors: Christopher
Sean, Rob Fukuzaki, Hiro Nakamura, Gedde Watanabe, Tamlyn Tomita, Keone Young Genre: Animation,
Action, Adventure Rated: PG Length: 1h 57min IMDb Blurb: Ken Sato, a superstar baseball player who returns
to Japan to become the latest hero to carry the mantle of Ultraman. However, he
is compelled to raise a newborn kaiju monster, the offspring of his greatest
enemy as his own child. Ultraman, as a hero concept, lends himself phenomenally to
the animation medium. In this specific case, I can’t get passed just how clean
the art looks. I’m a huge fan of the art style chosen. I would watch just about
any animation film in this style. Ultraman: Rising has the added benefit of looking
cute. I can see my daughter actually agreeing to watch it with me, making it
fun for the whole family. 3 – Latency
(6/14) Director: James
Croke Writer: James
Croke Actors: Sasha
Luss, Alexis Ren Genre: Action,
Horror, Thriller Rated: PG-13 Length: Unknown IMDb Blurb: When Hana, a professional gamer who suffers from
acute agoraphobia, receives new equipment that enhances her game, she begins to
wonder if it is reading her mind - or controlling it. I was immediately intrigued by the plot of Latency. I’ll admit that the whole ‘stuck in a video game’ idea isn’t
exactly unique. We’ve seen it done quite a few times since Tron (1982). Latency
seems to take that idea and crossbreed it with that psychological, ‘is anything
really happening’ thriller tension that I love. Latency isn’t usually the kind of film that finds
itself this high up on one of my Top 20s. What intrigues me most about it is
the inclusion of writer/director James Croke (Shift, The Mirage, Australian
Summer). Although this is Croke’s full-length feature debut, he’s
shown some serious success as a production designer for shorts. Not one of
which has below a 7.0 on IMDb. That’s insane. I’m dying to see what he can do
with something like Latency. 2 – A Quiet
Place: Day One (6/28) Director: Michael
Sarnoski Writer: Michael
Sarnoski, John Krasinski, Bryan Woods, Scott Beck Actors: Joseph
Quinn, Djimon Hounsou, Alex Wolff, Lupita Nyong’o, Thea Butler Genre: Drama,
Horror, Sci-Fi Rated: PG-13 Length: 1h 40min IMDb Blurb: A woman named Sam must survive an invasion in New
York City by bloodthirsty alien creatures with ultrasonic sound hearing. The Quiet Place movies are super tense. I love the
way the story unfolds and the characterizations. Obviously, A Quiet Place:
Day One is going to be slightly different, but I imagine it’s going to have
the basic general feel. It’s missing key actors like Emily Blunt (Edge of
Tomorrow, The Devil Wears Prada, The Adjustment Bureau) and Millicent
Simmonds (Wonderstuck, Bumblebees, Andy Mack), but gives us absolute
powerhouses in the form of Lupita Nyong’o (12 Years a Slave, Us, Little
Monsters) and Djimon Hounsou (Gran Turismo, The King’s Man, How to Train
Your Dragon 2). It’s a fair trade off. Not only that but seeing how the actual invasion started is
going to be interesting. 1 – Inside Out 2
(6/14) Director: Kelsey
Mann Writer: Dave
Holstein, Meg LeFauve Actors: Amy
Poehler, Phyllis Smith, Lewis Black, Tony Hale, Liza Lapira, Maya Hawke, Ayo Edebiri,
Paul Walter Hauser, Kensington Tallman, Diane Lane, Kyle MacLachlan, Yvette
Nicole Brown, Bobby Moynihan, Paula Poundstone, John Ratzenberger, Flea, June
Squibb Genre: Animation,
Adventure, Comedy Rated: PG Length: 1h 40min IMDb Blurb: Follow Riley, in her teenage years, encountering
new emotions. Showing sarcasm as a literal chasm is my favorite thing
ever. I found it so much funnier than I probably should have. I had to step
away from YouTube and calm myself down. It was just such a perfect dad joke. The original Inside Out (2015) had some icon moments.
None more-so than that one Bing-bong moment that became an audio file on TikTok.
People who’ve never seen the film can still quote it. With that kind of staying
power, it’s impossible to not look forward to the sequel.
Writers: Pete Barnstrom, Alejandro
Mendez, Lino K. Villa
Actors: Efren Ramirez, Greg
Grunberg, Sonya Eddy, Lombardo Boyar, Mark Steger, Alejandro Brugués, Vince
Lozano, Ace Underhill, Demián Salomón, Luis Machin, Victoria Maurette, Carlos
Segane, Hemky Madera, Patricia Velasquez, Ari Gallegos, Gabriela Ruíz, Jesus
Meza, Pedro Joaquín, Marcio Moreno, Carlos L. Vazquez, Jonah Ray, Danielle
Chaves, Christian Rodrigo, Jacob Vargas, Morgana Ignis, Mike Mendez, Daniela
Medeiros
IMDb Blurb: When police break into a
house in El Paso, they find it filled with dead Latinos and a lone survivor.
Known as "El Viajero," he is taken to the police station for
questioning.
Selina’s Point of View:
I love a good horror anthology. I tend to enjoy even the bad horror anthologies. As long as there’s a creative theme and a decent framing device, I’m usually all for it. I may not have adored theABCs of Death(2012-2016) flicks, but even they had their stand-out stories.
Anthologies are simple. Short stories fused together by one over-arcing idea. In theABCs of Deathit’s about the alphabet. In theV/H/S(2012 -) films, it’s all found footage – with an added theme for each flick.The Mortuary Collection(2019) is tied together by a framing device that sees the owner of a mortuary telling tales about the bodies he’s worked on.Masters of Horror(2005-2007) is tied together by the iconic level of each story’s creator. There are also plenty of horror anthologies based around holidays like Halloween, Christmas, and even April Fools Day.
The one thing tying together an anthology can be just about anything: behind the scenes, or woven into the stories.
The only thing I always need to see in an anthology is tonal consistency. If it’s a group of serious stories, that’s fine. If it’s all horror/comedy, that’s also fine. Even mixing and matching those two a little can work. What makes me twitch is when you take some serious stories and mix them with flat-out parody. My brain cannot make that switch so easily and I wind up hating it.
That’s what happened here.
The framing device inSatanic Hispanicsis fine. It’s a little bit over-done, but it works. It’s just a guy telling stories to the cops. Simple. The first actual story winds up being on the serious side. It’s a bit of a slow burn, but the pay off in the end makes it worth it. Since it is just a short story, waiting for that twist doesn’t feel like too much of a chore.
Then it gets into the second story.
When I tell you how I rubbed my temples for several minutes straight, I’m not being dramatic. Friends watched me do it and made fun of me from the other room.
I don’t have the capacity to go from a super serious, slow-burn, twisty story to a full-on parody in the same film. It’s just my preference, but I hate it.
I need to be in the right frame of mind for a parody. If you’ve ever seen my reviews of flicks in the genre, then you know I don’t think they should even be compared to actual cinematic films. It’s like judging a frog for how well they fly. It simply doesn’t work. It’s why I even differentiate between parody and caricature.
It’s not about mixing the comedic with the terrifying. Later in the film there’s a horror/comedy story that works well. I love that. But when it’s a full parody? It’s like cramming togetherThe Hunger Games(2012) andThe Starving Games(2013) and saying it should work. It doesn’t.
That one parody section ofSatanic Hispanicstook me right out of it, and I never connected again. It’s not for me.
Cat’s Point of View:
Satanic Hispanics is a horror anthology that has quite
a lot to unpack. This conglomerate of 5 short horror films written and directed
by Hispanic creators and largely starring Hispanic actors was not exactly what
I was expecting – but in a good way.
My last review was for another horror anthology, V/H/S/85 (2023).
Watching these back-to-back, for the most part, gave me the opportunity for
some additional comparison and contrast – considering the former was fresh on
my mind.
I found that I enjoyed the overall package of Satanic
Hispanics more than I did the latest V/H/S (2012) installment. The
story that introduced the different horror short-films was more cohesive and
enjoyable than the odd retro sci-fi experience of ’85, and I was really
invested in that experience the way I became engrossed in this story and wanted
to stick around for its conclusion.
First, let’s address the elephant in the room. The title of Satanic
Hispanics might be a little misleading to some, and might have set
different expectations for this anthology than what actually appears on the
screen. I can see how that might be contributing to some of the lower viewer
scores. This is one of the rare cases that I lean more towards the critic
scores. I didn’t get bogged down in the title, and just set out to experience a
horror anthology with a cultural twist.
There isn’t anything satanic about Satanic Hispanics.
Not a spoiler, really. I just want to make sure that expectations are managed
correctly. I’m just guessing here, but the filmmakers were likely just enjoying
that rhyming scheme paired with the horror anthology. If I understood an
interview I read correctly, it seemed to have begun as the working title of the
project and just stuck.
The over-arcing tale was a short, in itself, titled "The
Traveler" from Mike Mendez (Big Ass Spider!, Tales of Halloween:
Friday the 31st, Don't Kill It). With the repertoire of great movies under
Mendez’s belt, I wasn’t surprised at all once I connected the dots to him. He has
this great knack for balancing whimsy with more serious horror elements. I absolutely
adored the evolution of the costume design once ‘The Odd Man’ appeared, and it
did give me some shivers. Efren Ramirez (Napoleon Dynamite, Trafficked,
Lightyear) was also a great fit for the titular character.
In addition to all of that, Greg Grunberg (Big Ass
Spider!, Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens, A Star is Born) was
also featured in that story as a police detective along with Sonya Eddy (Good
on Paper, V/H/S/99, General Hospital). Grunberg is one of those ‘Hey, it’s
that guy!’ character actors, who I adore, and you find in shows that make
lasting marks on the pop culture landscape – especially for Sci-fi fans. He’s
great with comedy and serious roles alike. Some of the highlights in his portfolio
are Felicity (1998-2002), Alias (2001-2006), Lost
(2004-2010), Heroes (2006-2010), and Star Trek Beyond (2016); and
then he also has whimsical stuff like Max Reload and the Nether Blasters
(2020). There aren’t that many that can boast that they’re a part of both the Star
Wars and Star Trek franchises. I digress…
Director Eduardo Sánchez (The Blair Witch Project,
Supernatural, Queen of the South) also has to his credit many productions which
I have enjoyed in the past. His segment within Satanic Hispanics of “El
Vampiro” was no different. This playful, yet still somewhat serious, take
on a classic vampire story was brilliant and hilarious.
Demián Rugna (You Don't Know Who You're Talking To,
Terrified, When Evil Lurks) was at the helm of the segment “Tambien Lo
Vi.” While I’m not as familiar with their work, I did have an appreciation
for this short film within Satanic Hispanics. This particular segment
was more of a dramatic horror element and leaned less into comedy than the
previous that I’ve mentioned. It had me thinking, and not hating the fact that
it did. When I read an interview with the directors for Satanic Hispanics,
I connected some dots that hadn’t quite made it during my watch-through, and I’m
even more impressed with this story. (Caution, while I’ve linked the interview
I referred to here,
beware of some mild spoilers if you haven’t
already watched the film yet.)
While Alejandro Brugués (Juan of the Dead, ABCs of Death
2: E is for Equilibrium, 50 States of Fright) may have been one of the
masterminds for this project, and I love that, his particular short "The
Hammer of Zanzibar" was an odd addition to this mix. I suppose we find
within every anthology that one segment that just comes at us out of left field
and has us scratching our heads. At least, that’s what usually happens for me…
outside of things like The ABCs of Death (2012)… so many of those
letter-themed shorts were just out there. I guess it doesn’t surprise me he
participated in the first sequel.
In any case, most of the short’s story was
fine – great, even. Then it hit a particular point and just went off the rails.
It was funny and a bit cringe, and enjoyable all the same. It left me with a ‘well
damn’ feeling as it ended on a truly horrific note. There was just quite the
odd rollercoaster to get there. As an additional note, I really got a kick out
of Jacob Vargas’ (Sons of Anarchy, Beyond Skyline, Mr. Iglesias)
character, and laughed in spite of the cringe involved.
Let’s talk about the “Nahaules” segment. I’d say this
was the one that I resonated with the least out of the entire lot. I do have a
lot of respect for it, however. Gigi Saul Guerrero (The Source of Shadows,
Bingo Hell, V/H/S/85: God of Death) has a gift for both leaning hard into
her heritage as well as the grimy elements of horror. I think she hit the nail
on the head in the DailyDead interview I mentioned before, when she said that
she enjoys giving viewers a visceral reaction to things such as really gross
teeth because she wants to “[make] sure audiences can not just feel what’s on
the frame, but they can smell and taste it.” It was a story steeped in cultural
mysticism; and while interesting, just wasn’t my cup of tea.
On the whole, Satanic Hispanics was a wild and
enjoyable ride through the minds of some great Hispanic directors. Fans of
horror anthologies generally wouldn’t be disappointed.
Directors: David Bruckner, Scott
Derrickson, Natasha Kermani, Mike P. Nelson, Gigi Saul Guerrero
Writers: C. Robert Cargill, Zoe Cooper,
Scott Derrickson, Evan Dickson, Mike P. Nelson, Gigi Saul Guerrero
Actors: Freddy Rodríguez, Kelli
Garner, James Ransone, Jordan Belfi, Gigi Saul Guerrero, Dani Deetté, Mark
Sipka, Andrew Ghai, Anna Sundberg, Shelby Steel, Chelsey Grant, Tyler Noble,
Gabriela Roel, Chivonne Michelle, Justen Jones, Florencia Ríos, Dashiell Derrickson,
Toussaint Morrison, Marcio Moreno, Alex Galick, Ari Gallegos, Eric Pierson,
Gerardo Oñate, Forrest Hartl, Dana DeRuyck, Evie Bair, Duffy McManus, Felipe de
Lara, Tom Reed, Brent Picha, Renee Werbowski, José María Higareda, Bryan
McDonald, Christopher Gasser, Murray Nelson, Anna Hashizume, Nicholas Krekeler
IMDb Blurb: Unveiled through a
made-for-TV documentary, five tales of found footage horror emerge to take
viewers on a terrifying journey into the grim underbelly of the 1980s.
Cat’s Point of View:
While I haven’t always jived with every segment featured in
the anthology franchise, the V/H/S (2012) movies have been a fun
experience, over all. It’s like unpacking a “blind box” of film shorts.
Sometimes there are things in the box that you don’t necessarily care for, but
the rest is an enjoyable surprise. V/H/S/85 was the latest installment
in this cinematic series, and I was enthusiastic to open up this mystery
bundle.
I have mentioned before (and probably will again) that I
absolutely love to watch productions set in the 1980s. I’m an 80s baby and so
the decade is full of warm fuzzy nostalgia. Of course, we’re talking about a
horror anthology here with V/H/S/85 so there really isn’t anything ‘warm
and fuzzy’ about it. The little details that placed it within the 80s, however,
not only helped me immerse myself within the collected found footage features,
but it also gave me a little comfort touchstone – like wrapping up in a blanket
while watching the scary movie.
Speaking of scary, I can’t say that I was chilled to the
bone by any of these stories, but they were all interesting and well executed
for the most part.
Gigi Saul Guerrero’s (Mistress of Bones, Bingo Hell,
Satanic Hispanics) "God of Death" segment felt right at home as
footage from a TV studio in the 80s and it captured the essence of the real
event it was loosely framed around… with a twist. Scott Derrickson’s (Sinister,
Doctor Strange, The Black Phone) "Dreamkill" segment was one of
my favorites. Not only did this short distill the essence of the 80s well, it
was also disturbing beyond the blood and gore. Natasha Kermani (The
Samaritan, Imitation Girl, Lucky) "TKNOGD" segment gave all the
right early computer graphics feels while incorporating a horror element into
performance art. Mike P. Nelson’s (The Domestics, Studio Luma, Wrong Turn)
"No Wake" & "Ambrosia" segments probably were the
‘winners’ for me. These 2 segments resonated in a different way than the others
and held more subtle horror in addition to the overt elements involved.
I don’t know that the over-arching story the individual
short films were sprinkled throughout connected as well to the segments as in
some prior V/H/S offerings. I understood what David Bruckner’s (Southbound,
The Night House, Hellraiser) "Total Copy" segment was going for,
but couldn’t help have a bit of a disconnect with it. It was perhaps a
combination of my own internal question of ‘but why, though?’ in regards to
each of these ‘discovered’ home-videos watched within that narrative and some
of the visual choices that just didn’t resonate with me. It wasn’t “bad,” per
se… it just wasn’t as effective over-all for me.
That being said, V/H/S/85 was still absolutely worth
the watch. This was, in fact, my second time watching this anthology as I’d
tuned in as soon as it had released on Shudder last year. If you like horror
anthologies, this franchise still remains a decided go-to.
