Benny Loves You (2019)

 

 

Movie Name/Year: Benny Loves You (2019)

Genre: Comedy, Horror, Thriller

Length:  1h 34min

Rating: TV-MA

Director: Karl Holt

Writers: Karl Holt

Actors: Anthony Styles, Bella Munday, Claire Cartwright, Darren Benedict, David Wayman, George Collie, James Parsons, Jennifer Healy, Karl Holt, Lydia Hourihan

 

IMDb Blurb: Jack, a man desperate to improve his life throws away his beloved childhood plush, Benny. It's a move that has disastrous consequences when Benny springs to life with deadly intentions.

 

 

Cat’s Point of View:

I ran across Benny Loves You one day while searching for something to watch with my daughter and their significant other, and immediately knew this movie would either be awesomely bad or horribly bad. There wasn’t going to be any in-between there. Watching the trailer pretty much sealed the deal that we needed to watch this fresh take on what appeared to be murderous muppets immediately. I was crossing my fingers that it would fall squarely into the “so-bad-its-good” category.

I am happy to advise that I haven’t laughed so hard in quite a while. It was worth every moment of face-palming and eye-rolling that came with the experience as a package deal (and there weren’t too many, really). 

 

Benny Loves You is another wonderful example of a film experience where the creator knew exactly how bonkers their concept and even execution of the story was going to be - and leaned into it with gusto. 

 

Seriously, consider a movie about that beloved little squeaky-voiced Elmo doll going on a jealousy-fueled murder-spree. Of course, this production had absolutely nothing to do with the educational and wholesome Sesame Street (1969-) character or really even any true muppets. The visual was still strikingly similar enough that it only added to the “that’s so wrong, it’s hilarious” aspect of the movie. 

We all have had that one toy we were given when we were very little that will always hold a special place in our hearts. Some of us are better about letting such go as we get older. I never really got rid of any of mine, but I did pass them along to my daughter when she was little. For some of us, our favorite stuffie could very well still be capable of chasing the nightmares away. There’s nothing inherently wrong with that, as long as the rest of a person’s life is generally productive and at the very least self-sufficient. 

 

This story explored the notion of those very toys taking umbrage at being cast aside in favor of “growing up” and proving themselves just as magical as we always imagined them to be - but their new version of playtime includes chaotic murderous mayhem. 

Clearly, Benny Loves You was made with a shoestring indie budget, but I honestly didn’t care. Production made great use of everything at their disposal, and I think that ultimately it worked in their favor. I don’t think this story would have landed the same way with shiny CGI movement effects and the like. It was really a stroke of brilliance to have the toy’s movement mimic what it would look like if a child was actually playing with it. The imagery leaned into the campy fun without becoming too cheesy in the process. 

 

Writer and director Karl Holt (Eddie Loves You, Negative Image, The Pandemic Anthology) clearly made this as a passion project. Not only did it expand from his first credited film short from 2006, he put in quite a bit of time wearing all the important hats. Filming for Benny Loves You wrapped in 2015, but it didn’t release until 2019 because Holt was editing, scoring, and adding the VFX himself. I’m eager to see what Holt does next, and I’m hoping that he continues to bring us the much-needed laughter.

Benny Loves You is quite silly, but gloriously so; and I wouldn’t mind watching it again and again as I ensnare as many friends as possible into watching it with me so I can spread the hilarity.

 

Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score – 81%

Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score – 54%

Metascore – None

Metacritic User Score – 6.0/10

IMDB Score – 5.6/10

 

Trust the Dice: Cat’s Rating – 4.5/5

P.S. - There is a post-credits scene that ties up a loose end from the movie. 

 

Movie Trailer:

Shortcut (2020)

Streaming Services: Hulu
Movie Name/Year: Shortcut (2020)
Genre: Adventure, Fantasy, Horror
Length: 80 minutes
Rating: R 
Production/Distribution: Play Entertainment, Camaleo, Sternenberg Films, Mad Rocket Entertainment, Regione Lazio, Darkland Distribution, Gravitas Ventures, Minerva Pictures, WOWOW Cinema
Director: Alessio Liguori
Writer: Daniele Cosci
Actors: Jack Kane, Zander Emlano, Zak Sutcliffe, Sophie Jane Oliver, Molly Dew, David Keyes, Terence Anderson
 
Blurb from IMDb: A mysterious creature terrorizes five teenage friends after their bus takes a shortcut on a desolate road in the wild.
 

Selina’s Point of View:
Although I enjoyed the score of Shortcut, that’s the only nice thing I really have to say.
 
Shortcut is The Breakfast Club (1985) vs. evil.
 
This is a familiar trope. Projects like this go for a PG-13 rating, with very identifiable stereotypes (nerd, goofball, rebel, jock, virgin), low gore, and decent – but toned down – visuals. Many of the flicks that follow this recipe can be great. They wind up making for decent beginner horror films for teens just becoming old enough to enjoy the genre.
 
The thing is, Shortcut forgets its audience.
 
It’s rated R, first of all, which keeps the people who might enjoy it from actually being allowed to see it. It has a decent antagonist twist, early on, but then also tries to inject various tropes from other sub-genres without backing up the scenes.
 

For example, a character has a premonition at one point. I don’t consider this a spoiler, because it is never brought up again. Even he doesn’t mention it. It just happens, and then life moves on like it didn’t. Why bother wasting the time?
 
There are quite a few scenes, along those lines, that don’t matter. There’s some forced emotional bonding, some unnecessary backstory about a guy that’s not part of the plot, and some sequel baiting at the end that winds up keeping the conclusion from delivering the message it seemed to have.
 
I like monster movies. I wanted to like Shortcut. Unfortunately, I just couldn’t.
 
The creators made a film for an audience that they then barred from watching it. I thought maybe that meant they were new to directing and writing, but they’re not. It was an inexcusable oversight.
 
If you are looking for a starter horror flick for your 14/15-year-old that’s just starting to show interest in horror, this is not the worst start. There’s no sexual content and there’s minimal gore. It’s a soft R at most. If you’re an adult, don’t waste your time – there are better monster films out there.
 

Cat’s Point of View:

I feel like I just watched another movie that was misnamed. The title definitely clashes with what actually happens in Shortcut. If anything, this was a bit of a long meander rather than the brevity that the name suggests. I was surprised when I saw this was only 80 minutes long. It felt like forever.
 
Let me backtrack a little here and explain what I think Shortcut did right (or at least decently), before I begin the laundry list of things that irked me.
 
Monster movies can be great fun – especially when the critter in question is horrifying. There were some moments of real tension and horror as the shadowy figure was teased initially. I’d even go so far as to say there were flashes of the creature that were even terrifying. The rest of the time, I was simply looking at it and pondering what it was really supposed to be. That took a bit of the edge off, unfortunately. I do appreciate the fact that the production achieved the big-bad with practical effects, though. I’m afraid the majority of the tense moments and fear (using the word generously here) I experienced during this movie were at the hands of human characters.

I loved the old bus that served as a good chunk of the setting for the first half of Shortcut. It’s really neat. I’m fairly sure, however, that it can reach speeds significantly higher than shown in this film. I felt like it could have been pushed faster in some scenes. The snail-like pace of the vehicle made everything feel like it dragged on slower. It’s unfortunate, really. Iconic vehicles like that can add so much to a horror film. Take the creeper’s truck in Jeepers Creepers (2001) for example. Every time I see a truck that even remotely resembles that thing, I get chills. Of course, the two films are not in the same category when it comes to the caliber.

Sadly, the more I think about it, I am finding that every aspect I did enjoy with Shortcut had a rather dismal side to it. The story had some real potential but seemed to lose its way. There were elements that were played up to a large degree at the beginning that never saw follow-through. Some of the acting was phenomenal, and yet at other times, there was a bit left to be desired.

I thought it might be possible that the disjointed quirkiness of Shortcut could be chalked up to a difference in vision between the writer and director. When I looked at IMDb, however, I found that this particular writing and directing duo have been working together for the better part of a decade. The chances of the pair failing to envision the story as intended are slim.
 
In short, I had hopes for Shortcut that this movie took the long way around in order to dash.  That being said, considering the film is light on gore and has a teen-centric plot, it wouldn’t be a bad movie to have on in the background for that age group during a sleepover or something of that nature where something “scary” is desired but will largely be ignored anyway. The R rating clearly came from language, rather than the usual more grisly or explicit reasons that are common to the horror genre and yet lacking in this production.
 
Shortcut is not likely to remain very memorable for me, but it wasn’t bad enough for me to actively steer anyone away from it. There are far better monster films out there, though.
 

Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score – 59%
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score – 24%
Metascore – 26/100
Metacritic User Score – None
IMDB Score – 3.9/10
 
Trust the Dice: Selina’s Rating – 2/5
Trust the Dice: Cat’s Rating – 2/5
 
Movie Trailer:

Anna and the Apocalypse (2017)

Streaming Service: Hulu

Movie Name/Year: Anna and the Apocalypse (2017)

Genre: Comedy, Fantasy, Horror

Length: 93 minutes

Rating: R

Production/Distribution: Blazing Griffin, Parkhouse Pictures, Creative Scotland, Black Camel Pictures, Icon Film Distribution, Odeon, Orion Pictures, Pony Canyon, Shaw Organisation, Splendid Film, VVS Films, Vertigo Releasing, Alambique Destilaria de Ideias, Cinedigm, Front Row Filmed Entertainment, Second Sight Films

Director: John McPhail

Writer: Alan McDonald, Ryan McHenry

Actors: Ella Hunt, Malcolm Cumming, Sarah Swire, Christopher Leveaux, Marli Siu, Ben Wiggins, Mark Benton, Paul Kaye, Sean Connor, John Winchester, Euan Bennet, Ella Jarvis, Myfanwy Morgan, John McGeachie, Janet Lawson, Ruth McGhie, Kirsty Strain, Michael Annis

Blurb from IMDb: A zombie apocalypse threatens the sleepy town of Little Haven - at Christmas - forcing Anna and her friends to fight, slash and sing their way to survival, facing the undead in a desperate race to reach their loved ones. But they soon discover that no one is safe in this new world, and with civilization falling apart around them, the only people they can truly rely on are each other.

Selina’s Point of View:

When I heard about this horror musical, I knew that it had the ability to be something amazing. Horror musicals like The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975) and Repo! The Genetic Opera (2008) become legendary among their cult members. It’s such an interesting combination of genres, though, that all of them tend to be weighed against each other regardless of the content.

That means that Anna and the Apocalypse had some really high expectations to meet.

The first thing I noticed was that these kind of apocalypse movies just hit differently now. I’ve said it before and this probably won’t be the last time. It’s surreal. This film opens up on the main character in a car with her friend and father. The radio starts talking about how the flu-like pandemic has been underestimated and is now much more fatal than expected.

That doesn’t sound familiar at all, does it?

Sorry, but I’m just never going to get used to relating to viral and zombie-related apocalypse films. Not going to happen.

However, I found that I was still able to lose myself in this flick without being overburdened by the emotional similarities. The musical aspect remained a welcome escapism.

Do I think it could stand up to the greats in the musical horror genre? Yeah, actually. I do.

Anna and the Apocalypse is what you get when you cross Shaun of the Dead (2004) and High School Musical (2006). Both of which are extremely successful in their respective genres. That feeling carries over.

The music was all toe-tappingly good. I think there was one song that didn’t really work for me, but the rest of it was absolutely perfect. Paired up with that was all the violent gore you expect from a zombie horror. The two aspects balanced each other out perfectly.

I also have to give a nod of recognition to the fact that Anna and the Apocalypse completely subverted almost all my expectations. There were one or two tropes followed – but the rest of it went in a different direction.

The entire thing was just incredibly well done. I’d say that you should give it a shot even if musicals aren’t usually your thing.

Cat’s Point of View:

I remember watching the trailer for this movie as I was preparing my list for the Top 20 Movies Coming Out in November of 2018. This film landed squarely at #10. As I put then, musicals rock my socks. 

When you blend that with a zombie horror movie? I figured it either had to be gold – or a real disaster. Thankfully, this wasn’t a handful of pyrite. It’s the genuine article.

Of course, musicals aren’t everyone’s cup of tea. You do have to approach a film like that (especially live-action) with a grain of salt where your suspension of disbelief is concerned. Once you get past the part where everyone breaks into song randomly, you’re good to go.

This production might be a little easier to take due to the fact that this is also a horror-comedy.

I really enjoyed the musical numbers and how they shifted from ‘fitting in’ with their respective scenes to starkly contrasting with what is going on in the background and then back again. All on purpose.

One of my favorite funny spots happens during one of these contrasting numbers. It had me laughing while saying ‘what the hell?’ Some of the songs got stuck in my head. I have found myself humming one even as I’m writing.

This was an indie project, so I wasn’t surprised that the cast didn’t seem all that familiar to me. Most of the young cast members playing students were fresh faces of up-and-comers.

Some, such as the title character’s Ella Hunt (Intruders, Robot Overlords, Cold Feet), Ben Wiggins (Mary Queen of Scots, Pennyworth, The Witcher) and Paul Kaye (Dracula Untold, The Ghoul, Game of Thrones) might be more recognizable for those in the States – though, it is a bit hard with Kaye’s character, Savage, due to the makeup for his role. I kept wondering why the teacher with the beard was vaguely familiar. I digress…

As expected, there is a bit of blood and gore involved here – it’s a zombie movie, after all. It’s not gratuitous or over-the-top of what would be expected. I’ve seen more graphic zombie kills on The Walking Dead (2010-). It remains a solid R rating nonetheless.

Anna and the Apocalypse was an unexpected breath of fresh air. It both followed the standard genre recipe and danced around it at the same time. I will likely revisit this one when next Christmas season rolls around.

Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score – 77%

Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score – 61%

Metascore – 63/100

Metacritic User Score – 6.0/10

IMDB Score – 6.0/10

CinemaScore – None

Trust the Dice: Selina’s Rating – 4.5/5

Trust the Dice: Cat’s Rating – 4/5

P.S.: There are three different cuts floating out there. We saw the USA cut; but there are two longer versions out there.

Movie Trailer:

How I Live Now (2013)

Number Rolled: 25

Movie Name/Year: How I Live Now (2013)

Tagline: Love will lead you home.

Genre: Drama, Romance, Thriller

Length: 101 minutes

Rating: R

Production Companies: BFI Film Fund, Cowboy Films, Film4, Passion Pictures, Prospect Pictures, Protagonist Pictures, UK Film Council

Producer: John Battsek, Jeremy Brock, Alasdair Flind, Rosa Romero, Tessa Ross, Andrew Ruhemann, Charles Steel, Nicole Stott, Robert Walak, Piers Wenger, Nigel Williams

Director: Kevin Macdonald

Writer: Meg Rosoff, Jeremy Brock, Penelope Skinner, Tony Grisoni, Jack Thorne

Actors: Saoirse Ronan, Tom Holland, George MacKay, Harley Bird, Danny McEvoy, Anna Chancellor, Jonathan Rugman, Corey Johnson, Darren Morfitt, Stella Gonet, Des McAleer, Amy Dawson

Blurb from Netflix: An American teen’s summer romance with an English boy comes to an abrupt end when rumors of World War III become a reality.

Selina’s Point of View:

I could watch this movie several times in a row and not get bored of it.

There were some parts that were one the weird and kind of icky side if you think about them, but even those moments added to the general feel of the film. The mix of drama and romance worked incredibly well with the war thriller aspects.

Make no mistake, this movie was DARK. It starts out light and happy… and it continues that way for a long time. However, when it takes that left turn into darkness, it is a sharp left turn and it never goes back.

The actors were amazing, the story was enthralling, and even the script seemed to be memorable.

I know the Rotten Tomatoes score looks a little low, but that’s because the movie didn’t really follow the book as closely as fans hoped it would. I haven’t read the book, so I can only judge How I Live Now on its merit as a film. I think I’m happy about that in this case.

Novel Cover

From the moment I saw the trailer to this film, I wanted to see it. Not only was I not disappointed, but my expectations were blown completely away.

Awesome.

Cat’s Point of View:

This was one of those films that hadn’t even been a blip on my radar before. I was familiar with Saoirse Ronan (Atonement, City of Ember, Hanna), though. Her movie Brooklyn (2015) is currently burning a hole in my DVR. I have too many hours-worth of programs piling up; much to my husband’s dismay. Maybe after this busy month is over, I’ll watch it – but I digress.

I haven’t seen her in enough films yet, really, to get a good handle on whether or not her involvement earmarks something I can get excited about automatically. Not yet, at least. I mean – there was that body-snatching alien invasion movie that wasn’t all that great, right?

In any case, I enjoyed her performance here. I really felt the emotional gauntlet. The way her character had to dig deep to find her grit resonated as genuine.

Some of the plot here might be a little squidgy for some – but keep in mind this is England we’re talking about. There’s a historical track record there that accounts for that dismissal of taboo. If that didn’t push buttons, then there’s likely a trigger-laden scene that would still be uncomfortable to most – though, I’ll have to give them credit for executing it tastefully. For the license afforded an R-Rated movie these days, they could have gone a lot more explicit in some places. I think the film benefits for that skillful restraint.

I loved how this movie painted the landscape and the English countryside as an idyllic haven removed from what plagues the more heavily populated areas. One sees why it was an ideal scenario during WWII to be sent out of the cities and to places such as the setting for the majority of this film.

George MacKay

The English cousins each shone in their own way. While George MacKay (Defiance, For Those in Peril, Bypass) as Eddie got a lot of focus, and I loved how they presented his character – it was Harley Bird (Peppa Pig, Doctor Who, Playhouse Presents) that stole the show as Piper out of the three. 

I might go so far as to say that I love this movie – though, it was heart-wrenching and dark enough that I will likely pass on watching it again.

Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score – 67%

Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score – 55%

Netflix’s Prediction for Selina – 4.5/5

Selina’s Trust-the-Dice Score – 5/5

Netflix’s Prediction for Cat – 4.5/5

Cat’s Trust-the-Dice Score – 5/5

P.S. Based on a novel with the same name written by Meg Rosoff.

Movie Trailer:

Chalet Girl (2011): Through The Eyes of Cat

 

Number Rolled: N/A

Movie Name/Year: Chalet Girl (2011)

Tagline:  How to marry a billionaire.

Genre: Romantic Comedy, Sports

Length: 96 minutes

Rating: R

Production Companies: UK Film Council, Aegis Film Fund, Prescience, Metropolis International Sales, CrossDay Productions Ltd. (as CrossDay) Kaleidoscope Films, Neue Bioskop Film, Novotny & Novotny Filmproduktion GmbH

Producers: Reno Antoniades, Wolfgang Behr, Paul Brett, Pippa Cross, Anthony Day, Philip Evenkamp, Alexander Glehr, Dietmar Güntsche, Phil Hope, Ralph Kamp, Oliver Lüer, Jo Nolan, Franz Novotny, Alexander O'Neal, Harriet Rees, Daniel Shepherd, Tim Smith, James Swarbrick

Director: Phil Traill

Writer: Tom Williams

Actors: Felicity Jones, Bill Bailey, Rebecca Lacey, Tom Goodman-Hill, Tamsin Egerton, Georgia Kind, Gregor Bloeb, Ed Westwick, Bill Nighy, Brooke Shields, Sophia Bush, Nicolas Braun, Ken Duken, Tara Dakides, Adam Bousdoukos

Blurb from Netflix: Ex-skateboarder Kim Matthews is transplanted to the world of alpine sports, an environment she finds foreign... until she tries snowboarding.

Cat’s Point of View:

I’ve actually wanted to watch this movie for a while now. I stumbled across it a few years ago as I was looking up something in relation to Sophia Bush (John Tucker Must Die, The Hitcher, Chicago P.D.), and was intrigued. When Selina reviewed this one, it was one of the few times I didn’t get a chance to watch a movie at the same time, prior to our official collaboration. 

It was worth the wait. 

Skiing is a really cool sport. (Yes, I did that.) I don’t generally follow it per-se, but it tends to be what spans the gaps between Olympic Figure Skating events – so I watch every once in a while. The thought of being up in the mountains with all that fresh snow is just exhilarating. I live in Louisiana, so actual snow (that sticks) is something that happens only once in a handful of years. I’m one of the silly people that runs outside to giggle and play in the flurries, even if it’s just going to melt the minute the flakes hit the ground.

I have some serious respect for skiers and snowboarders. I tried skiing once, back in high school. I nearly went off the side of the mountain on a green slope and decided that walking the rest of the way down was probably best. (Snowmobiles were less dangerous for me.) 

While on that choir trip, in addition to discovering that sport just wasn’t my thing, I found that using cylindrical pitchers to pack snow on a snowman isn’t something that you should do around small children. Thank goodness there weren’t any around to witness my accidental anatomically correct snowman incident of 1995.

I digress. 

Back to the movie! 

This is another one of those sports movies that, while following a bit of a recipe, end up surpassing expectation. 

I anticipated that this film would be a bit ‘fluffier’ and less substantial than it was. Of course, it wasn’t anything to do with the cast – there’s some serious star power here. It was mostly because I hadn’t actually looked into the plot and expected something along the lines of Hot Dog...The Movie (1984) or Out Cold (2001). 

While there were plenty of shenanigans afoot in this movie, and it was clearly aimed at the teen and young adult crowd; there was a core of real heart beneath all that.

Have I mentioned the scenery was amazing? The filming locations in Germany and Austria were just stunning. 

I mentioned before that I found this movie originally because of Sophia Bush. Even though she wasn’t the focal character here, her character was important for contrast. I was reminded of early Brooke Davis from One Tree Hill (2003-2012). That got me all nostalgic. I miss that show. 

Ed Westwick (Romeo & Juliet, J. Edgar, Freaks of Nature) was charming and down to earth in his performance. It was an interesting foil to the more sinister role we’ve recently viewed him in, and highlights his range. 

There were a couple cast members I spent a few minutes wondering where I’d recognized them from. Tamsin Egerton (Grand Piano, Queen & Country, The Lovers), whom played Georgie, was Guinevere in STARZ original series Camelot (2011); and Bill Bailey (Hot Fuzz, Nanny McPhee Returns, Burke and Hare) was actually the voice of the whale in Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (2007). (It was one of my favorite parts of the book. I remember silly things like that sometimes.)  

The latter was also a movie that Bill Nighy (Valkyrie, Rango, Dad's Army) was hilarious in. I enjoyed his more understated role in this movie as the chalet owner and Jonny’s father. He has such wry comedic timing.

I’d have to say one of my favorite characters was Mikki played by Ken Duken (War and Peace, Inglourious Basterds, Northmen - A Viking Saga). His character was lighthearted and helped tie so many elements of the movie together. 

Felicity Jones (The Tempest, Breathe In, The Theory of Everything) was a great choice for the lead role. I loved the spunk she brought to the character. I also liked the way they handled the obstacle she had to overcome. 

Before I ramble on forever, I’ll leave you with a parting bit of trivia. Tara Dakides (Out Cold, Extreme Dodgeball, Zeno Supper Club) is a real champion snowboarder. She’s a multi-time medalist in the Winter X Games and was Snowboarder Magazine's Female Snowboarder of the Year three consecutive years (2000-2002). I enjoy when professional athletes cameo in movies like this. It adds a little bit of extra realism and has to be a lot of fun for them, as well. 

All in all, the movie was adorable, funny, and worth a watch. 

Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score – 79%

Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score – 53%

Netflix’s Prediction for Cat – 4.5/5

Cat’s Trust-the-Dice Score – 4/5

P.S. Small scenes and bloopers are played during the credits.

P.S.2. If you'd like to revisit Selina's original review of this movie, you can skip searching the archives and find it here.

Movie Trailer: