Minions & Monsters

Today on Peacock, I saw “Minions & Monsters,” which came out theatrically in July but today on Peacock. This was one of my most anticipated films of the year, seeing how I have been a fan of the Minions since the first “Despicable Me.” How did this turn out, seeing how the Minions spin-offs have not been loved by everyone?

Laura started her review by crediting, “Proving seven is indeed a lucky number, cowriter (with "Minions'" Brian Lynch), debuting solo director and voice of every Minion Pierre Coffin gives us the best of the "Despicable Me" franchise yet with his Minionized love letter to Hollywood history. Film aficionados will delight from the onset as Coffin flips back through Universal's Globe logos to its very first, ending with a Merrie Melodies tribute featuring period perfect b&w Minions, before implanting them into the motion photography of Eadweard Muybridge, the Lumière Brothers first film and Georges Méliès' "A Trip to the Moon."” We’ll then be taken to a present-day Hollywood Museum tour led by Olivia, voiced by Alison Janney, who points out “E.T.,” Keanua Reeves in “The Matrix,” and a glass cabinet with George Lucas who wants to get out (Laura points out, “keep your eyes peeled in the upper left corner of the screen for a nod to "Airplane!"”). Olivia tells the guests that James and Henry were a part of making Hollywood’s film industry.

James and Henry include the hearing-impaired Ed to their team while their leader Dick is wanting to find their next boss. After serving a cyclops, pirate, mummy, and a sorcerer, who James disintegrates when he summons a giant bunny from the spell book that can breath fire, the gang will find a new boss with a horse-riding train robber, and end up ruining a film shoot. Now in Hollywood, the Minions will damage the gears of Charlie Chaplin’s “Modern Times” before racing by Harold Lloyd hanging from a clock face and a house falling on Buster Keaton on their runaway train, but when the film’s trembling director, Max (Christoph Waltz), shows the film to Bright Brothers Studio heads Frank and Elwood Bright (Jeff Bridges), they find it hilarious. After making huge hits with “They Came from the Stars to Hit You with a Frying Pan” and “Tiny Barbarians with Chainsaws,” the Minions get affluent, but then everything goes downhill after the birth of sound pictures when they can’t follow the cue cards in films that look like “The Maltese Falcon” and “Sergeant York.” When a Minion drops a snow globe in one famous scene, instead of saying “Rosebud” he says “oh, poop!” (Laura notes, “Coffin goes to town in these sequences, rendering Minions in gauzy black and white and covering them with camera moves like 360-degree pans.”)

Fired by the Bright Brothers, the Minions leave, each saying “Bye Max” while Max says bye to each of them by their name, except for the rightly named Dick, who immediately separates from James, Henry, and Ed to find the Minions’ next boss. Laura said, “That would be Dort (voice of Jesse Eisenberg), a robot who looks a lot like "The Day the Earth Stood Still's" Gort but who announces his intention to invade Earth.” Hilariously, he is immediately distracted when he gets a crush on Debbie, voiced by Zoey Deutch, a young suffragette.

Now that James has a camera and drew out storyboards for “Minions & Monsters,” he’s missing one part – a monster. Laura points out, “Luckily Ed stashed away that sorcerer's spell book, but when they attempt to conjure up a terrifying Lovecraftian horror, they get Goomi (voice of 'South Park's' Trey Parker), a small, green cute version, instead.” What they don’t know is Goomi, who promises scarier monsters and gives them Phillips (Bobby Moynihan) and Howard (Phil LaMarr), has his own plans to conquer the planet when he uses the book to summon the most powerful monster ever – Irene. Dort, transferred by love, says, “But, I have Minions!”

Laura notes, “Coffin and Lynch fashion a climax that is part "The Blob" and part "Earth vs. the Flying Saucers," all, as James will happily learn in the aftermath, filmed by Ed. This is a movie for film lovers to embrace, one which will no doubt yield new surprises with repeat viewings. Coffin, whose Minions greet their monsters with 'Big Kaiju!,' has really poured himself into this one and we can feel his love for both movies and his little yellow guys. Waltz brings warmth to his Teutonic filmmaker while Eisenberg is clearly having a ball as the robot who reprograms himself. John Powell commands a referential orchestral score accompanied by a 65-voice choir while the soundtrack features movie standards like 'As Time Goes By' and 'Hooray for Hollywood.'” Remember to stay during the end credits that have cameos from Gru, his dog Kyle, Dr. Nefario, and Agnes.

No doubt, this is the funniest of the Minions movies. You will love this one a lot and will be cracking up during a good part of the runtime, because I know I did. See this on Peacock, if you have that, because I think the whole family can sit around and watch this and laugh. Bear in mind, there is one really bad word, which I will not repeat on here, in the film, which I am surprised they would put that in a children’s film. Check it out and have a great time laughing.

Thank you for joining in on this review tonight. Stay tuned this Friday for the finale of “Halloween Month 2026.”

Clayface

Tonight, I went and saw “Clayface,” which came out four days ago. Seeing how I have liked the new “DC Universe” so far, I wanted to see a film about a Batman villain that never made an appearance in any Batman film. Seeing how this is a difficult one to pull off, I thought of looking at how they succeeded, and if you want to know, just read.

Mini Anthikad Chhibber started her review by saying, “Eye trauma and flight turbulence: Can Clayface be more revolting? One is tempted to ask in the manner of Chandler Bing.” “Clayface” is the third film in James Gunn and Peter Safran’s four-year-old “DC Universe,” following “Superman” and “Supergirl.”

Chhibber noted,

Directed by the excellent Speak No Evil’s James Watkins, Clayface tells the origin story of the popular villain and sometime ally of Batman.

With a story and screenplay by Mike Flanagan (who could not direct because of scheduling conflicts with the mini-series Carrie and The Exorcist: Martyrs coming out in 2027), Clayface eschews the 1950s iteration of the science fiction-inspired treasure hunter for the shapeshifter’s origins in the 1940s Detective Comics.

Matt Hagen, played by Tom Rhys Harries, has everything he wants. Coming from a rough background, Matt is now the hottest actor of Hollywood. Actually, when we first meet Matt, he is getting ready for a tryout, and an announcement happens. Matt and his best friend, Corey, played by Joshua James, who is also an actor, hear the Best Actor nominations at the Academy Awards. He gets congratulated by everyone when Matt’s name is announced.

Matt and Corey go to Gotham for an interview with a popular talk show host, played by Rob Brydon. While celebrating at a nightclub, Matt sees a beautiful woman, Mia, played by Joana Ribeiro. Corey warns Matt to stay away from Mia, as she is the girlfriend of the local mob boss, Markos Szabo, played by David Dencik, but Matt still sleeps with her.

When we wakes up, Szabo and his men are at his bedside, and he cuts Matt’s face with a switchblade. Matt’s friends and associates, including his agent, Hildie (Nancy Carroll) and manager, Frank (Eddie Marsan), rush him to the hospital.

Chhibber said, “Following a smear campaign and six expensive surgeries, Matt becomes an outcast, refusing to step out of his roach-infested apartment and unable to face the disgusted looks his badly disfigured face garners.”

At his lowest, he sees a news report on a research done by Dr. Caitlyn Corr, played by Naomi Ackie, where nano cells infiltrate the body to heal it. Matt visits Caitlyn and lets him be used as a test subject, but she says they are at least a year away from human tests. Matt says he is willing to sign anything, and even if he dies because of the treatment, it is better than living the way he currently has been.

Chhibber said, “The treatment at first seems to go well, and Matt’s face is healed, but of course there are side effects (also thanks to one of Matt’s desperate gambits), and Matt soon finds his body taking on the consistency of clay.” As his body changes, his mind and soul does too, letting himself turn evil.

After “Joker,” “Clayface is another attempt to give a Batman villain an origin story to show a tragedy which causes all the evil to come out. Chhibber said, “Clayface works best when leaning into its pulpy (pun intended) heard, as the attempt to make an anti-hero of a villain does not earn its space.”

Chhibber continued, “Going full body horror is fun, if predictable – we instinctively know who Matt will impersonate next and that bowl of nuts was signaling louder than a lighthouse what was going to happen next.”

Rhys Harries is great as the vulnerable, impulsive star celebrity, and his chemistry with Ackie is one of the best parts. Max Minghella brings serious intelligence to his role as police detective John Borrelli, investigating the recent violent crimes.

The complete absence of wisdom is redeeming. Chhibber ended her review by saying, “As long as one does not wander too deeply into the metaphor of clay being the building block of life, Clayface is interesting enough. Some gorgeous visuals offset the stomach-churning ones. Images of Matt in the bathtub and the lovers entwined like the couple of Gustav Klimt’s The Kiss are veritable works of art.”

I’ll be honest, when they showed Matt’s face after Szabo’s attack up to when he was being Caitlyn’s test subject, I was feeling uneasy. Meaning, I was nauseous, loosing feeling, I had to put the recliner seat down, felt like I was about to pass out, excessive sweating that I had to ask the person next to me for a napkin, and body chills that I had to put my hoodie on. Other than that, the movie is good. I would recommend it, but only if you can stomach the graphic details in this film. I first heard of Clayface from “Batman: The Animated Series,” which is different than this film, but this is definitely dark and gory that it deserved the R rating. I will say check it out, but only if you can handle what they show in here.

Thank you for joining in on this review tonight. Stay tuned this Friday for the finale of “Halloween Month 2026.”

Insidious: Out of the Further

Today, while exercising, I finished watching “Insidious: Out of the Further,” which came out theatrically in August but was available for digital download at the beginning of the month. As everyone knows, I am not a fan of this franchise. However, seeing how this is “Halloween Month 2026,” and this film became available for digital download, I thought of checking it out. Will this one win me over or not?

If you find yourself feeling so terrified when someone advises to visit the dentist’s office or you immediately react with disgust when seeing old people legitimately enjoying their afternoon, guess what? Producers James Wan and Jason Blumhouse along with writer-director Jacob Chase have made the film for you to not see or run from if you’re brave enough to spoil your fears.

However, you have only a mild-to-moderate dislike to dentists and old people we see who’ve done their amount to enjoy a somewhat-comfortable retirement, then “Insidious: Out of the Further” might just bore you with the awareness. Besides a few closely suspenseful set pieces, this horror sequel gives another trauma-driven storyline with ugly looking ghosts, ghouls, and demons.

Mel Valentin said in his review, “Either way, Insidious: Out of the Further again centres on a family brought low by generational trauma. Like their predecessors, they’re attempting to escape the clutches of relentlessly tiresome supernatural beings and enjoy what passes for normal lives.” No luck, however, as the beginning starts in 1999 tells of the new protagonist’s childhood: Gemma (Charli Penton), a somewhat-neglected, not really savage child, comes home to find her mother, Ingrid (Laura Gordon), with her head down on the dinner table. However, dinner is not made, leaving the child to make it for herself. When she’s done, she quietly goes upstairs to her room where she can complete the next day’s homework away from her mother’s sight or hearing.

As you can tell, Ingrid isn’t really sleeping, at least not completely. Valentin said, “She’s borderline incomprehensible, looking like someone who spends too much of her waking and dreaming lives with hungry ghosts. It’s meant to be a metaphor for mental illness, but ghosts or potential afflictions aside, it doesn’t end well for Ingrid, who leaves this mortal plane for the next. The same goes for Gemma, who carries her mother’s inexplicable demise with her like an invisible backpack loaded with 50lb weights.”

Looking like she’s copying her mother’s habits, the now adult Gemma (Amelia Eve) continues to live in her childhood home, has a daughter of her own, Maya (Island Austin), and has bad nightmares. However, they’re not nightmares. Valentin said, “When Gemma nods off, she enters the Further, the purgatorial realm where the aforementioned evil spirits spend eternity, presumably waiting for wayward souls to torture or finding a way back onto the mortal plane.”

Even though the nightmares are getting worse, Gemma flat out refuses to get any sort of therapy. She mainly depends on the ethics from her longtime boyfriend, Nick, played by Brandon Perea, the town’s only police officer. She has a full-time job as a dental hygienist at Second Smile’s downtown office. Valentin said, “It’s there that Gemma encounters one of her new neighbours, a decrepit old man with a gnarly mole under his nose and a rotting set of chompers. Even for the strong-of-stomach Gemma, just looking into his bacteria- and plaque-filled mouth sends her into shock.” After that, she slips, falls, and hits her head, which takes her into the Further.

After finding out that she’s apparently a “Traveler” who can move between the real world and the Further on demand, Gemma finds out she’s something very rare: a “Courier” who can bring objects to and from the Further. This rare ability brings Gemma to Cyrus, played by Sam Spruell, a Further-living cult leader wanting to bring himself and his followers back into the world of the living where they’ll cause havoc and chaos.

Valentin said, “Another routine, by-the-numbers entry in the Insidious franchise (the sixth overall), Out of the Further rarely strays from its comfort zone in. The already mentioned dental visit gone horribly wrong stands out, in large part for its rarity, as does Gemma’s encounter with a pillow fort that’s significantly larger on the inside than it is on the outside. The latter’s welcome dip into liminal horror, however, doesn’t last.” Before long, we’re back on well-firmed territory, with Gemma, helped by a telepathic, Claire, played by Maisie Richardson-Sellers), in the “real” world. Series veteran Elise Rainier, reprised by Lin Shaye, also shows up in the Further, improving a plan spontaneously to stop Cyrus and his crew.

Valentin ending his review by saying, “Unfolding in lugubrious, deliberately under-lit scenes typical of the genre — and this supernatural series in particular — audience members will be fighting two distinct battles as Insidious: Out of the Further heads into its homestretch: Trying to keep alert and suppressing the increasingly unavoidable desire to check the time and find out how close they are to the exits.”

As you can guess, I didn’t like this film at all. This is probably the worst in the franchise. I don’t understand why they want to keep making sequels to this franchise when it just falls the same formula. Someone has some traumatizing past; they find out they are connected to the Further and must save themselves and their loved ones from the dangers that would happen that may either trap them or set some spirits free. This is starting to get old and honestly, they need to stop with the sequels. Just end the series and never make another sequel. Avoid this one because I don’t think this one will be loved, and if it does, I don’t see how. Only one or two parts made me jump, but other than that, I wasn’t scared.

Thank you for joining in on this review today. Stay tuned this Friday for the finale of “Halloween Month 2026.”

Street Fighter (2026)

As I had mentioned last night, I went and saw the new “Street Fighter” movie, which came out eight days ago. I saw the film with some friends in IMAX, which was one of the films that we were curious to see how it would turn out, seeing how we wanted to see it. After seeing how we loved “Mortal Kombat II,” what were our thoughts on this new film?

After the great success of the video game Street Fighter II, Hollywood was right there to exploit the now famous name. They tried to make sense of the fighting game in 1994, starring Jean-Claude Van Damme looking to turn the story into one of politics and military. It wasn’t loved by anyone. There was another attempt in 2009 with “Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li,” and the film was almost ignored by everyone. The game has also been turned into television shows, comic books, and animated films. There hasn’t been a shortage of “Street Fighter” adaptations over the years, and now Hollywood gave it another attempt. The new “Street Fighter” looks to more closely copy the video game atmosphere, and director Kitao Sakurai is ready to put on a show with the movie, filling it with violence, 90s songs, and personal grudges, giving at least a great viewing experience that’s out to please the fanbase and, once again, start a new film franchise.

Lifelong friends and training partners, Ken (Noah Centineo) and Ryu (Andre Koji) are strained from each other during an appearance at the 1987 World Warrior Tournament, with Ryu’s anger returning spirit Akuma (WWE Wrestler Roman Reigns) to life, immediately killing the fighters’ master, Gouken (Don Lee). Six years later, Ken has become a popular celebrity in the news with his tournament fighting successes, while Ryu has isolated himself, now selling noodles on a food cart. Looking to bring the men back to what they’re known for is Chun-Li (Callina Liang), who is planning to take down the dictator M. Bison (David Dastmalchian), who’s working to generate “psycho power” and create an army. M. Bison needs Ryu’s dark energy to make his vision, staging the World Warrior Tournament II to bring him back, welcoming so many fighters to the city of Metrolao to compete, while Ken and Ryu process seeing each other again.

Brian Orndorf said in his review, “To help add style to the picture (and save some money), Ryu and Ken’s backstory uses anime to depict the devastating power of Ryu’s tournament victory and the arrival of Akuma, who’s looking to conquer the world. It’s a colorful, dynamic way to launch “Street Fighter,” and it gets through exposition with clarity, setting up Ryu and Ken as fallen “brothers” dealing with the loss of their teacher and father figure, going their separate ways.” The writing (T.J. Fixman and Sakurai) goes to 1993, picking up with Ken, who’s fame has gotten to his head, becoming an impulsive drunk with the help from his manager Dan, played by Andrew Schultz. Ryu is left on the street, hoping to sell soup to anyone. Then we have M. Bison, an evil man of limited strength trying to generate “psycho power” to help him rule humanity, joined by Cammy (Mel Jarnson) and Juli (Rayna Vallandingham).

Helping the story along is “Combat News” host Don, played by Eric Andre, and “Street Fighter” needs the help with organization, soon introducing the famous group of supporting characters as fighters arrive for the tournament. The production is incredibly careful to make sure the personalities match the game, with Guile (WWE Wrestler Cody Rhodes), Dhalsim (Vidyut Jammwal), Vega (Orville Peck), Balrog (Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson), Blanka (Jason Momoa), and Zangief (Olivier Richters) enlisting in the tournament. Orndorf said, “Dramatic urgency is provided by Chun-Li, who has a very personal reason why she wants to bring down M. Bison, along with a professional one.” “Street Fighter” tries to keep tensions high with different fights before the tournament starts, watching Ryu suffer a terrible reunion with Ken before he fights Edmund Honda, played by Hirooki Goto, in a hotel sauna. A nightclub fight also happens, giving time for the characters to show their anger and physical strength (with help from visual effects).

Street Fighter II is a tournament fighting video game, and the writing sets up a Big Game final act where the characters fight one another. Orndorf mentioned, “There’s a little competition in the picture, but “Street Fighter” ends up mostly ignoring the tournament element, electing to dig into revenge scenarios and villain battles, offering two bad guys for the heroes(?) to topple. Sakurai gets noisy with the movie, losing focus on the core appeal of one-on-one brawling to launch a more epic resolution, and it doesn’t work. Some feeble performances and a fixation on fetish-coded humor is also unwelcome, keeping the feature from truly exploding as a presentation of gaming mayhem.” “Street Fighter” definitely has flaws, but Sakurai also gives so much excitement and style during the runtime, and the film is definitely energetic, wanting to please young audiences and old arcade players with a more vibrant look on the source material.

I don’t agree with the critics when they are slamming this film. I truly was engaged throughout the entire time. Even though I had used the bathroom before the trailers were done, I had to go again a little bit into the movie. However, I didn’t think about it so much, only a little, and even though I was tired from work, I didn’t fall asleep while watching this film as it kept me engaged throughout. I was into the film, with the right balance of action, comedy, character development, and even though certain characters we don’t get to see fight, like Joe, played by Alexander Volkanovski, I wasn’t disappointed. The animated sequences mixed with live-action was done very well, and beautifully drawn. This is the best live-action “Street Fighter” adaptation, even though the animated film is the best adaptation, this new film is a close contender. The IMAX experience was just great. I know for a fact that they will make a sequel, so I will be looking forward to that. I say to the filmmakers, “You win! Perfect!” See this in the theaters because I think this is worth it.

Thank you for joining in on this film review. Stay tuned next Friday for the finale of “Halloween Month 2026.”

Scream 7

Mel Valentin started his review by saying,

After several, media-fed controversies, the abrupt departures of Scream and Scream VI co-stars Jenna Ortega and Melissa Barrera, and three directors, the studio behind the Scream franchise settled on original series writer Kevin Williamson to co-write the screenplay and direct the latest entry, Scream 7.

It was — and is — a decision that felt slightly desperate and very risk-averse to protect the franchise’s viability. Bringing back original star Neve Campbell as Sidney Prescott, murder magnet and Ghostface’s number one target, only buttressed the calculated decision by the Powers-That-Be to return the series to what it once did better than any of its competitors or imitators: Deliver meta-horror humor, taut, mystery-thriller plotting, and gorily inventive, ultra-gnarly kills.

Scream 7 certainly succeeds in delivering one element of the meta-slasher formula: inventively gory kills. The Ghostface killer isn’t a single individual, alive, dead, or supernatural, but a rotating carousel of murderous psychos, thrill-killers, and obsessive slasher fans. Each one hopes to join their long-gone predecessors in the iconic mask and flowing robes, and wield the ultra-sharp, carved knife.

If anything, the series has somehow failed to take the “many killers” story to its logical end. Valentin commented, “Rather than have just two (or more) killers per entry, Scream could go all out and turn Ghostface into a death cult, sending waves of masked killers at the protagonists and end the series in a literal, figurative, and metaphysical conflagration before rebooting it.”

Valentin continued, “Not surprisingly, Scream 7 give audiences a “burn-it-all-down” conflagration in the opening moments. Taking a broad, unsubtle knife stroke at obsessive meta-slasher fans, the seventh entry immediately introduces the audience to a Scream -themed AirBnB rental in Woodsboro, California.” As a completely obsessed couple (Jimmy Tatro and Michelle Randolph) enter into the house from the first film, Ghostface shows up, as guessed, knife in hand, murdering both of them after a few minutes of their introduction.

That’s how the series has always started, right? Valentin noted, “Most of the characters in the Scream franchise fall into two distinct categories: 1) fodder for Ghostface to stab, slice, and dice into piles of meat and viscera, and 2) suspects.” Only Sidney Prescott-Evans, Tatum (Isabel May), Sidney’s daughter, Mark (Joel McHale), Sidney’s husband and Pine Grove, Indiana’s police chief, series veteran Gale Weathers (Courteney Cox), and sister-brother duo Mindy (Jasmin Savoy-Brown) and Chad Meeks-Martin (Mason Gooding), Gale’s interns – all who are not on the “suspect” list.

Everyone else who appears in the film either are victims or suspect. Those characters include Sidney’s overly considerate neighbors, Jessica (Anna Camp) and her slasher fan son, Lucas (Asa Germann), friends and/or irrelevant people, Hannah Thurman (McKenna Grace), Chloe Parker (Celeste O’Connor), Ben Brown (Sam Rechner), and Marco (Ethan Embry), an employee at a mental asylum. Any one of them could be the killer until Ghostface abruptly murders them from the film.

This is the same as it always has been for the franchise, and that’s the main problem with “Scream 7,” released theatrically in February. Valentin noted, “It’s run out of juice; it’s woefully short on ideas, meta-slasher-related or otherwise; and it’s creatively bankrupt.” Nothing, not even the return of Neve Campbell, missed by the fans in the last film, or series originator Kevin Williamson, strangely proving himself a better director than screenwriter this time around, could save a series that should have ended or given the proper restart.

Sure, some of the murders deserved to be mentioned. One involves Sidney and Tatum hiding behind a hollow wall as Ghostface tracks them down throughout their home. Another one involves Tatum’s friends, played by Grace and Cyle Winters, being murdered, with Grace being brutally stabbed while suspended in a harness. Valentin said, “Outside of those two set pieces, though, the remainder feel utterly perfunctory, negligible twists on familiar slasher tropes, forgettable moments after the latest Ghostface victim bleeds out from copious knife wounds.”

Valentin continued, “Story-wise, Scream 7 makes a stab (sorry, not sorry) at contemporary relevance through an AI/deepfake-related plot point, but even that feels less like an essential narrative element and more a sign of franchise-related necrophilia. It resurrects long-dead characters (and their respective actors) for a nostalgic hit of dopamine.” With so much nostalgia, sadly, the effects begin to wear off. With “Scream 7,” that’s long before the credits in the too long, too kind recap.

As everyone might have guessed, I am not a fan of this latest installment of the “Scream” franchise. Every single one of the sequels have been terrible, with this one possibly being the worst. Why do they keep making these terrible sequels? Because the franchise is making so much money that they feel to keep making the sequels? Why don’t you just end the franchise already? Each one is getting negatively received, so why bother? Because the fans are loving it? For how long though? I think they are planning to make another sequel, but when will they end the franchise? How much longer are they going to keep making sequels until they run this franchise to the ground? I didn’t see this in the theaters, but waited for it to be released on Paramount+ so I could watch it while exercising. Just avoid this one because you will not love it. If you do, then I won’t question you.

Next week, I will be ending “Halloween Month 2026” with another latest sequel that was released this year that is terrible. Sorry for the last posting. I went out to see the new “Street Fighter” movie, then had to go pick up my mom who was seeing my aunt in the hospital. Review on the new “Street Fighter” to come tomorrow, as I am tired right now.

Evil Dead Burn

Today while exercising, I finished watching “Evil Dead Burn” on HBO Max. The film came out in July, but came out on HBO Max two weeks ago. After liking the last one, I decided to watch this, seeing how this is the right month to be watching. How is this new sequel? Is it better or worse?

An ancient demonic curse is put on a family, the first victim being the son, George. When his widow, Alice, joins her in-laws for Will’s funeral at their isolated home, the family members, one by one, turn into Deadites. Will she survive the damage?

The familiar territory of the Necronomicon Ex-Mortis, or the Book of the Dead, and the cursed pages that release Kandarian spirits turn with relentless gore in director Sebastien Vanicek’s film. Joseph, played by Hunter Doohan, a writer trying to make a book, unknowingly opens his grandfather’s copy of the Book of the Dead, freeing the demons.

The pre-credits scene makes the mood with a demonic being (Greta van den Brink) rising from a lake and hooking two men (Keanu Karim and Victory Ndukwe) with tackle, line, and fishing hooks. The story then goes to Will (George Pullar), an abusive husband who speeds off after a heated argument with his French wife, Alice (Souheila Yacoub), at a bar. He becomes the next victim of the Deadite, also connecting to his grandfather’s journey for a Kandarian dagger that the Deadites want and can destroy them. As he family fathers to mourn him at their isolated home, the damage begins.

Dhaval Roy said in her review, “Vanicek and co-writer Florent Bernard deliver a splatter horror that is as mean, cruel, and frenzied as one would expect from the franchise. If the previous instalment, Evil Dead Rise, got the bloodfest right, this chapter goes a step further. The gore and brutality are relentless and splendidly staged in a macabre way. There are demonic elements, but only a few traditional supernatural jump scares. Instead, the film relies more on sudden attacks, mutilation, bodily horror, and the sheer shock of violence to make you gasp and turn away.”

Roy continued, “Philip Lozano’s cinematography stands out not only for capturing the carnage but also for framing the desolate house and bleak landscape. The practical effects are masterfully done, adding a nauseating realism to the blood-soaked set pieces.” While most of the scenes are disgusting, a handful are actually terrifying, especially the possessed father, Edgar, played by Erroll Shand, repeatedly shooting himself in the face.

Roy said, “The tension remains constantly escalated, if not through horror, then through the family’s equation.” Will’s parents blame Alice for his death, while his mother, Susan, played by Tandi Wright, is a tired woman who has sacrificed so much for the family. The movie also gets a few depressingly funny moments through the grandmother, Polly, played by Maude Davey, who suffers from dementia. At a little under two hours, the film moves at a fast pace, though it weakens during Alice’s final act.

Roy credited, “Souheila Yacoub is brilliant as the resilient Alice, not only for facing the Deadites but also for the hatred that comes her way and stoically hiding that Will was, in fact, an abusive husband.” Tandi Wright is outstanding as Susan, a mother strongly devoted to family values. Erroll Shand is really scary as the angry father and violent Deadite. Maude Davey, Hunter Doohan, George Pullar, and Luciane Buchanan give good support.

Roy ended her review by saying, “While Evil Dead Burn is visceral and gets the gonzo gore perfectly, it will appeal only to those who like splatter horror. Those who get squeamish at the sight of innards and flesh are better off skipping this one.”

I will admit that I didn’t like the way the film started. I didn’t understand what was the point of the opening, but after the Deadites showed up in the family, it started going from there. This was legitimately scary and I think everyone will like it starting at that part. Check it out on HBO Max if you have been a fan of this franchise. There are some very gory and bloody moments in here, when you see everyone in the family getting possessed, but that’s what this franchise is all about. Also, make sure to check out the mid-credits and post-credits scene with Coco White and Alyssa Sutherland. I wonder if they’re going to make another sequel, which I will be looking forward to.

Thank you for joining in on this review. Stay tuned next Friday for the continuation of “Halloween Month 2026.”

From Dusk Till Dawn 3: The Hangman’s Daughter

In the “From Dusk Till Dawn” trilogy, everything leads to the bar that was famous for the climactic fight with vampires in the first movie. Unfortunately, it has been very uneven. The first was memorable, the second is stuck in the middle of a desert, and the third, “From Dusk Till Dawn 3: The Hangman’s Daughter,” released in 1999, is a rocky but passable path that will leave some pains but that’s preferable to the death trap that is the middle stretch. Martin Liebman said in his review, “For those not keeping score at home, the first film in the series may be considered a borderline classic of the macabre, a movie that's brilliantly split between exemplary exposition and character development and human-versus-vampire ultra-violence within the confines of a seedy border town bordello. The sequel, well, just forget that it even exists. As for the third entry, it's not a particularly good movie when taken at face value. It's a total loser next to the original From Dusk Till Dawn, and it's an Oscar contender compared to Texas Blood Money. The truth is that it falls somewhere around that "not particularly good" observation. It has its moments -- as few and far between as they may be -- but it also has its fair share of problems, making it best enjoyed by series completists and fans of relatively bad and pointless moviemaking.”

Following the termination of conflicts of the American Civil War, noted author Ambrose Bierce, played by Michael Parks, disappeared into Mexico with the intention of joining Pancho Villa’s revolutionary forces. He was never heard from again, and this is his story. Somewhat. An outlaw named Johnny Madrid (Marco Leonardi) has been sentenced to the guillotine, but he’s freed in a dangerous rescue of someone who wants to be a member of his gang, the young and cheerful but naïve Reece (Jordana Spiro). Madrid escapes with the hangman’s daughter Esmerelda, played by Ara Celi, in haul and learns from Reece of Bierce’s efforts to join Pancho Villa and the possibility that he may be transporting something of great value. Bierce’s stagecoach – also carrying newlywed crusaders John and Mary Newlie, played by Lennie Loftin and Rebecca Gayheart – is a hit in a well-planned attack. Liebman said, “Ultimately, all roads for all involved lead to a dilapidated and seedy establishment called La Tetilla del Diablo where a night of rest, relaxation, and sin promises to turn into an infernal nightmare the likes of which few have ever seen -- let alone survived -- before.”

“From Dusk Till Dawn 3: The Hangman’s Daughter,” is a nicely stylish film, but that style fades away after some time. Liebman said, “Not only does the overly red, sunbaked texture suck all of the life out of the movie, but the filmmakers seem intent on copying the Robert Rodriguez style that helped make the first film such a success. They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but sadly, neither imitation nor flattery do much of anything to elevate this movie beyond the level of pond scum. Making matters worse, the picture operates on what is obviously a shoestring budget. The production values are close to zero, the acting isn't much better, and the script is an exercise in tedium.  It's the very definition of a movie that just tries too darn hard. Attempting to keep in the same style as the superior original -- which includes a deadly long and incredibly dull opening two-thirds stretch before getting to the "good stuff" -- is ultimately this film's downfall.” There’s a better movie here to be sure, one that might have enjoyed a little more success had it been allowed to work on its own time rather than follow to the impossibly high standard and structure made by the first film.

Yes, “From Dusk Till Dawn 3: The Hangman’s Daughter” takes so long to move along that the movie may be called dead before it really finds its step. That’s not to blame the story, it’s fine, bur rather the film’s firmness on mocking the structure of the original. Liebman said, “Sadly, where From Dusk Till Dawn worked, this movie simply fails to sustain its dialogue- and character-intensive first half-plus because its script, actors, and characters are significantly weaker. By the time everything and everyone are in place for the vampire "reveal" -- which in this movie comes as no surprise considering it's following the exact same basic structure as its predecessors -- fatigue has long since set in and the action becomes a string of hopelessly meaningless drivel that's made of decent makeup, bad special effects, and a general lethargy that's thanks in large part to the "been there, done that" sense of déjà vu.” Fortunately, the action is loud and the gore so abundant that it will at least shock audiences back into the movie for a time, but there’s only so many ways a film can show stakes through the heart, vampire transformations, melting bodies, and the like, and only so many times audiences can watch it play out before growing tired of the same stuff.

“From Dusk Till Dawn 3: The Hangman’s Daughter” is a really slow movie, pointless, and not very good at copying the style of the original. Liebman said, “It's vastly superior to Texas Blood Money, but then again so is weeks-old and well-soiled kitty litter. From Dusk Till Dawn 3: The Hangman's Daughter has a decent story to tell but is absent the technical ability to transition it into a good film. That's a shame, really, but at least there's always the original, a superior picture in every regard that refuses to have its good name tarnished by its deadbeat, leeching sequels.” Skip it.

Like I already mentioned, this movie is just another attempt at cashing in on the original. By making it a prequel doesn’t mean that it will be good, seeing how it is another direct-to-video film, which a majority of the times, spells disaster. I don’t know why I decided to watch this on Paramount+ when I hated the second one. Maybe I am just one of those glutton for punishment by enduring all the garbage that is made out there. Just don’t watch this film because it is one of the biggest mistakes they had ever made. Why make sequels to “From Dusk Till Dawn” when that film didn’t even leave a hint that there would be a sequel? Especially with making this about the Salma Hayek character from the original? Just forget about it.

Next week, I will be looking at one of the recent horror films that came out earlier this year in “Halloween Month 2026.”