REVIEW: CRUELLA (2021)

CRUELLA (2021)

Disappointing origin story for one of Disney’s most famous villains, Cruella de Vil. The story finds little Estella Miller (Tipper Seifert-Cleveland) wanting to be a fashion designer, but being nicknamed “Cruella” by her single mother (Emily Beecham), because of her mean streak. When her mother is accidentally killed, Estella becomes an orphan who befriends two street urchins Jasper (Ziggy Gardner) and Horace (Joseph MacDonald) to survive. As adults, Estella (Emma Stone), Jasper (Joel Fry) and Horace (Paul Walter Hauser) make a living as thieves and pick-pockets. Estella gets a chance to live her design dream when she gets a job at the Liberty department store and catches the eye of fashion mogul The Baroness (Emma Thompson). Trouble arises, though, as Estella finds there is a link between her mother’s death and the woman she now works for. She adopts the alter-ego of fashion rebel Cruella and sets out to embarrass and ruin The Baroness for revenge. The fur soon flies as the two fashionistas go to war.

Uninspired prequel is directed by-the-numbers by Craig Gillespie from a script and story by five people…and it shows. The film resembles a soup where too many cooks are throwing in ingredients and yet the meal never really comes together despite everything in it. In terms of tone, it’s less a family movie than a possible result if Alex Cox (Repo Man, Sid and Nancy) had directed a Disney movie in his heyday in the 80s. Only we think he would have done better. Billed as a comedy, it’s rarely funny and it’s quite slow moving, making it’s 134 minute runtime seem even longer. There are a few lively sequences, such as Cruella continuing to show up at The Baroness’ events and one upping the haughty designer, but otherwise it’s actually dull in many spots and the wit is a little too dry for it’s own good. Laughs are few and far between and it’s hard to picture any of the younger Disney crowd having the patience to sit through it. The production is lavish and the look and feel of the 60s and 70s London setting is well done, but the story is basically a slightly more outlandish twist on The Devil Wears Prada and, well, that tale has already been told. Overall, it’s a big disappointment considering the concept and some of the splendid acting talent involved.

The cast are good, despite being given mediocre material to work with. Emma Stone gives it her over-the-top all as Estella/Cruella, making her more of an anti-heroine than an outright villain. She’s fun to watch as she chews up the scenery in some outlandish outfits and one wishes she was in a far better film to really cut loose. Same can be said of veteran actress Emma Thompson who also does wonders with a thinly written and stereotypical part as The Baroness. It’s entertaining to see the Emmas act off of each other and again, one wishes a better script was there in support of these two performers. Fry and Hauser are fine as Cruella’s sidekicks and Mark Strong is solid, as always, as The Baroness’ right hand man, John. Also making an impression is John McCrea as Cruella’s flamboyant friend and accomplice, Artie. A very good cast let down by flaccid direction and a weak script.

Overall this is a sad and mostly dull misfire that was born from a very intriguing premise. Casting Emma Stone as a young Cruella de Vil was a great idea, that is sadly under-baked in it’s execution. It’s a familiar story about the underbelly of the design world that has been done before and surely there was a better way to launch one of Disney animation’s greatest bad girls. It’s not very funny, nor does it have the energy, pacing or cleverness it needed to make it really soar. Both Emmas give it their all, but can only do so much with flat direction and an even flatter script. What they do accomplish is a testament to their talent. Most of the below rating is for the actresses, supporting cast and production design crew who really try hard in this tepid let-down.

-MonsterZero NJ

Rated 2 and 1/2 (out of 4)  Dalmatians!

**************************************************

REVIEW: A QUIET PLACE PART II (2021)

A QUIET PLACE PART II (2021)

Sequel opens with a flashback pre-credits sequence to the day the creatures landed and the first encounter between the Abbott family and the vicious predatory visitors who hunt by sound. We then pick up directly after the end of A Quiet Place with mom Evelyn taking daughter Regan (Millicent Simmonds), son Marcus (Noah Jupe) and her newborn, away from their destroyed home and in search of survivors. They find themselves at what appears to be an abandoned factory where Marcus is severely injured in a bear trap. The factory is now home to Emmett (Cillian Murphy), a friend of the Abbott’s who has lost all those he loves. At first, Emmett wants them gone, as he feels guilty over what he believes is his failure to save his own family, and he doesn’t want to be responsible for them. Soon though, he gets drawn into pursuing Regan, who sneaks off to find what she believes is a group of survivors on a nearby island. This leaves Evelyn alone at the factory to protect her baby and the badly wounded Marcus.

Sequel is once again exceptionally well directed by John Krasinski, from his own script. He has two suspenseful stories going on at once, as Emmett finds and agrees to help Regan in her quest to get to a small island off the coast and Evelyn is trying to protect a limp son and infant child. Obviously, circumstances will bring the predatory beasts about for both parties, as well as, an encounter with some not so civilized survivors for Emmett and Regan. There is some really nice suspense, some very clever touches and once again Krasinski uses some of the story’s more predictable elements to his advantage. We know what’s coming and he uses that to reel us in. Having two storylines running concurrently also works well and Krasinski gives it a nice balance, so no one story gets more attention than the other. We also get dual suspense sequences going on at the same time, more than once, and the director shifts focus deftly, so they are equally potent. The FX are once again very well done. Krasinski keeps the tension taunt and there is enough violence to keep our creatures threatening, yet it remains a strong PG-13 to appeal to a wider audience. We do learn a few new things about the critters. Though they still remain largely mysterious, as they appear to be animals, yet also seem to be acting with a genocidal single purpose. As it has been revealed that this is the second part in a planned trilogy, Part II doesn’t conclude the story outright, or give us too many answers, but does end with a satisfying finale…yet one that smartly leaves us wanting more.

The small cast are once again strong here, with the addition of Cillian Murphy and Djimon Hounsou to the surviving regulars. Emily Blunt is solid as a mother, who has lost a son and a husband and is now desperate and fortified to not lose anyone else. Cillian Murphy is very good as a man devastated over the loss of his family and bitter and angry at himself for what he perceives as a failure to protect them. Through Regan he gets a chance at redemption. As Regan, deaf actress Millicent Simmonds is the real surprise here, as she is wonderful with a more central and important role in this sequel. Once again, she gives depth to the character without benefit of lengthy dialogue to express herself. Regan is the key to the possible eventuality of turning the tide against the invaders and her heroism, resolve and selflessness, in making this journey to save her family, is excellently played by the young actress. Noah Jupe is good as Marcus, a fragile, wounded and frightened boy, who is trying to be strong, especially when he finds himself alone with the infant. Krasinski puts in an extended cameo as likable father Lee in the opening flashback and Djimon Hounsou gives a strong characterization in a small role as a survivor. Ill-fated little Beau also appears in the flashback, but this time played by Dean Woodward, original Beau actor Cade Woodward’s younger brother. Once again, a good cast who perform their parts very well. No horror or suspense thriller completely works unless we are emotional invested in the characters. Script and director assure we are in this case.

Once again, John Krasinski proves that the notion that PG-13 horror is weak, is untrue. This is a taunt, intense and suspenseful movie with some nail-biting sequences and some very effective violent moments. What clichés are used, are used well…such as the stereotypical reverting to savagery by some folks in such an apocalyptic setting…and the flick presents some nice character growth and a sense of hope. A sequel that is very close to being an equal and one that has us eagerly anticipating A Quiet Place III.

-MonsterZero NJ

Rated 3 and 1/2 (out of 4) …SHHHHHH!…They’ll still hear you!

**************************************************

MONSTERZERO NJ’S 25 SUMMER THEMED HORRORS!

You Might Be The Killer gives us a fun, meta twist on the traditional camp set horror!

**************************************************

Memorial Day Weekend 🇺🇸 is here and that means the start to the summer vacation season!…It also means camping, barbecuing, swimming, cabins in the woods, summer camp and maniacs in hockey masks! Halloween isn’t the only time of the year when things go bump in the night, as these 25 fright flicks prove! (…and no, I didn’t forget the cabin set Evil Dead films, they take place in the fall!)

To find the reviews for the films listed below, just type the title in the above right search engine!

A summer marina job is the least of his worries as Ben might have a witch living next door in The Wretched!  Photo: IFC MIDNIGHT

HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY FROM MONSTERZERO NJ! 🇺🇸

-MonsterZero NJ

BARE BONES BOOK REVIEW: THE HAUNTING OF ASHBURN HOUSE by DARCY COATES

THE HAUNTING OF ASHBURN HOUSE by DARCY COATES

Old fashioned ghost story finds down on her luck, freelance writer Adrienne inheriting a large old house from a great aunt she didn’t know she had. She and her tabby Wolfgang move in and soon find out from the locals that the house is said to be haunted and her great Aunt Edith was an eccentric old woman who was also sole survivor of the massacre of her entire family when she was a little girl. Adrienne soon finds out there may be some frightening truth to the local folktales, as things get stranger and stranger inside the house and someone, or something, is stalking her from the grounds outside.

This is a really fun and spooky ghost story from author Darcy Coates. There may be nothing new here, as traditional haunted house tales go, but Coates knows how to use the classic tropes well, adds in a little mystery and gives us a really likable and resilient heroine in Adrienne, to root for. The supernatural hi-jinx get started off quickly, but not too fast that we don’t get time to get to know and endear to the twenty-something, Ashburn heiress before the spooky hits the fan. There are some nice reveals in the last act and Coates really cranks things up for it’s action-packed finale. Book is spooky and graphic enough for adults, but not so much so, that young adults wouldn’t enjoy it’s spunky heroine and spooky specters as well. The Haunting of Ashburn House is also one of the fastest reads encountered in a while and a real page turner. It’s hard to put down once things get going. Looking forward to reading more from Darcy Coates and wonder why no one has optioned this for a movie. It would be a fun and spooky flick in the right hands.

-MonsterZero NJ

RANDOM NONSENSE: HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO 3 HORROR LEGENDS!

Yesterday 5/26 was the birthday of the immortal Peter Cushing and today 5/27 is the birthday of not only the legendary Christopher Lee, but, the incomparable Vincent Price as well! Three of the greatest horror icons of all time! Coincidence…I THINK NOT!!!

Source: MonsterZero NJ

 

BARE BONES: THE UNHOLY (2021)

THE UNHOLY (2021)

Religious themed horror finds down on his luck reporter Gerry Fenn (Jeffrey Dean Morgan), now covering Weekly World News level stories. While in the small rural town of Banfield, Massachusetts, investigating an obvious hoax, Fenn encounters young deaf/mute Alice (Cricket Brown), who can now hear and speak, and who credits The Virgin Mary herself for her miraculous healing. As Alice is now accomplishing miracles of her own, Fenn’s research uncovers that something far more malevolent may be responsible for these “divine” occurrences and Fenn himself may be the one that unleashed it.

Flick is directed in by-the-numbers fashion by Evan Spiliotopoulos, from his screenplay, based on the book Shrine by James Herbert. It is a dull and routine flick that never makes any attempt to add a little mystery as to whether these miracles are divine or demonic. We know from the first scene with Fenn that something evil has been unleashed and that religious leaders, including local priest Father Hagan (William Sadler) and the church’s Bishop Gyles (Cary Elwes) are being just as bamboozled as innocent Alice. There are no scares, the FX are obvious ho-hum CGI creations and the characters that populate this generic story are all stereotypical of such a tale…as are the events and finale just as predictable. A familiar and forgettable horror with a cast that deserved much better.

-MonsterZero NJ

 

WEEKEND BOX OFFICE ACTUALS MAY 21-23

(Remember, clicking the highlighted links brings you to the reviews here at The Movie Madhouse!)

1. “Spiral” $4.6 Million

2. “Wrath of Man” $2.9 Million

3. “Those Who Wish Me Dead” $1.9 Million

4. “Raya and the Last Dragon” $1.6 Million

5. “Godzilla vs Kong” $1.4 Million

6. “Demon Slayer The Movie: Mugen Train” $1.3 Million

7. “Mortal Kombat” $950,036

8. “Scoob!” $850,000

9. “Dream Horse” $844,279

10. “Finding You” $672,162

-MonsterZero NJ

source: Box Office Mojo

BARE BONES: SEANCE (2021)

SEANCE (2021)

New student Camille Meadows (Suki Waterhouse) has arrived at the prestigious…and possibly haunted…Edelvine Academy and finds that student Kerri (Megan Best) died there as a result of a practical joke gone wrong…or was it? Not only must Camille deal with the school’s resident pack of Mean Girls, but there may be a supernatural presence in the academy and Camille now resides in the dead girl’s former room. No surprise when bodies start to fall…but who, or what, is responsible?

Flick is written and directed by Simon Barrett (writer of You’re Next and The Guest) and is part ghost story, part mystery and part slasher. It has some spooky moments, but maintains the vibe of one of those teen centric supernatural dramas that airs on the CW, even if there is some graphic gore and violence in the last act. Barrett has a nice visual eye and can create some chills and atmosphere, but his script has all the familiar tropes and clichés of a typical haunted school/slasher flick. It is entertaining and well made, but is just too familiar to really grab and hold you. The cast are fine, basically playing traditional roles for this type of flick, with Waterhouse making a suitable heroine. The reveal is OK, with certain motives being a bit of a stretch, but the climatic confrontation does have some fun to it, until it drags on a bit too long for it’s own good. Overall, it passes the time, is atmospheric and has it’s moments, but it’s nothing we haven’t seen before. If you’re looking for something entertaining, but not too demanding to watch, it is available to rent on Amazon Prime. Also stars Inanna Sarkis, Stephanie Sy and Madison Beaty as students.

-MonsterZero NJ

BARE BONES: ARMY OF THE DEAD (2021)

ARMY OF THE DEAD (2021)

Zombie flick finds an outbreak occurring after an army convoy has a serious accident outside of Las Vegas and a containment canister is opened, releasing a vicious and fast moving zombie. It, and some of the soldiers it transforms by bite, head towards the Entertainment Capitol of the World and soon it’s overrun. After unsuccessfully trying to purge Vegas of the living dead, the army has sealed off the city and there are plans to nuke it. Enter down on his luck ex-soldier Scott Ward (Dave Bautista), who is hired by businessman Hunter Bly (Hiroyuki Sanada) to assemble a team and go into zombie infested Las Vegas to steal $250 Million from a casino hotel safe before the nuke hits. No surprise that things don’t go as planned.

Netflix release is directed by Zack Snyder from his script with Shay Hatten and Joby Harold. It’s a fun heist/zombie flick that is loaded with gore, but also has some heart and a little character depth amidst all the gory spectacle. The visuals are spectacular, as with any Snyder flick, and for a 2 and 1/2 hour movie it moves well and keeps one bloodily entertained. There are a few kinks added to classic zombie lore…while they still have to be shot in the head, there are levels of zombies including some that think, move fast and have emotions, aside from just voracious appetites. The colorful cast, including Ella Purnell, Ana de la Reguera and a hilariously sarcastic Tig Notaro are solid and Bautista shows he has developed some nice chops and is capable of leading man status. There are a few slow spots here and there, but otherwise it’s a bloody fun time and loaded with gunfire, chases and showers of gore. Also stars Matthias Schweighöfer, Omari Hardwick, Raúl Castillo, Nora Arnezeder and Samantha Win as the rest of Ward’s team and actor/stuntman Richard Cetrone (Ghosts of Mars) as the zombie king.

-MonsterZero NJ

COOL STUFF: CEMETERY PHOTOGRAPHY!

 

CEMETERY PHOTOGRAPHY: LIFE GOES ON AMONGST THE DEAD!

I have been waiting almost five years to capture these images! Since driving home from work past the cemetery each night and in spring seeing the deer grazing amongst the tombstones, I have always wanted to capture this beautiful imagery of life thriving amidst the resting places of the dead!

Check out the gallery below to see some of these long awaited shots!…

 

All photos and text-MonsterZero NJ