"That is what it is.
Yep yep yep!"
PINNED: this newsletter started as a way to highlight movies coming to theaters (see: the name). Then, "the bullshit" happened. And I started featuring movies in theaters, VOD or streaming (see: the +). Point is, if there's a movie worth checking out, you'll probably find it here.
Nada!
HALLOWEEN KILLS
You know when a friend slips in a solid joke just at the right time and it results in hearty laughs and squelched spit takes from those in ear shot? Everyone wins. The joke teller feels pride in their wit, the audience gets their day brightened and a few calories burned.
Cut to a few days later though, and that same friend, emboldened by the reception last time, tries to tell the same joke to the same crowd. 😬Sure. It's still funny per se, but you've heard it before, so the laughs are a bit more like half-chuckles and the upturned lips are really just quick acknowledgment smiles rather than genuine joy.
You know where this is going...
In what is bound to be an imperfect metaphor, Halloween Kills is the second telling of that joke. And it's an imperfect metaphor in large part because this isn't the exact same movie as the 2018 Halloween. Because of course it isn't. A better way to describe it would be to call Kills - "Halloween Part 2 (of 3)."
See, Halloween Kills sits as the middle entry of a trilogy that was kicked off with 2018's Halloween. While the trio of movies is essentially one long movie - Kills picks up the minute after its predecessor ends - they're still being released separately and the 2018 movie came in as the revitalization of a popular horror franchise started in 1978 by John Carpenter's Halloween (yeah, the titles are kind of annoying / confusing). And it did that in part by literally ignoring nearly all of that franchise and billing itself as a direct sequel to the original '78 film. It didn't hurt they brought back Jamie Lee Curtis as the centerpiece either.
Which all puts Kills in a somewhat awkward position - not like asking someone if they're pregnant when they're not actually pregnant awkward mind you, but still awkward (note: a helpful guide on when to ask someone if they're pregnant). Awkward in part because it has to live up the 2018 reboot-sequel, which was very well received, but also because we're aware there's another movie coming. So we know Michael Myers isn't going to die. He can't. I mean sure, technically he could, but he won't. Reviews say it all helps make the movie feel kind of like what it is, a stop gap. They say there's still lots of fun killings and Myers is creepily fun to watch, but that the movie kind of strands Curtis until "the final battle." Which it isn't even the final final battle. That'll come next year, with Halloween Ends.
But until then, it's still a scary movie in the month of October sooooo (plus, if you watched the first one and plan to watch the last one, you kinda gotta).
Oh, a shoutout that Universal decided to put it in theaters and on Peacock (paid tiers only though).
Vibe: middle child vibes, dead ones
Out Friday
Watch Theaters & Peacock
The Trailer | 1 hr 45 mins | R | 🍅: 53%
THE LAST DUEL
Look. If you've seen the trailer or stills. I get it. Like, trust me, I get it.
The hair.
Not Jodie Comer's, that shit is dope. No, I'm talking about Ben Affleck's gilded goatee and Matt Damon's "party in the back" longer than any redneck is sportin' this or any side of the Mississippi. It's a bit much. To say the least. But to be fair, even the actors were skeptical of the do's, but director Ridley Scott said it was all in service of the characters. Which, when you hear the actors explain it, does make some sense. But it's still super silly.
What isn't silly is the film's subject matter - male hubris, misogyny and sexual assault. Again, if you've watched the trailer, it might seem like this movie is all about what the title says it's about, "the last duel," i.e. a trial by combat (the last one to occur in France). And that plays a part, but not like you think it might. Plus, at two and a half hours, the battle can only fill so much screen time.
Now, you might be wondering why I featured a collage of Damon, Adam Driver and Comer in the image above. It's because the film's story is told in three parts, from each of their perspectives - Damon's, then Driver's and finally Comer's. They all tell the story, or rather, their version of the story, with elements shifting depending on their perspective. As mentioned, the plot revolves around the assault of Comer's character by Driver's. To be clear, she is raped. Now, this isn't a spoiler, as reviews say the movie is unequivocal about this point, even if some characters aren't. Which should be a relief for those who might be worried it'd be another trite version of they said / they said (read: me).
The unique structure becomes even more intriguing when you learn that Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, writing together for the first time since Good Will Hunting, also co-wrote with Nicole Holofcener, with the Boston duo focusing on the male perspectives, and Holocener centering on Comer's and other female POVs.
All of this looks to help the story become about the person at the center of the crime (Comer), rather than have her be sidelined in service of some battle - which, again, if you watch the trailer, kinda seems like what happens.
But reviews say the movie, if having some tonal issues here and there, as well as being a bit schlocky at times (notable shout from critics for Affleck being especially fun to watch hamming it up as the Count) works at being something more than what you expect. And that it does a good job of calling out the severely flawed perspectives of the men in the film (and in general?), particularly when it comes to how they view women - which at this time and place in the world, was literally property.
Vibe: testosterone soaked, but not too drenched to make a point
Out Friday
Watch Theaters Only
The Trailer | 2 hrs 33 mins | R | 🍅: 87%
(called out from top, left to right)
Have one of those "final trailers" studios have been loving to do recently, for Dune. But honestly, I'd avoid it and just go watch if you're already in.
And since it's October, we're seeing a bunch of horror movie trailers. First up is The Black Phone, which is a high-concept kidnap movie with Ethan Hawke (he is the kindapper! Oh noez!).
The above looks somewhat weird, but the rotoscoped The Spine of the Night looks way weirder.
Horror trailer #2 is a prequel Resident Evil movie subtitled Welcome to Raccoon City. Which, if you've never played a Resident Evil game, means nothing to you.
The trailer for Olivia Munn's Violet seems like a bad trailer. One that tries to hype up a movie in a way the belies what the actual movie is. Highlighting it anyway because reviews are actually solid. And the concept of a movie focused on self-doubt seems interesting.
Aaaand horror trailer #3 is my old pal Paranormal Activity. This one is called "Next of Kin." I worked on six Paranormal movies when I was at Paramount and I still have no idea what's going on here.
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