2025 - R - 2/10 - Some buttons Aren’t pushed for a reason.

Easily the worst VHS, just when I thought they were hitting a stride. The wrap around is fine, the first segment starts off promising but then drags on and that becomes a theme here. There are a few moments that are good in the 2 hour runtime but it is all overshadowed by one segment that is not only long but also deals with some taboo subjects that are taboo for a reason. Taking all the wrong lessons from Terrifier and combining them with things that are better left implied than explored, hard pass.

2025 - PG-13 - 7/10 - A Nine Inch Nails fueled neon thrill ride.

This movie feels more like a theme park ride than a movie. Thanks mostly to the Nine Inch Nails soundtrack that grabs you and provides a driving force through even the slower parts of the movie, it feels like the movie never lets up. On top of that, the visuals and inventiveness of the art department flood every frame. Yes, there are flaws. No, I don’t know why Jared Leto is in this. Thankfully, none of that becomes enough of a distraction to take away from the brilliant way the synths and neon are woven together.

2025 - R - 9/10 - Suspense! Horror! Humor! Heart! Filmmaking!

In the running for my favorite movie of the year. I love how lean this movie is. It establishes a premise early on, reveals the plot from multiple angles, and sticks to that premise. Without getting into spoilers, the major plot point here is something that would be obvious but “hidden” in a lesser film. Here, it is out in the open and the central driving force of the plot. This no-frills approach keeps things from getting too messy, unfocused, or bogged down as things unfold. Oh, and that end is satisfying.

2023 - R - 8/10 - Punk rock filmmaking like it should be!

Wow. Yeah, this was a surprise. Went into it hoping that there would be some over-the-top Toxie fun but was prepared for this to have some rough edges. Instead, what we got was a movie that actually managed to have some heart and make Toxie a lovable character underneath the punk rock surface. This movie is also packed to the brim with a unique style and humor like classic Troma polished up. You can feel that they had a blast making this movie and it is a blast to watch. We need more big swings like this!

2021 - NR (but R) - 10/10 - A descent into some version of Hell.

A weird, repulsive, grimy, gritty, oozing, festering, decaying mess of a movie. Filmed over decades with Tippet and an unending descent into madness being the only constants. All done with stop motion and real photography, there is a visceral quality you can’t shake. If I had to make a comparison, I would say this is like the movie version of the Saturn Devouring His Son painting. Possessed, hard to look at, harder to look away. Amazing challenging art. 10/10 BUT if you are not sure this is for you, it isn’t.

2024 - R - 7/10 - Another Caveat-like puzzle box.

Heretic is a claustrophobic little movie with a couple of Mormon missionaries being asked to question their faith. To get them to do this, they are locked in a house with a would-be convert played by Hugh Grant whose challenges puts them through a harrowing experience. The excellent use of the square footage of the house is reminiscent of Caveat as we find out what is behind every door. I am a sucker for great production design and this one-location puzzle-box house subgenre is winning me over.

2025 - R - 6/10 - Not a live action Charlie the Unicorn.

It is hard to not give any movie with Paul Rudd a couple of bonus points for his likability alone but, ultimately, this movie was just alright. Light on the jokes and themes and characters… there is fun to be had here but it feels like more fluff than substance. Not bad but not something I can’t see us rewatching a lot. That is basically all I have to say about DoaU so, while I have space, you should really check out Wanderlust if you haven’t seen it. Great R-rated comedy with Rudd at his best.

2024 - PG - 8/10 - Another great Pattinson project.

While some of Mickey 17 is predictable given the premise, it is hard to describe this movie as anything but suprising. Given some of Bong Joon Ho’s movies you may not expect this to be as silly as it is. Putting in another “I can’t imagine anyone else as this character” performance, Pattinson owns this role with a surprising amount of physical comedy, heart, and humanity. Spoilers but, I have to say, having Pattinson confirm a scene that reminded me of Ren and Stimpy was inspired by the duo was hilarious.

1997 - PG-13 - 9/10 - Leo’s Big Boat Adventure.

Let’s get this out of the way: James Cameron knows how to make a big-budget crowd pleaser. It is easy to see why this is one of the biggest movies of all time. The movie is about 3 hours long and the ship hits the iceberg right at halfway through. That gives you two movies: the first half is a competently written and shot movie of a crowd-pleasing love story. The second half is a harrowing spectacle that brings the tragedy and horror of The Titanic to life. If you only know this movie from the memes, fix that!

1985 - PG - 10/10 - One boy’s quest to get his bike back.

Considered a classic by most Millenials, this movie holds up as an ode to the name calling, oversized sliverware, and scary Large Marge moments of childhood. The character of Pee-wee is not an adult but is a 5-year old boy’s idea of the coolest adult: cool bike, can go to the magic shop alone, has a house full of toys and wacky devices… Once you see the movie through those eyes, the story of this rebel loner’s cross-country quest to get his bike back feels like the biggest adventure a kid could imagine.

2020 - R - 8/10 - Oddity’s bigger, badder brother.

This movie is built on a premise that would ruin it if it wasn’t the title and spoiled in the trailer. The main character agrees to a task that has a caveat that no sane person would agree to BUT once you grant the movie that one thing, the rest of the character’s actions are believable as we descend into a nightmare. Tense, frightening, and filled with foreshadowing as the director pays off every inch of the unique setting of the film. Whiile Oddity felt claustrophobic, this movie builds throughout, adding layers as it goes.

2024 - R - 9/10 - Yeah… this one was… yup.

This is a movie about relationships that exist in an almost unspoken way. One where both men say a lot but neither man says much verbally about their relationship as they communicate through the shared experience of the journey. Without commenting on whether or not they have a healthy relationship, it feels very true-to-life. The movie explores the pros and cons of each character’s outlook. While it is very understated, this is a movie that forces you to think about how you approach the world and why.

2019 - R - 10/10 - Eggers’ slow-burn Lovecraftian masterpiece.

In The Lighthouse, Eggers perfected a stunning vision of madness. His second film found him fixing the small pacing, editing, and narrative flaws that divided people on The Witch. The movie is hard to categorize as it is a weird intense character study focusing on two men stranded in a lighthouse until they (or something unseen) drive them insane. It is extremely entertaining to ride along as Dafoe and Pattinson turn in tour-de-force performances becoming increasingly unhinged and detached from reality.

2023 - R - 7/10 - Nic Cage in another ‘good but not great’ movie.

Lately Cage can be hit-or-miss. This is very nearly another hidden gem. His character starts appearing in everyone’s dreams which leads to a plot loosely about cancel culture but missing a clear opinion. The result is unfocused as the main premise branches off to several ideas, none explored too deeply. By the end, it feels like watching part of 4 decent movies but fails to fully tie things together in a satisfying way. This is one that others will say I am too harsh on but it is frustratingly close to being a great film.

2024 - R - 8/10 - A solid follow up and another creepy trip.

I was pleasantly surprised by the first Smile. Stop reading here if you don’t want spoilers, I warned you. The first Smile has a great “unreliable narrator” twist to it as the protagonist loses her mind and we go with her. This movie doubles down on that bit and pays off in a lot of the same ways. The one thing that I will knock here is that it feels like a remake of its predecessor with a larger budget, without pushing the lore or larger story much further. That is a nitpick though as this film delivers again on this premise.

2024 - R - 9/10 - Another Robert Eggers Masterpiece.

This is a great film that delivers exactly what you would hope for when you hear Nosferatu is being remade by the director of The Witch. If you are not familiar with Eggars, he loves a slow burn movie oozing with atmosphere. This is only his 4th movie and his constant refinement of his craft really shows. Here he is attempting to make the definitive version of this story and by referencing other versions of Dracula in other movies and staying close to the source material, he may have accomplished just that.

2012-2014 - PG-13-R - 8/10 - An overstuffed Middle-earth dessert.

I know this trilogy has a lot of haters, and I’ll admit it is a bit of an overstuffed mess compared to LotR, but my take has always been that LotR is like watching history play out in realtime where the Hobbit is intentionally more cartoonish and fantastical as it is Bilbo’s retelling of his adventure. Thinking of it this way, I appreciate this trilogy as a complement to, not extension of, the LotR trilogy. I know it has its flaws, and plenty of them, but I also understand why they chanced giving us too much instead of too little.

2001-2003 - PG-13 - 10/10 - An unmatched cinematic achievement.

In nearly every way you could judge a movie, the LotR stands head and shoulders above the rest. Created at a time when CGI was still expensive enough to justify doing a lot of practical work, the visuals are a perfect blend of gritty realism and CGI-heightened fantasy elements, the script is about as true to the books as you could expect, the cast is a tour-de-force of at-the-time unknowns, and Howard Shore’s score is one of the most iconic of all time. If you have not seen these, do yourself the favor.

2024 - PG-13 - 6/10 - Not bad but we wanted to like this more.

The last hour of this movie actually delivers on a lot of the lore of Helm Hammerhand and how Helm’s Deep got its name. The first hour of this movie could use some editing and, frankly, gives you too much time to focus on the things that are bothering you about the film. This uses that half animation / half CG style that a lot of people don’t like. It also has some writing, editing, and pacing issues. These are all forgivable in the solid second half but you gotta make it through that first half first…

2024 - PG - 9/10 - A great take on a great musical.

Guest Gen Alpha Review by Elyse Weasle

I have seen Wicked on stage before so I was excited to see how they made it a movie. The movie was great and I can see why it’s trending everywhere. Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande were both great along with the rest of the cast. I do enjoy that they took time to develop more story line in The Emerald City but they did not add too much. It was more than the play but it was still Wicked. Some movie versions of musicals do not succeed but I’d say this was a success and I cannot wait for pt. 2 in 2025. - E.W.