HCF Review - Hokage

SHADOW OF FIRE (2024)

While his earlier films are full of anxiety about urban landscapes, technology, and a whole lot of repressed urges, Shinya Tsukamoto’s recent projects have expressed other concerns. Together with Fires on the Plain and Killing his latest film forms a kind of anti-war trilogy; the manic energy being replaced by a darker more contemplative mood, suggesting his feelings about the fears of audiences today. That this is another period drama is secondary to the emotional content of the story; the message is intended to be evergreen. But how successful is this as a human drama on its own terms? Let’s take a look at how all of these sombre ingredients come together.

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HCF Review - The Chase

BLOOD STAR (2024)

It’s time for a bit of cat and mouse as a vulnerable driver finds themselves on a lonely road with only a vicious stalker for company. The title may be reminiscent of a certain neo-noir mystery but the contents are mostly chase movie and slasher tropes that are very familiar. You know the drill; barren highways, peculiar locals, unhelpful gas station attendants. But it’s also a tale of abusive authority figures in the guise of domestic villains and those wearing badges. Does the feature as a whole use these themes with enough tact to make the story stand out from others in this vein? Well let’s just say it’s a pretty bumpy ride.

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Horror Bites - Too Many Cooks

HALLOWEEN 2024

It's the spooky season once again so what better time could there be for a few monster movies? This time around the villains in question may be human or alien in nature, but the films all have one connecting feature. They could have been focused stories about things from outer space, evil barons, or living statues, but they've got all kinds of other plot elements vying for attention. Of course they're still entertaining as a result but it's interesting to see how writers decided to add subplots or disparate genre ingredients. Why have one idea when you can have two, or maybe more, in the same ninety minutes?

Horror Bites - Prequel-itis

ALIEN: ROMULUS (2024)

Watching prequels and sequels, especially when they're often another 'soft reboot' type affair, feels like a sort of Groundhog Day scenario these days. Nobody wants to do anything creative to avoid commercial disappointment and the results are all too often a case of Déjà vu. Remember the pulse rifle? Remember the Company? Remember dead actors now being portrayed by nightmarish deepfake technology? So despite the mythological images conjured up by the title this is more Alien: Reheated rather than anything deeper. It might look and sound pretty good but the surface level window dressing hides another hollow and mostly recycled effort.

Review Roundup - Apes a Poppin'

KINGDOM OF THE PLANET OF THE APES (2024)

Time for a computer generated ape empire double feature, which for some reason was a thing this year. While I will get to yet another King Kong feature shortly it's obvious that both of these franchises have already reached the limit of what's possible in prior instalments. The potential fourth part in a trilogy is usually ill-advised even if there are some ideas here that mean it's not as easy to dismiss it straight away. The issue is that said ideas are often scarce or spread over an unwieldy running time. Kong and Godzilla had solo movies then a big confrontation, so there wasn't much else left to say. Caesar's story came to an end. But as ever the movies keep coming.