Review Roundup - Damage Control

SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING

So let's be realistic here, they killed Spider-man on the big screen. They squashed him. Sony Pictures took a big newspaper and no amount of precognitive senses could save him. I feel like I'm over stating things, but without getting bogged down with even more analogies about bugs circling drains ... let's just say it was not looking good. News of yet another reboot to try and clear up the big mess they made was pretty absurd. But of course then the Civil War movie came along, Electro and his wacky scheme was promptly brushed under the carpet, and things started to feel vaguely promising. So here we are with a big flashy inter-connected film full of tie-ins and cameos, and even Star Wars products. But as it turns out this is pretty good after all, and nobody was more surprised than me.

Horror Bites - Riders On the Storm

THE HITCHER (1986)

The suspense of a good car chase is rarely transplanted outside of action cinema for some reason. It's something that seems like a missed opportunity. Beyond Stephen Spielberg's classic road movie Duel the two ideas are mixed together rather infrequently. Why are there so many Jaws imitators and not more truck versus car thrillers? Slashers on wheels, it's a whole sub-genre that could have been. However there is at least one example of the horror genre colliding with the chase movie (beyond The Terminator which takes these ideas to so many other places). I'm of course referring to the high speed chills of The Hitcher.

Review Roundup - You Must Whip It

WONDER WOMAN (2017)

While generic origin stories haven't really been something the DC juggernaut has been interested in developing so far, it seems like they've taken a second look at the idea with this latest instalment. It's always a crowd pleasing plot structure, but of course things always feel far too familiar. On the other hand this is never an entirely negative attribute. While I was fairly lenient with Man of Steel, the subsequent hero on hero slug-fest was a huge mess that could have KO'd any chance of something smaller and more light hearted making an impression. However with Gal Gadot finally getting an proper introduction into this series it seems as though a fresh approach might be exactly what was needed. At least someone remembered how a three act superhero adventure was meant to work.

Scorecard

OCTOBER

FILM OF THE MONTH: The Last Battle ☆☆☆☆
The Comedy of Terrors ☆☆☆☆
Airplane! ☆☆☆☆
Bad Taste ☆☆☆☆
Blade Runner ☆☆☆☆
Children of Men ☆☆☆☆
Creepshow ☆☆☆☆
Hellraiser ☆☆☆☆
The Usual Suspects ☆☆☆☆