Tuesday, March 19, 2024

Post Strike Cinema 24' - Imaginary

Imaginary is my second horror film in one week. Both sucked. Well this one (I have to be fair) was on par with Baghead. Which I did pass as I was missing the cinema post Vietnam.

Unlike Baghead with most unknown faces, Imaginary gets TV stars like DeWanda Wise from Stan's recent romp Three Women and Tom Payne from the Walking Dead. This is also another Jason Blum/Blumhouse Productions film. 

Alongside Wise and Payne, Taegen Burns, Pyper Braun, Matthew Sato, Veronica Falcón (Queen of the South), and Betty Buckley also star.

Imaginary was released last week to mostly received negative reviews from critics. So with Ghostbusters coming this Thursday, expect Imaginary to finish up at the cinemas soon and appear on a streaming service soon.


If you watch the trailer you get the way this story is going down. It is a little longer than Baghead, but does have a bit more of a meaty storyline. It wasn't great, but it was really in line with the previously mentioned Baghead.

A few jump scares, a little predictable, a fairly quick paced run of the mill horror picture. Let's hope some good films are on the on the way. 2024 in cinema is hardly that mind blowing thus far.

2.5 Stars.

Sunday, March 17, 2024

Sizzlin' Summer Streaming 24' - Feud: Capote vs. The Swans

Feud: Capote vs. The Swans is the long awaited second season Ryan Murphy anthology series. The initial focus for season two was originally the relationship between Charles, Prince of Wales and Diana, Princess of Wales. However The Crown has been there done that!

This eight-episode season was based on the book Capote's Women: A True Story of Love, Betrayal, and a Swan Song for an Era written by Laurence Leamer.

The season premiered at the end of January, concluding this past week. Now I must say this could have been a UK miniseries order of four or six episodes, it did feel a little bloated at eight long(ish) episodes.

So what's the drum? Truman Capote ruins his friendships with a socialite group of New York City high society by writing a thinly veiled fictionalised account of their scandalous and hedonistic lives in his (ultimately unfinished) novel Answered Prayers. 

When Esquire publishes the chapter La Côte Basque 1965, after the restaurant of the same name frequented by the Swans, several vow to ruin his life in revenge.

Aussie queen Naomi Watts joins Treat Williams (in his last project before his death in 2023), Tom Hollander as Truman Capote, Diane Lane, Calista Flockhart and Demi Moore joins Murphy's fold of stars. Yes it's a BIG ass cast! Super talented, super slick! On paper and on the small screen!

 

SPOILER ALERTS, finale brief ahead. In 1984, Truman visits Babe's grave and lies down on top of it, longing to be reunited. He later visits Jack's apartment while pursuing sobriety, and the two reconcile and part ways as Truman vows to finish Answered Prayers as an apology to his former friends. 

As he writes, he envisions himself reconciling with the Swans by selflessly granting their deepest wishes. Between chapters, he has a vision of his combative mother, which drives him back to drinking and using drugs. During one such episode, he recalls her suicide, and hallucinates Ann, who informs him that Answered Prayers will never restore his friendships, as he wrote it with the intent of destroying high society out of revenge for himself and his shunned mother. 

He destroys the completed manuscript in secret and departs for his final stay with Joanne. In 2016, Truman's ashes are sold at auction for $45,000 (with Kate Harrington in attendance) as the ghosts of the Swans critique the proceedings.

Look episode seven, the series was closed off, so episode eight just felt a little blah.

The critics are however loving it so..... Maybe some awards will come the long awaited second seasons way. Keeping in mind, Bette and Joan was delivered back in 2017! Will we see a third season before 2030? No renewal news yet, however FX do love them some Ryan Murphy. American Horror Stories Delicate returns for the four remaining episodes next month on Binge where you can also stream this! Until next time. BYE-BYE!

Friday, March 15, 2024

Post Strike Cinema 24' - Baghead

Horror films are all the rage post COVID. So it was not surprising to see another bump in the night film called Baghead get a release whilst I was away. I saw three films whilst in Vietnam. Since returning (catching up on all my stories on the small screen) I have not had a minute for a big screen moment.

Baghead has now been replaced by Imaginary (from Blumhouse) as the latest horror picture to hit the big screen.

So what is Baghead all about? Following the death of her estranged father (Peter Mullan), Iris (Freya Allan) learns she has inherited a run-down, centuries-old pub. She travels to Berlin to identify her father’s body and meet with The Solicitor (Ned Dennehy) to discuss the estate. 

Berlin is a little spooky, however no one seems to speak the German, it's English all the way baby!

Little does Iris know, when the deed is signed she will become inextricably tied to an unspeakable entity that resides in the pub’s basement – Baghead – a shape-shifting creature that can transform into the dead.

Two thousand in cash for two minutes with the creature is all it takes for desperate loved ones to ease their grief. Neil (Jeremy Irvine), who has lost his wife, is Iris’ first customer. 

Like her father, Iris is tempted to exploit the creature’s powers and help desperate people for a price. But she soon discovers breaking the two-minute rule can have terrifying consequences. 

Together with her best friend Katie (Ruby Barker), Iris must battle to keep control of Baghead and figure out how to destroy her, before she destroys them.


Now the film does have an appealing 80 (odd) minute runtime. However it still does feel long!

The film has the usual jump scare moments. There is a creepy old lady with a bag on her head, who can morph into peoples requested dead loved ones.

It is not all bad though. It does get to the point fairly quickly. It is also not a happy ending all that ends well Hollywood film. The Guardian was a little rough and gave it 2 Stars previously. 

This was not as bad as Night Swim, however nowhere near as good as last year's brilliant, Talk to Me.

I will pass this as I have barely been to the cinema in quarter one of 2024, compared to previous years. This is meant to be a semi peak cinema time post the Oscars.

Did you see the Razzie Awards too LOL? Imagine next year. Madame Web could sweep the entire event!

For Baghead it's a generous 2.5 Stars.

Thursday, March 14, 2024

Sizzlin' Summer Streaming 24' - Life & Beth - Season Two

Life & Beth's second season was like a warm blanket during a tough time.

Amy Schumer is delightful as Beth, this season dealing with their late 30's and pregnancy. Along with her husband (played by Michael Cera) being diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

Alongside Schumer & Cera, the series stars Violet Young, Michael Cera, Yamaneika Saunders, Michael Rapaport and Susannah Flood. 

The second season premiered all episodes mid-February. So I was deep in my holidays. This was a refreshing series to churn through all ten laugh out loud episodes.


Yes this was real laugh out loud funny, whether it be about life, pregnancy or dealing with getting further along into adulthood. Life throws some curveballs at times, this series tackles them, keeps laughing and shows real warmth.

I really enjoyed this. In Australia the Hulu streams on Disney+.

Hulu/Disney+ are delivering at the moment. I guess they have to be due to their price hikes! I guess after the actors/writers strike, someone gotta pay for them pay rises.