NOT another streaming Movie - Resident Evil

Resident Evil based on the Resident Evil video game franchise by Capcom.

I never saw the original films, this reboot follows the failure of Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City (2021) and the cancellation of the 2022 Netflix television series. 

The reboot, has grossed $26 million at the box office and received positive reviews, becoming the highest-rated film based on a video game on Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic. Scoring well over 90% on Rotten Tomatoes, the film was actually a really fun film.

From the mind of visionary filmmaker Zach Cregger (Weapons, Barbarian) comes a thrilling, and terrifying reinvention of the Resident Evil franchise. 

In an all-new story, Resident Evil follows Bryan (Austin Abrams), a medical courier who unwittingly finds himself in an action-packed, non-stop race for survival as one fateful, horrifying night collapses around him in chaos. 

With a small cast alongside Abrams, Zach Cherry, Kali Reis, and Paul Walter Hauser also star.

Abrams really carries the action, in this first person horror, survival film. The action moves swiftly over the just over an hour and half. I enjoyed this film. Pure popcorn escapism.

The movie moves so fast, before you know it, the end credits are screening. So if you are into video games, horror or action films. With a side of horror, this is for you.

I may go back and watch some old Resident Evil films.

Speaking of video games, man I am waiting for Street Fighter! Bring it on!

For Resident Evil, 4 Stars right up in here!

Winter be Bingeing 26' - Interview with the Vampire - Anne Rice's The Vampire Lestat

Anne Rice's Interview with the Vampire, based on The Vampire Chronicles by Anne Rice, streaming now on SBS on demand, after moving from ABC iView. So now you get multiple Allianz ads per episode.

Man their ads are repetitive! I have to say, I keep banging on about this but they are bad.

The series returned for a third season in June, titled Anne Rice's The Vampire Lestat, based on the second novel. The series has been renewed for a fourth season titled Anne Rice's Queen of the Damned, based on the third novel. 

Jacob Anderson as Louis de Pointe du Lac / Thomas Pitt, Aussie, Sam Reid as Lestat de Lioncourt, and Eric Bogosian as Daniel Molloy,  reprise their roles in the season three. Jennifer Ehle, Damien Atkins, Ella Ballentine, Jeanine Serralles, and Christopher Heyerdahl, Sheila Atim was later cast as Akasha, the mother of all vampires and the title character of the third book The Queen of the Damned in October, while Noah Reid, Ryan Kattner, Seamus Patterson and Sarah Swire joined the cast as Lestat's band members. Whilst Amaka Umeh was announced in the role of Dee Pharma, a member of Lestat's entourage.

So it sounds like we will see loads more of Sheila Atim in season four. We will have to wait though. Mayfair Witches will return in 2027, so until then, no more Ann Rice as Talamasca: The Secret Order, was cancelled after one season.

So how does episode seven go down? If like me, you are cheap and refuse to pay for AMC in Australia and wait for SBS, don't read ahead unless you have watched all seven, musical episode. Yes season three goes a little musical. I know right.

 

While Daniel carries Lestat's head to a bowling alley to allow him to slowly die due to separation from his body, Lestat's subconscious is tormented by visions of Magnus, Gabriella, and all his fledglings, who force him to confront all his failings, resulting in him eventually coming to a point of self-acceptance. 

Armand keeps Louis' severed head restrained and tries to force him to admit that he was in the wrong for the failure of their relationship, revealing in the process that he found and hired Regina to get close to Louis to manipulate him; Louis eventually gives a heartfelt apology for not being able to truly love Armand, causing him to relent and restore Louis' head to his body. 

Raglan retrieves Lestat's head from Daniel, revealing that the Talamasca want the Great Conversion to happen as a means of population control. Once restored to his body and reunited with Louis, Lestat confronts his mother and refuses to perform the concert. 

In a flash forward, Lestat looks out over a ruined city as he reflects on his part in Akasha's rise and the subsequent mass death.

So season four is all set up. Will there be some Easter Eggs in the next season of Mayfair Witches? Time will tell. Up next week. Fightland and Lioness conclude.

Winter be Bingeing 26' - Reacher - Season Four

A chance encounter with a distraught stranger on the Philadelphia subway draws Jack Reacher into a deadly mystery.

Reacher is an American action crime television series developed by Nick Santora for Amazon Prime Video. The fourth season of Reacher on Amazon, is based on the thirteenth novel, Gone Tomorrow, commenced mid-August, concluding midweek. Reacher has been renewed for a fifth season, which will be based on the twentieth novel, Make Me.

A spin-off series, Neagley, premiered, with all eight episodes this week too. 

In the fourth season, Reacher encounters a troubled woman named Anna Merrick on a train that takes a dangerous turn, and finds himself caught up in a complex and deadly conspiracy involving a missing USB drive, and enemies at the highest ranks of power.

The season, based on Gone Tomorrow (2009), stars Alan Ritchson, Sydelle Noel, Agnez Mo, Anggun, Christopher Marquette, & Kevin Corrigan.

This season moved fast. The pacing was excellent. The action, outstanding. Every episode zoomed past. Even the longer finale, did not outstay its welcome. The Indonesian villains were wild. The knife work, the gore in parts. This season had it all.

Even some sexy times and Reacher nude from behind.

If like me you weren't hooked and haven't smashed this already, don't read below the trailer.

After Sampson's death, Plum wakes up and identifies the suicide bomber as Tomas Waberi to Docherty. 

Reacher, Tamara, and Jacob deduce that the Hoths are reproducing the toxin at the abandoned restaurant and go there. Jacob and Tamara try to retrieve the toxin, but a thug manages to take it and leave. 

Reacher fights the Hoths and, despite being severely wounded, throws Amisha out the window. 

Jacob and Tamara follow the thug to a nightclub, where Tamara kills him and the vial survives the fall, preventing the releasing. 

Lila tries to inject Reacher with the toxin, but he injects it into her instead, killing her. Foster tries to kill a weakened Reacher, but Amisha kills him. Jacob then incapacitates Amisha and considers killing her, but arrests her instead. 

Reacher later wakes up in the hospital, learns they are no longer wanted and gives Plum the USB drive to restart his career. 

In the aftermath, Tamara is reinstated as inspector, Jacob mourns the death of his sister and nephew, and Reacher leaves Philadelphia.

Bring on season five! For now I need to get into binge of Neagley. I believe Jack Reacher appears in this season too.

Until next time, it's the weekend. Praise be!

Winter be Bingeing 26' - Trigger Point - Season Four

Like yesterday's The Walking Dead: Dead City third season, Trigger Point, streams on Aussie streamer, Stan. The British crime/thriller series, starring Vicky McClure as a police bomb disposal expert in London. The fourth series was released late August, with all episodes landing at once. Currently there is no news of a fifth season.

Season four begins, acting on intelligence from a STRAP 3 MI5 source, Washington’s team and CTSFOs pursue a suspected explosive equipped truck heading to the Bank of England. SO15 orchestrates road closures, directing the truck into a tunnel out of sight of a drone monitoring it. CTSFOs remove the driver, allowing Rahim to take his place and Washington to enter, resuming the route so the drone operators do not become suspicious. She discovers the bomb is linked to a satellite phone, rendering their radio jamming useless. 

Whilst searching an address linked to the driver, DS Morgan fails to call it in and DCI Batra is killed by an explosive booby trap. Morgan takes the SD card from her body camera and fakes injuries. Hassan disobeys orders from Commander Quentin to change direction, giving Washington enough time to defuse the device. The drone is shot down, but two more bombs immediately detonate in another part of the city. 

Some time later, Washington reluctantly undergoes treatment for PTSD with Eddie, a new therapist.

Now I don't want to sound like a negative Nancy, but four seasons in, whilst exciting, the series is becoming a little predictable.

In the finale (where I became a bit of a negative Nancy), Washington enters the stadium with CTSFOs led by Phil Croxley, ordering Danny not to accompany her and leave the blast radius should she fail. 

Francis doesn't order an evacuation, knowing it would disrupt the search. The Prime Minister scrambles RAF Typhoon’s to bomb the stadium and stop the detonation as a last resort. 

CTSFOs engage the PMC’s so Washington can find the bomb, with Croxley giving her a pistol. Morgan rescues her brother and finds out the bomb's location, conveying it to Washington. 

The Chief of Defence Staff orders the fighters commence bombing ten minutes before detonation, giving Washington just six minutes. Out of detonators, she uses the primer from a disassembled 9mm round to detonate plastic explosive and break the device in half, but is shot by a sniper. 

Croxley kills the sniper, the device is neutralised and the strike aborted at the last second. Washington survives her injuries and helps Oldfield to track down and arrest Morgan in France. 

Formally resigning from EOD with a recovered Hassan taking her place, Washington begins a road trip with her new pet dog, seemingly more at peace.

I enjoy this series, however after four seasons, it feels like the outcome is always the same. Like Dexter (the first time around). Each season would roll around, a new villain would enter, Dexter would always cover everything up neatly. For a few seasons it's fun. Then it just becomes a predictable formula, rolled out again and again.

Until next time, Reacher concludes today, Lioness Sunday, with Fightland on break, then returning for a finale next Friday.

Winter be Bingeing 26' - The Walking Dead: Dead City - Season Three

The Walking Dead: Dead City, for AMC, is based on The Walking Dead characters Maggie and Negan. 

It is the first sequel to The Walking Dead television series, and the fifth series in The Walking Dead franchise, sharing continuity with the other television series. Lauren Cohan and Jeffrey Dean Morgan reprise their roles as Maggie and Negan from the original television series, with Gaius Charles, Željko Ivanek, Lisa Emery, Logan Kim, joining the season three cast are, Raúl Castillo, Aimee Garcia, & Jimmi Simpson.

Last July, the series was renewed for an eight-episode third season, which premiered late July. Currently there is no news on a fourth season. The counterpart series, The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon has been renewed for a fourth and final season, which is set to premiere in 2027. Could that be the end of The Walking Dead franchise?

So how does series three wrap in the Big Apple? In a flashback, a lonely Dillard imagines his walker pets as real people. 

In the present, Dillard decides to turn a zombified Renata into Titicaca's replacement and threatens to execute Luis. 

Negan considers surrendering but Maggie, in the alley where they met the fortune teller in the alternate reality, admits that although she will never forgive what he did, Maggie has finally moved passed Negan killing Glenn and considers him family. 

While Negan sneaks past the guards at the community's wall, Maggie releases the walkers from the pens in the subway and Hershel sets off a siren in the apartment building to lure them in while rallying the residents to barricade the doors. 

Maggie, Negan and the walkers kill most of the Dead Squad while Hershel is forced to kill Radomir in defence of a group of innocent people. 

In a final confrontation, Negan attempts to bring his former best friend back to reality, but Dillard is too far gone, forcing Maggie to kill him to save Negan. Honouring Dillard's wishes, the pair allow him to reanimate, finding new friends amongst the dead. 

A week later, life has returned to normal for the community. Hershel completes his first year of medical training, tattoos himself with an image of the community and paints a mural of Renata. Maggie puts away her wedding ring, finally ready to move on from Glenn, and takes leadership of the community. Negan finally joins and accepts Maggie's invitation to be head of security. With Manhattan having been reclaimed by the living, Maggie suggests that they start retaking the rest of New York City.

Will we get to see Maggie and Raúl Castillo as Luis DeLeon become an item? Is Maggie ready for love again after losing Glenn all those seasons ago to Negan's bat.

I much prefer this to Daryl Dixon's story. However, I do think the Walking Dead is really running out of gas. Fast. It might be time to be a knife in the final zombies head, for one last kill.

Winter be Bingeing 26' - The Shards - Season One

The Shards is the latest Ryan Murphy, teen thriller. Streaming on Disney+.

FX’s The Shards is a seductive drama series from executive producer Ryan Murphy, based on the acclaimed bestselling novel by Bret Easton Ellis. 

Set against the vivid backdrop of 1980s Los Angeles, the series follows a group of privileged high school seniors at an elite prep school as they navigate identity, sex, jealousy, obsession and the dangers lurking beneath the surface of American adolescence.

Prior to the series order, Jacob Elordi was reported to be in talks for a role in the adaption in September 2023. 

In July 2025, in addition to the green-light of the show announcement, it was revealed that Igby Rigney, Homer Gere, and Graham Campbell joined the cast as Ellis, Robert Mallory, and Thom Wright respectively. Later, Hayes Warner joined the cast as Debbie Schaffer, Wes Bentley joined the cast as Debbie's father Terry alongside Evan Rachel Wood, Owen Painter & Jordan Roth who were cast in recurring roles.

If you didn't catch the finale on Thursday evening, maybe don't read ahead. Well watch the trailer, but past that.

Debbie is sent the videotape of her father and Bret having sex in a hotel room; she uses the threat of publicly outing Terry to blackmail him. 

Thom begs Susan to take him back, but she rebuffs his advances and says he scared her. Thom kneels down to propose to her, but Debbie interrupts and saves Susan. Back in her room with Susan, Debbie finds the decapitated head of her pet horse Spirit in her bed. Debbie confronts Bret when he isn't aroused by her advances; Bret blames it on being in a pool, and affirms that he wants to be with her still. 

Robert confesses his love for Susan, and the start dating. Later when she's alone, an intruder breaks into her home, before Thom seemingly saves her. 

At a Halloween party hosted by Debbie, Robert denies that him and Bret ever slept together. Terry is pushed off the stairwell balcony by an unseen antagonist; later, at the police station, Bret and Robert are lead to an interview room with Debbie, Susan, Thom, Ryan, Liz and Steven, where police say they have evidence one of them is responsible for Katherine Latchford and Matt Kelners's murders and Rhonda's kidnapping.

Now I thought this was set to be a one and done miniseries. However, it does leave a lot up in the air for a second outing.

This is sadly not Ryan Murphy's work. I am hoping the upcoming season of American Horror Story is all killer, no filler. At 13 episodes though I am a little worried. With an all-star, all reunion for the hit series (possible last season?) spooky 13th run.

Ryan Murphy has loads on the go, with the two 9-1-1 series returning next month, Monster and AHS back this month, All's Fair renewed, whilst it looks like The Beauty must be done and dusted.

Up next, The Walking Dead: Dead City third season wraps on Stan, Monday. Reacher concludes on Amazon mid next week, whilst High Country returns on Binge and Last Seen continues weekly on Apple TV. So much TV at present. Good to see some Australian stories too.

NOT another streaming Movie - Insidious: Out of the Further

Insidious: Out of the Further is the latest supernatural/horror film to hit our big screens. Whilst, serving as a sequel to Insidious: The Red Door (2023) & is the sixth instalment in the Insidious franchise. 

In the film, a young woman who can interact with and bring spirits to the mortal world is soon haunted by malevolent forces.

Starring, Amelia Eve, Brandon Perea and Maisie Richardson-Sellers, with Lin Shaye reprising her role from the previous films. It is written and directed by Jacob Chase.

Thus far the film received generally mixed reviews from critics and has grossed $141 million worldwide with a budget of $18 million. That is a box office hit. The series, has earned over $740 million at the global box office, the Insidious franchise returns with a new family and a terror that redefines what The Further is capable of.

Amelia Eve stars as Gemma, a young mother raising her daughter in the house she grew up in who discovers she can travel into The Further, the purgatorial realm of lost souls at the heart of the Insidious universe. When something evil comes after her, Gemma discovers an ability that changes everything: she doesn’t just enter The Further, she can bring what lives there back to the real world. Once the demons realise her power, our world becomes their playground.

Filmed in Victoria, Australians James Wan and Leigh Whannell continue to bring horror to our big screens. With the help of Jason Blum.

This was the perfect Friday night jump scare film I need. To unwind after weeks of job interviews and just sit back and enjoy the ride.

The dental scenes were a bit much after another filling this week. Following a crown earlier this year and root canal surgery in the past 18 months. Fuck. I am a frequent flyer at the dentist currently.

It appears the Insidious film series will live on. To be titled Thread: An Insidious Tale, with Mandy Moore & Kumail Nanjiani to star.

Bring it on! Mandy Moore, The OG Candy girl!

I can't remember whether I have watched all the prior Insidious films. However I don't think it matters.

This was a new(ish) story. I reckon I will see the next film too.

Either way, alongside Nicole and Sandra returning with some magic, The Odyssey, Spider-Man and this still screens at the cinemas. It's been an epic winter for cinema in Australia. Bring on Street Fighter I say!

Until next time (back to TV, with The Shards) have a good weekend.

3 Stars.