Movies huh? Anyways, I’d say that if there was any connecting theme between the four films today it would be “notoriety.” I’m basing that off pulling that out of my ass at the last minute because I’ve had bad writer’s block. Anyways, let’s move on.
In terms of longevity, few films have been on the “queue”
for Unseen Terror longer than Michael Mann’s Manhunter. I have no
legitimate excuse for why it took so long to finally watch it until 2024. Maybe
laziness? I mean hell, how did I choose watching every single Hellraiser and
Children of the Corn sequel over watching the on-screen debut of
infamous fictional serial killer Hannibal Lector? Manhunter stars
William Petersen as retired FBI criminal profiler Will Graham, who is dragged
out of retirement to assist in the arresting of a new serial killer nicknamed
“The Tooth Fairy.” Still mentally scarred following his last case and encounter
with a killer (in this case, Brian Cox’s Hannibal Lector), he must confront
demons from his past to track down this new, enigmatic force. I’ll admit that
it was somewhat difficult to NOT compare this older adaptation of Thomas
Harris’ Red Dragon novel to the one that came out in 2002, because in
terms of accuracy and faithfulness to the source material, that picture leaves
in parts from the book that are absent here. That being said, I’d argue that
between the two pieces of film, this is the more stylistically captivating (its
use of strong color cues and tinted sceneries are otherworldly), and it’s a
more well-made flick in general. The performances from everyone (Petersen and
Cox in particular) are triumphant, and with the way that Michael Mann shoots it
you feel like you’re just stuck inside some semblance of what once was a more
“normal” world. The score of Manhunter is one of its strongest aspects
too; Michel Rubini’s sounds are synth-heavy, making the picture feel dated in a
good way. Not much can replicate it.
Manhunter is a tremendous and superbly underrated
flick that I regret not watching sooner. I suspect that there is much more to
analyze and take in upon repeated viewings too, which I’ll be more than happy
to do over the next few years. It’s currently streaming on Amazon Prime, but if
you lack access to that, there are several methods in which you can gain a
physical copy of the flick itself.
I was slightly mistaken when glancing at the poster for
1988’s Jack’s Back, as I was under the impression this would be more
like a horror film than what it really turned out to be: a mystery flick with
James Spader somehow NOT playing a villain. Hey, I can’t help that I’ve become
accustomed to seeing him play a slimeball throughout most of my picture-viewing
life. I sure hope he’s a nice fella in real life. The movie stars Spader as one
of several people seeking the identity of a person who has begun committing
murders on the 100th anniversary of Jack the Ripper’s first
slayings. Without giving too much away, this movie’s biggest twist occurs VERY
early on, which while surprising, has been spoiled by nearly every media outlet
or movie aggregator (Letterboxd is guilty of this too). I do wish it was a
little more “thrilling” or even scary, but there are some moments of intensity
and shots of gore that almost made me forget that this is from the same
director who’d go on to direct cult favorite Road House a year after
this hit cinemas. Overall, it’s a breezy watch, and Spader’s utter weirdness
(even as a normal person) and eternal charming nature helps elevate it to
the “pretty good” pile.
…. what? Marvel/20th Century Fox advertised their
final X-Men-related piece (or did they? Hyuk Hyuk) as their first foray
into the world of horror, so I’m going to say this counts for the list.
Besides, I’ve already seen Brightburn, and I’m not in a hurry to revisit
that. Anyways, considering the notorious amount of reshoots, delays, edits, and
general hell that The New Mutants went through, it’s a miracle that this
turned out to be watchable AT ALL. The movie is centered around a group of
young mutants (a.k.a. a human that possesses a genetic trait which usually
manifests into powers) being held in a secret facility and spending most of
their time brooding, squabbling, and acting like less fun versions of the kids
from A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors. Something weird comes
up and they discover that they’re being held captive to be turned into weapons
instead of heroes, and someone seems to be manifesting their darkest fears into
reality. As far as characters go, this is a real mixed bag. The cast is full of
talented performers like Maisie Williams (Game of Thrones), Charlie
Heaton (Stranger Things), and Anya Taylor-Joy (The Witch, Furiosa),
but most of the time they’re either trying a bit too hard with tacked-on bad
accents (seriously guys, Illyana/Magik is Russian, but she doesn’t talk or act
like a racist Yakov Smirnoff) or just saddled with very predictable dialogue.
Even if you aren’t a comics purist or X-Men devotee, you can still sense that
something doesn’t feel quite right. But how does it fare as a horror film?
Well….it has a giant CGI spirit bear that violently mauls some people, and the
cast find themselves being terrorized by things called “The Smiling Men,” who
look like rejected creature designs from Silent Hill. Also, Maisie
Williams can kinda-sorta turn into a Werewolf at will. Sooooooo, there’s that.
Honestly, it sounds like I’m being a real cynic but
considering that this followed the trainwrecks that were X-Men: Apocalypse and
The Dark Phoenix, this is a masterpiece in comparison to those two. I
didn’t find myself upset watching this one (though I was occasionally bored),
and I’m glad I can finally say that I’ve watched “Marvel’s first horror movie”
(the amount of disrespect to Blade by the way…some motherfuckers I
swear), but it’s ultimately a big collective shrug.
Seeing as how all the Disney+ Simpsons shorts are the
worst thing since the last worst thing ever, I’d rather not talk about this one
and just move on. Half a star for Kelsey as Sideshow Bob because I’m a stupid
mark.
The story of Woman of the Hour is perhaps the most “notorious”
of the ones I’m reviewing today, and that’s because it’s based on a very real,
very odd moment in television that a large chunk of people could have faint
memories of; during an episode of old television staple The Dating Game (for
you youngins’, imagine a sillier predecessor to Love is Blind), the
featured bachelorette unknowingly picked a date with a man who was secretly a
serial killer (played by Daniel Zovatto). It also marks the directorial debut
of established actress Anna Kendrick, who also stars as an aspiring actress who
is coaxed onto the show by her agent because they assume it will lead to
television exposure and future projects. There is some loose playing with
history here for the sake of crafting a more taut and tense picture, but for
the most part it works very well. Zovatto can switch between surprisingly
charming and terrifying at the drop of a hat, and I sure hope the guy gets a
chance to be cast in some bigger projects. I’d say that the overall message of Woman
of the Hour is to please believe women when they say that something seems
very “off” about an individual, as you never know how long their creepy
tendencies have been prominent and (in this case) how large their body count
may be. It’s on Netflix and worth an evening viewing. I’d be very happy to see
Anna Kendrick direct a full-fledged horror movie sooner than later now.
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