Double Feature: Falling For Christmas (2022) & Last Christmas (2019)

Falling For Christmas (2022)

Director: Janeen Damian

Cast: Lindsay Lohan, Chord Overstreet, George Young, Jack Wagner, Olivia Perez, Alejandra Flores, Sean Dillingham

In the days leading up to Christmas, a young and newly engaged heiress experiences a skiing accident. After being diagnosed with amnesia, she finds herself in the care of the handsome lodge owner and his daughter. – IMDB

I’m guessing the selling point of Falling For Christmas is Lindsay Lohan and the script does have at least one little bit (maybe I missed others) that does pay homage to the Christmas segment of Mean Girls. However to say that this Hallmark film is different than others wouldm’t quite apply here. In fact, the plot itself other than the obvious amnesia bit was very reminiscent to previous Netflix Christmas films like Christmas Inheritance (review). All the plot points are about as generic as it can get for films such as this.

With films like this, the biggest thing is always the cast and the chemistry. There’s no doubt that the Christmas and winter element will be in full abundance and that does not disappoint here at any level. From family warmth to Christmas activities, this film offers it all up really well. Looking at the cast though, there are elements that work mostly in the family scene at the ski lodge with the daughter and mother and the whole fighting for the lodge’s survival.

The chemistry between the two leads played by Lindsay Lohan and Chord Overstreet doesn’t quite work that well. Chord Overstreet is actually pretty decent in his role but somehow, Lindsay Lohan feels a little wooden for the most part. The scenes at times have their silly charm but for the most part, its mostly as the amnesiac her is learning how to do all these chores and making a mess when its most comedic.

There’s honestly not a whole lot to say about Falling For Christmas. Its a very generic Hallmark-ish romantic comedy for the holidays. Sure, the holidays part fits the bill and there’s certain elements that are fun but its nothing too special or memorable. In fact, some of it does fall into cringe, predictable and boring category and I’m the person that actually doesn’t mind a lot of sappy rom-coms.

Last Christmas (2019)

Director: Paul Feig

Cast: Emilia Clarke, Henry Golding, Emma Thompson, Madison Ingoldsby, Boris Isakovic, Lucy Miller, Maxim Baldry, Michelle Yeoh, Lydia Leonard

Kate is a young woman subscribed to bad decisions. Working as an elf in a year round Christmas store is not good for the wannabe singer. However, she meets Tom there. Her life takes a new turn. For Kate, it seems too good to be true. – IMDB

Last Christmas isn’t your normal Hallmark fluffy and sappy holiday film. In fact, it kind of takes on a bit of the literal interpretation of the lyrics of the song “Last Christmas”. It does have a feel-good but bittersweet sort of feeling to it by the end. The film is almost like a late coming of age much in the line of films like Young Adult.

Last Christmas has a rather stacked cast with Henry Golding and Michelle Yeoh being in the same film following their mother-son relationship in Crazy Rich Asians (review) and Emilia Clarke from Game of Thrones. Never was there a day that I’d expect to see Michelle Yeoh in a holiday film but here she is and truly embracing it playing as the owner of the year-round Christmas store and gave herself the name Santa. There’s one bit where she talks about her nicknames that is incredibly entertaining, most of them feeling very unfathomable for this elegant lady. The shining point of this film does lie in its cast which delivers up some pretty good performances from the self-centered Kate to the wise and handsome Tom to the guidance of Santa (the person in the movie, not Santa Claus). Right down to the cast at the homeless shelter that truly does bring a lot of shine to the film as a whole.

There are some predictable elements in the film and nothing here feels like it hasn’t been done before. The ending reveal while still has its surprising element still feels like its been used before, however the dynamic between Tom and Kate is what makes that reveal feel acceptable and even a little heartbreaking if anything. Christmas movies don’t have to be all happy and joyous and while this one still maintains a little bit of those elements and even adds some nice short musical elements to it, it still works well enough in terms of the chemistry between the characters and the flow of the events. Some of it does feel a little unnecessary like the whole comedic and bizarre romance for Michelle Yeoh’s character and the constant discussion of sauerkraut.

Overall, Last Christmas might not a completely unique film but as a Christmas movie, it still works relatively well. While the subject does get a little heavy and it isn’t all completely happy happy joy joy and the Christmas element does feel like its just set during the time of year more than being in the center driving force, it still is rather meaningful as it looks into homelessness, family and making amends for the rebellious choices and finding a balance. As I think more about it, there definitely is a certain charm to it.

Double Feature: The Night House (2020) & Prey (2022)

The Night House (2020)

Director: David Bruckner

Cast: Rebecca Hall, Sarah Goldberg, Vondie Curtis-Hall, Evan Jonigkeit, Stacy Martin

A widow begins to uncover her recently deceased husband’s disturbing secrets. – IMDB

*Originally posted for Friday Film Club*

After the unexpected suicide of her husband Owen (Evan Jonigkeit), Beth (Rebecca Hall) tries to cope with the loss in the best way she can until odd supernatural events start happening in the lakeside house that he built for her. As she digs deeper, she realizes that her husband has some dark secrets and they are now coming back to haunt her. The Night House is a psychological horror that dives into the themes of grief and afterlife.

The Night House is a film that plays with its setting quite a bit. It is pretty much a one setting film which uses the house and the surrounding areas of the lakeside house. The house itself feels like it has a life of its own especially before the reveal. It becomes a central piece to where the secrets lie in its nooks and crannies literally and figurativel. In fact, some of its most effective scares comes from the uneasiness from the environment and the space that it resides. While the film feels rather generic at the start, the film quickly shows off its more creative side with how it executes the horror element. Much like the cinematography which is quite impressive to bring out the unsettling experience.

The small cast of characters also make The Night House very intriguing as it revolves around a wife discovering these dark secrets of her husband. Rebecca Hall plays the role of Beth who becomes a grieving widow who tries to keep it together. There is a wonderful subtlety to character as the emotions brew in her but she doesn’t always show it on the exterior. She delivers a grounded performance that slowly starts going more put of the control as she starts experiencing what feels like her husband reaching out to her. While her husband Owen played by Evan Jonigkeit appears only in her memory as she starts piecing together before his suicide, Owen also has his own layers that slowly gets revealed.

The Night House is an indie horror gem. The film delivers a creepy and unsettling story and revolves it around the more basic horror design ever but playing it to its max with its surroundings. It creates this well-earned jumpscare moment and earns the later anticipation of what could be lurking in the house itself while playing with what is reality and not.

Prey (2022)

Direcctor (and co-writer): Dan Trachtenberg

Cast: Amber Midthunder, Dakota Beavers, Dane DiLiegro, Stormee Kipp, Michelle Thrush, Julian Black Antelope, Stefany Mathias, Bennett Taylor, Mike Paterson

Naru, a skilled warrior of the Comanche Nation, fights to protect her tribe against one of the first highly-evolved Predators to land on Earth. – IMDB

The latest addition to the Predator series, Prey goes back in time to the 1800s to Native Americans tribe when they end up crossing paths with a Predator on the hunt. Being back many years from the first movie, this film is very focused on the hunting elements and the concept between prey and predator. The film features a young female lead who is doubted by her tribe that she is capable however on her initiation, she ends up tracking the Predator. With her dog in tow and her nifty crafting skills along with great tracking skills, she’s a female lead that isn’t a damsel in distress. She does get shocked by this unknown alien creature that she encounters but still uses her wit to try to overcome both the fear and protect her tribe.

Looking at the execution of the film as a whole, the breakdown runs best in a three part breakdown. The first part is a setup where it gives an idea of the strong female lead Naru and the tribe that she resides in (along with how she is viewed in the tribe) while also giving a look on the other side of the spectrum with the Predator as he lands on Earth for his hunt. As the land changes from many skinned and disemboweled ones as well, its quite disgusting to watch overall and does feel at times like it is a bit much and repetitive to get the point across.

However, the film does pick up in the second act as things start to change as the threat of the Predator becomes more apparent. The hunting group meets their own danger and barely escapes when Naru steps up and goes for her initiation of sorts to try to capture whatever beast is endangering the land with her tracking skills. It shows both her competency but also her inexperience as she does show moments of fear. She isn’t a perfect warrior but on in the making. The final act is the best of the film as it builds to the final showdown with a little twist and all decides whether she can come back with her prey.

While Predator series in general is more of an action horror film, Prey takes a rather unique coming of age angle mixed in the plot for a girl who in those days were doubted for her abilities in the tribe and fights for her acceptance as a hunter so she can do more. Overall, the film has a slow setup but once it gets going, the film does take a nice turn of events. Not to mention the cast does a great especially for Amber Midthunder as Naru. Prey might not exactly be the Predator film that a lot of people were hoping for since it does go back in time and it has some pacing flaws, however they did create a really good kick-ass female lead that held up the film.

Double Feature: Hocus Pocus (1993) & Hocus Pocus 2 (2022)

Hocus Pocus (1993)

Director: Kenny Ortega

Cast: Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, Kathy Najimy, Omri Katz, Thora Birch, Vinessa Shaw

A curious youngster moves to Salem, where he struggles to fit in before awakening a trio of diabolical witches that were executed in the 17th century. – IMDB

Hocus Pocus was quite the popular Halloween family film back when I was a kid since it used to be on a TV quite a bit. I’ve always thought it was the case however based on Wikipedia, Hocus Pocus actually is a cult classic and garnered its popularity through these annual television circulation. Its been well over a decade that I’ve revisited Hocus Pocus at the very least so its more to see whether the film still holds the same charm that it had when I was younger at this point.

Hocus Pocus is a pretty fun adventure family movie. New kids in town trying to fit in, brother and sister, Halloween and costumes, waking up wicked witches and some musical elements, there’s a lot of things that work in favor for this type of film. It might not be some big box entertainment but for the fun little adventure nights it does do the trick as it can relate very well as a family film. Plus it even adds in a talking black cat. Of course, this probably isn’t suitable for very young kids considering there is a man that raises from the dead and despite its comedic moments of losing its head and such, it still might seem fairly creepy to the very little ones.

The Sanderson Sisters played by Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy are the definite highlights of the film aling with Binx The Talking Black Cat. The witches are the really charming part of the film in general. Looking at a young Thora Birch as Dani, the young sister and Omri Katz as older brother Max, they have a decent sibling relationship but the acting really wasn’t that good.

Hocus Pocus is a 90s movie so while it might not have aged very well in terms of dialogue and digital effects but there are a lot of things here that are more practical or make-up so it actually doesn’t few too campy or silly. The only thing here is that while nostalgia plays a big factor here, it feels like I have slightly outgrown the film. The film structure is decent though as it may feel like its one thing and then takes a little twist which makes it pretty fun.

Hocus Pocus 2 (2022)

Director: Anne Fletcher

Cast: Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, Kathy Najimy, Whitney Peak, Belissa Escobedo, Lilia Buckingham, Froy Gutierrez, Sam Richardson, Doug Jones, Tony Hale

Two young women accidentally bring back the Sanderson Sisters to modern day Salem and must figure out how to stop the child-hungry witches from wreaking havoc on the world. – IMDB

As much as I did love Hocus Pocus as a child, its been almost 30 years since the first visit and feels pretty unnecessary to do a sequel at this point but Disney being what it is of course headed down that route to reap the benefits of the now cult classic. While the younger cast is completely new, they did manage to get the Sanderson Sisters to return which is great since they were quite the highlight in the original film. Hocus Pocus 2 takes the obvious route of bringing them into the modern day with the new cast taking advantage of the technology and modern trinkets to fool the witches. What does a good job is also remembering while scripting that while technology might be an unknown for them and can be used against them, it sometimes still works in their favor.

The return of the Sanderson Sisters with Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy reprising their roles is pretty nice. For one, it feels like they haven’t really  aged that much despite the fact that Bette Midler is now already in her seventies in real life. The film dives into their younger selves as to how the Sanderson sisters took the route of becoming witches and having some young actors playing their roles. Those parts do feel the weaker portion of the film as the kids basically kept to the personality and signature moves of the characters themselves but the part did loop back to become a useful part for the finale. In some ways, the film exists to give some sort of resolution to the whole storyline. The charm of the Sanderson Sisters has always been that they are the villains but there are still a wicked but clumsy side to their existence where they do have their own weaknesses as well.

The new additions here are the young cast playing the friends who wake up the witches and have the night to save it. To be fair, the roles still work pretty well. Perhaps the character trajectory feels a little more silly as they play around with witchcraft themselves to try to stop the whole thing from happening. The emphasis of the girls involved is a highlight to their own friendship which perhaps reflects a little to the good counterparts of the Sanderson Sisters themselves. Like teenagers, these friends have a lot more hurdles when it comes to dealing with parents and friends, etc. They also end up meeting another reprised role from the first film which clears up something from the first film with the dead boyfriend raised from the grave Billy Butcherson who is still played by Doug Jones, a man who has been in so many disguised roles.

Let’s be honest here and say that I had very low expectations for this sequel. It dials down to being made too long from its first film and seemingly stretching out a premise that doesn’t need to be done. While some of the script feels a little silly at times, there are some clever bits played in with the technology as well as the Sanderson Sisters being reprised so still delivering that charm. It even manages to wrap up the film with a  nice heartwarming bowtie which I thought was a pretty nice touch.

Double Feature: Antlers (2021) & Underwater (2020)

Antlers (2021)

Director (and co-writer): Scott Cooper

Cast: Keri Russell, Jesse Plemons, Jeremy T. Thomas, Graham Greene, Scott Haze, Rory Cochrane, Amy Madigan, Sawyer Jones

In an isolated Oregon town, a middle-school teacher and her sheriff brother become embroiled with her enigmatic student, whose dark secrets lead to terrifying encounters with an ancestral creature. – IMDB

Adapted from Nick Antosca’s short story The Quiet Boy who also co-writes the screenplay, Antlers is a slow-burn and gory horror film. The story dives into a small town which keeps the scope fairly small with a close-knit community and the story revolving a few people. The setting filmed in British Columbia in place for the Oregon town is one that fits the scenario incredibly well which emphasizes not only the vastness of the area but also fits in the creature very well. The execution of the unknown creature being a big highlight here especially since it never truly reveals its full form. The atmosphere of the film also takes a huge part of the effort to give the more creepy vibe. As with most films with endangered child(ren) being in the picture, this film plays around with the role the kids play here and the effect this creature is having on them.

Antlers spends a lot of time with its characters, the main one being Julia played by Keri Russell who is a child abuse victim and is trying to find ways to live with her brother Paul who doesn’t seem to truly understand her trauma and her recovery. Not believing and trusting her creates the moments here when Julia’s concern for a student in her class that she believes is going through more than the norm to eventually believing it has to do with a legendary Algonquin demon which gets dismissed by Paul who also asks her to not get close to Lucas’s father Frank. The character dynamic here plays a big connection to the plot and while Julia’s story isn’t overly focused on, it still bridges the gap of how she is suspicious of Lucas’s abuse and to protect him.

What makes Antlers so good and is somewhat of a spoiler is how it turns the story around a bit from the expectations. Anyone looking at this film would think its most probably a creature feature, which it is but its also about demonic possession which works itself in its own intricate way in this story leading to its open ending where most things are resolved but maybe what seems to be gone isn’t really gone. Cliffhanger endings really aren’t my thing but at least, it feels like the film cleverly did a circle of events from the first scene to the last, whether they meant it that way or not.

Underwater (2020)

Director: William Eubank

Cast: Kristen Stewart, Vincent Cassel, Mamoudou Athie, T.J. Miller, John Gallagher Jr., Jessica Henwick, Gunner Wright, Fiona Rene, Amanda Troop

A crew of oceanic researchers working for a deep sea drilling company try to get to safety after a mysterious earthquake devastates their deepwater research and drilling facility located at the bottom of the Mariana Trench. – IMDB

Something about the deep sea is always very scary. Underwater sets itself on a drilling facility in the Mariana Trench and the rumors of what lies in the deep dark depths are completely unknown making it a fantastic location for a horror film. Underwater is a few genres blended together and done in a pretty good way as it progresses. It starts out as a deep sea disaster film with a time crunch to exit before the whole facility goes down and slowly turns itself into a creature feature. In both genres, the film is executed pretty well and the tense atmosphere is also very much apparent. The deep ocean holds a lot of dangers from the controlling the pressure, the water element and of course, what swims outside which does seem to take a few similar moments of other horror films but still manages to deliver on a rather thrilling experience.

If we look at the execution, there are so many little details to love about this film. Right from the opening credits, it glides through newspaper articles at the beginning and the end. The beginning sharing the details the audience needs to know about where the crew is, why they are there and what the facility is about. Its give the details of the dangers and risks of being this environment that they could encounter while also delivering the map and situation the crew is about to face. It means nothing to the audience at this point but looking back, it was such a clever way to introduce the film. Doing this gives it the perfect set-up to get right into the disaster and not waste any time at all. Much like its ending, which wraps up in the same way like the film is actually recounting a top secret event as it talks about its survivors and the aftermath through its articles as well.

Underwater is powered by a pretty solid cast. Each character does have their own little character traits that drive them throughout the film. Kristen Stewart has truly been delivering some pretty great performances and showing the diversity and depth of her acting abilities and she leads the group here as Norah the mechanical engineer and the film is basically from her point of view as it follows her throughout the film. As she reunites with the survivors, the other crew starts coming in with the Captain being played by Vincent Cassel, who delivers almost a Titanic moment as he believes in going down with the vessel and has a pretty interesting backstory which has something of a test reveal at the end. T.J. Miller play something of a comedic relief however his character might be the weak link here as it sometimes feels not too necessary however, it does give him this odd character. Previously known for playing Colleen in Iron Fist, Jessica Henwick shows up in this one as a biologist and is one of the more nervous characters of the group. Much like the engineer Smith played by John Gallagher Jr. who tends to pop up in films and always reminds me how underrated he is as an actor considering he delivered some great performances before in 10 Cloverfield Lane (review) and Hush. While not too key to the whole thing, Mamoudou Athie is one of the smaller roles here however, he has been showing up on my watchlist of 2022 a couple of times already. While no one’s character is very deep, most of them feel very real especially faced with making the difficult decisions and sudden mishaps and faced with lots of death and unknowns, especially for Kristen Stewart’s Norah who genuinely feels like she is trying her best to hold it together.

Overall, Underwater is a pretty thrilling experience. It starts off right away in its quick-paced disaster moment and while there are some quiet and slow moments, the unknown dangers lurking creates the creepy and tense atmosphere needed to drive this film throughout. Some of the elements here do feel a little been there done that but it does have some good execution. The deep sea is a scary place and the mysterious danger here is executed pretty well.

Double Feature: Great White (2021) & The Reef: Stalked (2022)

Halloween month kicks off with an Australian shark film double feature. I couldn’t think of a better way than to pair up my fave horror subgenre to kick things off! Let’s check it out!

Great White (2021)

Director: Martin Wilson

Cast: Katrina Bowden, Aaron Jakubenko, Kimie Tsukakoshi, Tim Kano, Te Kohe Tuhaka, Jason Wilder, Tatjana Marjanovic

A fun filled flight to a remote atoll turns into a nightmare for five passengers when their seaplane is destroyed in a freak accident and they are trapped on a raft, 100 miles from shore with man-eating sharks lurking beneath the surface. – IMDB

Great White is an Australian shark film which is mostly similar to The Reef (review), playing on the more serious shark film style where it builds up on tension and atmosphere. The story takes form with the group stranded in open waters and being circled by sharks in a lifesaver as they gradually paddle their way to the closest land. In theory, the film holds a lot of potential since this formula does work well. The emptiness and loneliness of the location plus the unknown elements at play all contribute to that formula. However, what puts Great White in disadvantage is that the story and writing itself is not well-executed and the characters mostly feel a little lacking.

Looking at the story and writing, there’s some big execution issues here. If you follow the time stamps on the film, there’s a decent set up for the situation where the bad stuff happens also relatively quickly. In usual circumstances, that’s a rather decent pacing. However, where things fall apart is that the events focus heavily on the group of stranded characters and the many hidden emotions they have with each other which leads to the story, despite the presence of the shark in the background being a threat, it also brings up on the human side a lot where some characters truly become a very grating experience and wondering when the next attack would be. Thing is, once they start off, things do happen but they do have a great deal of time together in this floatation device before the shark makes a move. The shark attack themselves are rather fun especially since a good part of the film is in the dark so the unknown becomes even more apparent.

The writing issue touched on the characters themselves and Great White has a cast of some good and some bad characters. On one side of the spectrum, there are the knowledgeable resourceful people and on the other hand, the whiny and annoying character (one truly stands out) who is filled with some jealousy in his mind that causes him to act out with some dire consequences. If there was any sort of redemption, its that the final face off with the shark, because there always is one, was really fun to watch. A little wild but still an exciting way to wrap up this whole thing while tying together some of the story pieces together.

Overall, Great White is a more serious shark film that leans on tension and atmosphere. In this case, this was counterbalanced by its human interaction which had its pros and cons. The shark bits themselves were done really well however there were some petty human relationships and conversations that ended causing a lot of nuisance to the story as a whole.

The Reef: Stalked (2022)

Director (and writer): Andrew Traucki

Cast: Teressa Liane, Ann Truong, Saskia Archer, Kate Lister, Bridget Burt

After her sister’s murder, Nic, her younger sister and two friends seek solace through a Pacific island kayaking adventure. Hours into the trip the women are stalked by a shark and must band together, face their fears and save each other. – IMDB

For those who have seen The Reef, this one has no connection to it other than featuring a shark who stalks its characters. The Reef: Stalked plays a little faster pace than The Reef which was a much more slow-burn experience. Looking at this one, the pacing and more frequent action bits adds to the shark film experience while the part which lowers it might be the obvious lower budget Go-Pro camera filming and the very odd cuts from one scene to the next at times including the snippets of the shark, however the shark does make a good few appearances. As much I am comparing the two, its truly to give a general picture for those who have seen The Reef, like myself. The Reef sequel wasn’t really necessary but it can be appreciated.

Taking the approach of films like 47 Meters Down which takes their sequel in a new story with a similar shark concept, The Reef: Stalked definitely finds itself in a different sort of film. This time, the characters are at sea coping with a loss with different members having different experiences and know-hows which contribute or hinder the group’s progress as they go out on kayak. Its mostly focuses on the flotation devices at this point from kayaks to boats to balances which can create their own dangers with the shark’s appearance. Its a neat element for sure as a lot of the more mainstream shark films haven’t played around with kayaking yet so it feels fresh in that sense. The shark also is more active in this one so the danger hits much quicker. Trading in relationship issues, this time the main character is torn between a tense sister relationship and something like post-traumatic stress disorder from a past event creating its hindrance as well.

The acting here is okay for a shark film. No one here feels like they are super awkward but its adequate to get the role across. The dialogue has some decent moments and some that truthfully feels a little hard to digest. It does have a moment which calls sharks “men in grey suits” which of course, that character gets offed first because we all know to not mock sharks in silly descriptions and strip them from their danger element in these films. There is also a moment of childhood endangerment that also creates a rather tense piece which has somewhat of a callback to various other shark films but fits well in this piece to kick off the final act to not only seek help. It is a rather awkward transition of events when the group decides the only way to escape is to kill it which feels like an oddly sudden deduction of events for their situation.

The Reef: Stalked is an average shark movie overall. Compared to its first film, this one is probably easier to get into because it has more action and shark attacks and things move along much quicker after the first scene is established to build up its main character. However, the film does have some moments which transition awkwardly from the weird shark footage cuts to some odd decisions from its characters, its not exactly unpredictable but there are a few good moments.

Holiday Marathon: A Castle For Christmas (2021)

A Castle For Christmas (2021)

Director: Mary Lambert

Cast: Brooke Shields, Cary Elwes, Lee Ross, Andi Osho, Tiny Gray, Eilidh Loan, Stephen Oswald, Vanessa Grasse, Desiree Burch

To escape a scandal, a bestselling author journeys to Scotland, where she falls in love with a castle – and faces off with the grumpy duke who owns it. – IMDB

Looking at A Castle For Christmas, I couldn’t help but ask two questions. The first is when was the last time I saw Brooke Shields and the second, when was the last time Cary Elwes was in a romantic comedy? Was it The Princess Bride? On top of that, this film is directed by Mary Lambert who has directed plenty of horror films but not so much romance (as I take a quick look over her filmography and yet, she is at the helm of this film.

Set in the small town Scotland setting and mostly in a castle, A Castle For Christmas is really not all that bad. The cast helps a lot and the whole tone is pretty nice. The plot points do have some odd moments that feel like it edited out a scene or two that was supposed to link it all together. The romance at times is a little bit on the cringey side of things but the setting is really nice for Christmas as it brings these two characters together. The holiday element is also done pretty well also as they transform the castle into a more festive setting and giving it a little more life.

The cast is really the highlight here. Whether we look at the main leads or the supporting cast, they all add a lot of charm to this small town and breathe more life into the film as a whole. The little discussions as they knit or decorate together. It makes the famous author on the run feel accepted when this group understands her point more than the others in the big city. There is a very positive feel-good vibe from those moments alone. It somehow puts the romance element in the background. However, thats not saying that Cary Elwes and Brooke Shields in their respective leading roles should be ignored. Brooke Shields fits into this role nicely whereas Cary Elwes feels at times a little awkward. However, his character is set as a bit of a loner so where he shines is before the whole romantic bits start with their little feud as he tries to get her to leave and she works hard to fit in and stay.

Overall, A Castle For Christmas is an alright holiday romantic comedy. Its cast does it the most favors and makes it a fun feel good film. The romance gets lost a little in the whole setting and the holiday and the supporting cast from the small town and yet, that does do the film a lot of favors as the romance element isn’t its strongest but Brooke Shields and Cary Elwes does fit relativelt well in their individual roles.

Double Feature: A California Christmas (2020) & A California Christmas: City Lights (2021)

A California Christmas (2020)

Director: Shaun Paul Piccinino

Cast: Lauren Swickard, Josh Swickard, Ali Afshar, David Del Rio, Katelyn Epperly, Amanda Detmer, Natalia Mann, Gunnar Anderson, Julie Lancaster

With his carefree lifestyle on the line, a wealthy charmer poses as a ranch hand to get a hardworking farmer to sell her family’s land before Christmas. – IMDB

Being from a place where a white Christmas is usually how it goes, these snowless holiday films sometimes do feel a little strange as it focuses more on the actual romance than the holiday but I suppose that’s how it goes with these sort of Netflix-style “Hallmark” films. A California Christmas is really rather basic. In fact, everything is very simple and predictable whether its the characters to the whole plot itself. It doesn’t carry a whole lot of depth. In these cases, its saving grace will be the chemistry and its setting which the whole small-town farmland has its little fun moments while the chemistry does work seeing as the two leads are actually married in real life which definitely helps things and makes it feel rather natural.

What saves this movie a little bit is that the rich spoiled brat male lead comes to this town to try to pretend to be someone else and use that as a manipulative plot to get them to sell as per his company and his mother the CEO’s request, with that plot comes the blending together and a somewhat fish out of water story as he learns how to do all these farm tasks, posing as a farm hand called Manny who ends up trading up that life for a rather relaxing one with his assistant, Leo. Where the film did have its most fun was the ridiculous and rather comedic moments between Leo and Manny as their friendship grew throughout. Of course, the romance wasn’t all too bad either considering they pulled in a family angle that tugged a little on the heartstrings.

A California Christmas is really everything that you’d expect from this type of holiday romance. Its acceptable for those who enjoy these films but nothing too special for anyone looking for something more.

A California Christmas: City Lights (2021)

Director: Shaun Paul Piccinino

Cast: Lauren Swickard, Josh Swickard, Ali Afshar, David Del Rio, Natalia Mann, Raquel Dominguez, Laura James, Noah James, Julie Lancaster

Follows Callie and Joseph one year after they fell in love, now running a dairy farm and winery, but their romance is threatened when business and family obligations call Joseph back to the city. – IMDB

The sequel of last year’s A California Christmas moves the farmland setting to the city lights of San Francisco as Joseph is summoned back to the city to take care of the company as his mother runs off and passes the duties over to him. Faced with the upcoming nuptials and fitting into the city as well as the different person that Joseph seems to be in the city as well as a lot of revelations about his past life there, Callie starts to have her own doubts.

A California Christmas: City Lights is a step down from the first film. While the first was predictable, this sequel actually feels a lot more unnecessary. Some things in the script feel like a stretch and there is this very odd tone especially with some very cheesy and over the top moments, specifically one where its probably meant to be humorous but didn’t quite hit that way with Manny’s character as he tries to capture the attention of Callie’s best friend Brandy. Its a rather empty sort of pursuit as the connection goes from nothing to something in a very short amount of time. The family element also gets traded out as Callie and Joseph is away in another city but still trying to get those moments in.

The focus is still on Callie and Joseph, the main couple here who is caught up in this new location and new responsibilities respectively. Between the plots of the ex-girlfriend and this whole other side of Joseph comes to light for Callie, it creates these moments of tension as the city undoubtedly tears them apart literally, making it hard to find time to spend together. This plotline actually is one that I’m not a huge fan of in general. Call it a romance film issue that is used so frequently with just secrets and lack of communication which is usually the source all the problems. While its inevitable that it needs to be used to create conflict, it also feels like for the frequent viewer of such films, it such a simple solution whether its talking things through or just commuting to see each other to sort things out whether than each sulking in their own corners.

Sure, I didn’t have high expectations for A California Christmas: City Lights since the first movie was a rather average sort of viewing experience. This film however took some very odd and silly plot points that just felt like while the backdrop of San Francisco has some really nice cityscape, and the world they shift to is rather glamorous, the film in general is dull. It actually took quite a few sittings to get through it. Some of the issues once resolved were pretty decent but the script and the execution was just not too balanced.

Halloween Marathon 2021: There’s Someone Inside Your House (2021)

There’s Someone Inside Your House (2021)

Director: Patrick Brice

Cast: Sydney Park, Theodore Pellerin, Asjha Cooper, Dale Whibley, Jesse LaTourette, Burkely Duffield, Diego Josef, Zane Clifford, BJ Harrison, Sarah Dugdale, William MacDonald, Andrew Dunbar

The graduating class at Osborne High is being targeted by a masked assailant, intent on exposing the darkest secret of each victim, and only a group of misfit outsiders can stop the killings. – IMDB

*Originally posted on Movies and Tea for Friday Film Club segment*

One of Netflix’s October offerings is this teenage slasher flick that plays similarly to popular slashers like Scream and I Know What You Did Last Summer. Based on the novel of the same name by Stephanie Perkins, There’s Someone Inside Your House follows Makani, a transfer student to the Nebraska high school that soon becomes caught up in the gruesome murders involving other students in the school and eventually her own friends but also making her face her own secret, a past that haunts her and the reason she ends up moving from Hawaii to Nebraska for a fresh start.

Slashers have been a popular horror subgenre for quite some time with a lot of titles entering into classics territory. Making something new is fairly difficult at this point and time. There’s Someone Inside Your House doesn’t do anything different with the formula and if you’ve seen the previously mentioned slashers, you probably will have a good idea of where to direct your suspicions on who is behind the masked killer – aka the person that you probably didn’t think of in the first place but then, perhaps its just messing with your mind as it casts suspicions on certain characters as well. In that sense, There’s Someone Inside Your House does execute that element rather well to create some second-guessing.

With all that said, There’s Someone Inside Your House does tick all the boxes of being a decent horror slasher. It has the typical group of teenagers that fit the different criteria of the normal crew. Its final girl, the main female lead Makani, played by Sydney Young, does a pretty good job and the whole home invasion concept where someone knows all the deep dark secrets and uses it to their advantage is actually pretty entertaining. It also manages to keep its group of teens fairly grounded to cover their little secrets from each other. The masked killer being able to create masks of their victims is also a neat angle to take and has a nice creepy vibe.

There’s Someone Inside Your House is a straightforward teen slasher reminiscent of those in the 90s. While its a tad predictable and keeps a familiar structure, the characters are still pretty fun to follow and the backstory for its main lead is well-developed. Sure, everyone wants something new and shiny and different (and I do appreciate as much as any horror fan) however, for what its trying to accomplish in this horror subgenre, it still manages to be pretty engaging.

Halloween Marathon 2021: V/H/S (2012)

The highlight franchise for this Halloween marathon is here as we dive into the first V/H/S.

V/H/S (2012)

Directors: Adam Wingard, David Bruckner, Ti West, Glenn McQuaid, Joe Swanberg, Radio Silence

Cast: Adam Wingard, Simon Barrett, Hannah Fierman, Drew Sawyer, Mike Donlan, Joe Swanberg, Sophia Takal,

When a group of misfits are hired by an unknown third party to burglarize a desolate house and acquire a rare VHS tape, they discover more found footage than they bargained for. – IMDB

V/H/S is a 2012 American horror anthology film which features a selection of found footage horror shorts linked together by a mainframe story which shows a group of misfits that go to burglarize a home owned by an old man to get a valuable VHS tape and one by one as they search through the house and through the tapes, one by one they disappear. The mainframe story itself isn’t exactly anything to call home about. In fact, it feels like its a background story that frames up these other stories well but feels a little more empty. It has a lot to do with the misfits really being shown as very unlikeable starting with their parking lot prank pulling up a girls shirt and their goal to earn more money going further doing bad things. There is a lot of suspense but its mostly unresolved. The mystery and creepy vibe does give it space for further sequels, of course.

Being a rather big fan of found footage style horror films, V/H/S has a decent variety of horror subgenres in its shorts compiled here. Not to mention its list of directors involved do have a lot of familiar names mostly with Adam Wingard (directing the frame short mentioned above), Ti West and Joe Swanberg. Another director in this group is David Bruckner which when this anthology released had directed primarily short films in 2012 but is more familiar now as he’s gone on to do Netflix British horror The Ritual (review) and recently, The Night House. Glen McQuaid is probably the lesser know director in this group with only a few films to his credit while Radio Silence rounds up the anthology and is probably now best known for its group of filmmakers making the awesome film, Ready or Not (review).

The first short in V/H/S that gets shown “Amateur Night” directed by David Bruckner is perhaps one of the most appealing ones which also ends up getting turned into a full feature called “Siren” afterwards. Amateur Night is a fantastic little creature feature of sorts as these guys try to get it on with these girls they pick up at the bar and it includes an odd girl Lily who eventually turns into some mythical creature or something. The found footage is from the angle of some surveillance glasses so making everything at eye level for the most part with the character wearing them. Its a great first horror short to kick off this anthology series and for myself, perhaps the highlight until it reaches the big finale.

“Second Honeymoon” by Ti West and “Tuesday the 17th” by Glenn McQuaid are a little odd overall or perhaps feels a little less surprising overall although the latter definitely has an interesting premise especially with the ‘slasher’ style that it chooses and the idea and design of the whole character that is the major threat. Its basically called “The Glitch” which tells all about what it is. The whole part is very static-y for the most part and it makes a lot of the details harder to grasp as its flashing through. Its a good idea and yet something about how it starts feels so hard to get into.

“The Sick Thing That Happened To Emily When She Was Younger” directed by Joe Swanberg is an interesting premise. The endgame is a little abstract, at least in my interpretation compared to what I learned after some research. This type of story is odd but still has a sort of suspense where it lingers between the mystery of whether its supernatural or whether its something else. It plays well with the darkness and the whether there’s some other plot hidden. These sort of stories are pretty intriguing overall as it leaves a lot of room to guess. Its found footage style is through a computer screen which is the “screen life” style that I absolutely love as well.

Wrapping up the anthology is “10/31/98” directed by Radio Silence which is one of the longer stories as it sets itself on Halloween where some friends goes to the wrong house for a Halloween party and what they thought was part of a realistic haunted house set-up turned out to be some exorcism ritual being performed which takes them for a whirl when they need to figure out how to leave before they get caught. The whole setting really comes to life here. There’s a lot to love here. Apparently, there’s an alternate ending this segment which was shot as a joke that has a better ending.

Overall, V/H/S is pretty decent as a horror anthology. Most of the segments are pretty fun overall and have some clever twists and premise in general. As with most anthologies, there are some that stand out a lot more than others. For myself, the best ones were Amateur Night and 10/31/98 with The Sick Thing That Happened to Emily When She Was Younger all working well.

Halloween Marathon 2021 Double Feature: The Boy (2016) & Brahms: The Boy II (2020)

The Boy (2016)

Director: William Brent Bell

Cast: Lauren Cohan, Rupert Evans, Jim Norton, Diana Hardcastle, Ben Robson, James Russell

An American nanny is shocked that her new English family’s boy is actually a life-sized doll. After she violates a list of strict rules, disturbing events make her believe that the doll is really alive. – IMDB

At the first glance, The Boy feels like a generic horror film. Using dolls who come alive with evil outcomes isn’t exactly a novel idea at this point with Chucky and Annabelle taking its own stage. This also makes for some obvious horror tropes that show up in this film as well which feels a little predictable at times. However, the setting does itself a lot of favors as the mansion that its set in is the Craigdarroch Castle in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. Nothing quite like a castle to capture the expansive space which is used incredibly well throughout the film as it navigates through the different areas of the house which all has its own purpose.

The foreigner going to a huge mansion for a nanny job is also a decent angle as the audience learns about the house and discovers its secrets along the way. The rules itself and her little observations along with the conversations she has and relationships she builds also brings a lot to the table as her story gets revealed. A girl running from her recent past to evade her own set of dangers and hoping that it doesn’t chase after her as well as facing her own losses which all become all too relatable in terms of the story of the family living in the house.

However, The Boy is its best when the big reveal is shown as it does has quite a shocking element. Of course, for those who are like myself who went into this knowing very little, I’m keeping that part spoiler-free. If there were any creeps, its definitely the big reveal that does pay off in the long run. In that element, it definitely exceeded expectations.

Sure, The Boy isn’t some top tier horror film with some sophisticated scares and for the most part, its more creepy than actually scary. However, it does have a clever twist reveal and the setting does have its haunting elements. There are some obvious issues with it but somehow, its always fun to find something that exceeds expectations and creates some surprises, right?

Brahms: The Boy II (2020)

Director: William Brent Bell

Cast: Katie Holmes, Christopher Convery, Owain Yeoman, Ralph Ineson, Daphne Hoskins, Keoni Rebeiro, Joely Collins

After a family moves into the Heelshire Mansion, their young son soon makes friends with a life-like doll called Brahms. – IMDB

Its a tad surprising to see that The Boy got a sequel mostly because the first movie does wrap up the situation enough and doesn’t really need to be further explored however, here we are! The sequel expands on the story in the future as years has passed between the first film’s events to the current events as a family moves into the guest house on the Heelshire Mansion property to heal from a burglary attack in their home that has caused psychological troubles to both the mother and the son. As they arrive and their son strays off into the woods and finds the life-like doll Brahms from the first film. Questions automatically pop up as to what has happened since and why its been buried outside. This makes the audience right away more aware than the characters themselves.

In reality, what made the first film shine was its use of the rather unique twist which gave it a lot of boost from its rather generic horror style. The sequel dials back to be a lot more predictable. It has to do a lot with already knowing what tricks the doll is capable of doing and knowing what it will do and rather just having that moment of building atmosphere to when it will do it. However, this film dives further into the lore of Brahms from the origins of the dolls to its dark past which changes the game a little for the film but still taking a more normal path. It ends up adding to the story which can be appreciated but it doesn’t feel too unpredictable that its much less enjoyable overall.

Brahms: The Boy II brings in Katie Holmes as the mother in the leading role. Its been a while since I’ve personally seen anything of hers and with what she had to work with, it was a pretty decent job. Whether its how the film tracks her character development from the traumatic start at the beginning to having to pull out the stops to protect her son from this doll before it would take him away. There is something rather sinister about the whole situation and the son played by Christopher Convery does a decent job as well. There are some well-executed horror moments in the film.

As a sequel, its pretty much exactly what would be expected. Even if it did build on the lore of the doll itself, the film overall is pretty bland. Its fairly predictable and expected. There’s not really anyone who says or does anything to unexpected and nothing too surprising that happens. It goes exactly as you’d expect a sequel from The Boy might go right down to the ending where it pretty much tries to set up the film for the unresolved issue under wraps, just in case it ever gets greenlit for another sequel.