Demons are on the hunt for a key that contains the blood of Christ. It is protected by a DEMON KNIGHT.

This long-format episode of TALES FROM THE CRYPT is exactly what you’d expect from a motion picture version of an episode. I love that they kept the series format, with an intro and outro featuring The Crypt Keeper. It was awesome! I had so much fun with it!

We get right into it with what seems to be a pretty straightforward story. But as things progress, we get more details through flashbacks, which I love. I would have wanted more flashbacks and more story depth, but that’s just me being greedy. What we got was perfectly fine and fit the story nicely.

Billy Zane, William Sadler, Jada Pinkett Smith, Brenda Bakke, CCH Pounder, Dick Miller, Thomas Haden Church, John Schuck, Gary Farmer, and John Kassir make up a solid cast, with good characters that work well with the story.

For me, though, it was the look, the feel, the atmosphere, just the overall vibe that did it for me. It’s totally 90s! Those demons are slimy, viscous, and have amazing screams. We get some nice gore and violence, with the visuals still looking great and really bringing me back. It hits that nostalgia button… hard!

I can’t believe I had never seen DEMON KNIGHT before and that it took me this long to do so. I had a blast with this one and I definitely recommend checking it out.

I’m giving it a…
✝️✝️✝️✝️✝️✝️✝️
7/10

Uncle Willy’s fantasy…

Dear The Witches,

I have no idea how you got approved for a children’s movie because even a few minutes in I thought you were messed up. But you were insanely good for it though and there’s a lot about you that works. You have a fantastic level of detail and creativity when it came to your backstory and introductions of The Witches and you had some great, thoroughly interesting writing. You are genuinely rather dark and disturbing, especially when it came to your painting concept and that really upped your creepiness, such as the giddiness at the witches when it comes to a child’s peril. Your practical effects were okay but you had great costuming and makeup and I have to give immense praise to Angelica Huston. She had fantastic aura and ridiculously impressive stage presence. She is intimidating just by being on screen. Yet you somehow kept family vibes the whole time, and you did make me laugh quite a fair bit with your bald men. 

There’s not a huge amount wrong with you surprisingly. As mentioned, your practical effects weren’t great and looking at your talking mice wasn’t the best but it was nothing major. I do feel that you went from the worst possible outcome in every scene to everything going perfect a little too quickly for me and it didn’t provide the best form of entertainment. 

- True_Kieran on LB

P.S. Rowan Atkinson did nothing wrong

I love street fighter. I have feverishly played every installment i could get my hands on from Street Fighter II all the way to Street Fighter 6. I've never gotten very good at the games (or at least as good as I would like to be) but I feel like I have a pretty firm understanding of their appeal in light of this.

So I was very excited for the movie this year, especially after seeing all the clever marketing. The initial teaser set to "Punk Tactics" was amazing. the fourth wall breaking billboards were phenomenal. Every actor had this potent sense of comradery and passion for the project and the director seemed to be determined to make as beautiful a love letter to the franchise as he could. Just when I thought I couldn't be more sold, I heard that multiple sequences in the movie were meticulously animated by Titmouse. So I walked in *very* excited.

and the film did not disappoint.

While many wrote it off as a clumsily executed mess, I saw the vision for what it was: a punchy, stylish, action packed romp FILLED TO THE BRIM with cool. None of the performances felt phoned in; even if I didn't always agree with the ultimate creative choices, it felt like every actor was doing their best to make what little they had to work with authentic. The stunt choreography and set pieces were amazing, which I don't think is any small footnote in today's film making climate when most blockbusters are overpacked with CG and green screen sets. The film even makes some clever choices with the limitations in its CG; for example, hiding the inevitably awkward effects of Dhalsim's stretching behind clever camera angles (i say Inevitably because to this day stretchy powers have NEVER looked good on film).

I felt that Ken and Ryu's chemistry was particularly genuine, as it should have been because they are the two main protagonists of the film. I actually really liked the twist that Ryu destroyed Ken's invite to the first world warrior tournament because it added a little layer of depth to his otherwise pretty straightforward character that I thought really contributed to the main conflict of the film.

Now, I've heard many people's criticisms of the film. I don't want to outright dismiss them as invalid, in fact I agree with many of them. However, I *do* have some defenses for them . . however lukewarm:

1. the plot was all over the place - I agree. the film would have definitely benefitted from less plot threads. I would have preferred they go with Sagat as a secondary antagonist for this film and saved Akuma for a sequel, as Sagat working for M. Bison flows into the central plot of stopping him a bit more. In addition, I didn't find the mention of Blanka's mom particularly relevant to anything (even if its a cute reference to his story mode in the original street fighter II game). But, I think being such a fan of the Street Fighter franchise and, frankly, being used to sub-par storytelling from it at this point has equipped me to not be too bothered by this. Idk what to tell you; it didn't ruin the drama for me lol.

2. the editing and pacing are sporadic - While I felt that the beginning and the end of the film were genuinely well paced, I definitely noticed issues in the middle. Notably, fights happening off screen and a lot of rushing to the next plot point. Now, I don't have any evidence to back this claim, this is purely speculation . . but I *feel* like these off screen fights were actually filmed and were just cut from the film at the last minute to reduce runtime. It would make sense since a Guile vs. Vega fight isn't particularly important for the plot anyway. It makes me think that if there's ever a director's cut for this film its probably much better (albeit much longer). Only time will tell if I end up being right about that. This doesn't change the fact that the sporadic editing is an issue worth criticizing, but at the very least I'd be able to say that's the director's vision being unfortunately compromised by producer mandate.

3. the film is homoerotic and fetishy - yeeeeeah I definitely noticed this. Particularly with M. Bison. I *think* for him what they were going for is that he has a creepy obsession with superior physique only because he wants it for himself, but it comes off as just more disturbing than anything and NOT in an additive way. But Guile gets more than a few charged jokes like this in the film as well and . . .yeah, it's weird. I won't deny it. but it made my group of friends laugh so whatever.

4. the tournament is bogus - okay so this one i actually do have a more than lukewarm defense for. I think people who point out that there aren't many actual tournament fights just miss the point of the plot entirely. The tournament was *always* going to be bullshit; this is true both in the movie AND in the games. Its a farce to draw Ryu out of hiding. So the movie making it out as a joke is no surprise, and I actually thought the idea of Joe winning shearly through a string of forfeits was a hilarious idea. That, and either Ken or Ryu winning the tournament would have been counter-productive to each of their arcs anyway, what with Ryu having to give up his obsession with winning and Ken needing to understand that there's more to what makes him valuable than just being a good fighter. Besides, the fights that *do* happen in the film are more organic excuses for fights with unique set pieces like the bath house and the prison. The alternative is a bunch more fights in the same arena which would have been less entertaining.

5. The film didn't resolve very much by the end - not entirely true. the most important plot of all resolved, which was the patching up of Ken and Ryu's relationship, so I'm perfectly fine with the rest being fodder for a sequel (which I sincerely hope there is one). But anyway, even if the end *did* seem unsatisfactory . . . that makes it even more like a Street Fighter arcade ending LMAO.

So yeah. All in all I actually very much enjoyed the movie. I acknowledge the flaws but none of them were enough to detract from my overall enjoyment and I can tell the director really had a vision here. We could have gotten another street fighter film that's embarrassed to be a video game movie, but instead we have a film with intent and effort. If that weren't true, we wouldn't have animated segments, we wouldn't have real sets and we wouldn't have FGC cameos. A less ambitious director would have foregone those things, but we got one who felt it was important enough to do . . and for me at least the effort is NOT wasted.

I am actually angry that I even watched the whole thing...but I had to, because I spent 6 dollars on Amazon to rent it.

I like "heady" movies that go slower, and make you think. I love them. I thought this movie was going to be that....it is very slow. But it is still somehow all over the place. It made no sense.

It was the most listless movie, with the same basic tropes we've seen 100 times in other Alien movies, but somehow done worse than ever.

And the ending took the least imagination ever. I feel like they didn't even try with this movie. They tried to ride the, now-receding, wave of UAP sightings that were hitting hard in 2024...and thought that could maybe make some money.

Are we sure Spielberg (the jurassic park guy) actually made this movie?

Deeply unsettling but what’s new! Just a bunch of so-called religious people trying to control one another in the name of God, driven by lust, love, greed and power.
The hypocrisy is insane. What makes it even more disturbing is that this actually happened in real life.
Went to see this at Walter Reade and it felt like watching a documentary. Can’t believe this movie came out 55 years ago and we’re still dealing with the same shit today.

Bizarre, disturbing, thought-provoking and honestly iconic!

Here is my review. It is written by me. Sorry for any grammar or spelling mistakes. I write in bullet points. I know this is not for everyone, but it is just my style. Be warned.

TLDR:
Refreshingly original. Good survival thriller. Abrahms carries the movie with good physical acting. Good immersive cinematography. Good sound design. Good claustrophobic atmosphere. Emotional enough. Pacing uneven. Emotional symbolism as subtle as a sperm whale. Scientific realism makes Alien look like a nature documentary. Needed more consistent suspense, deeper writing, and more emotional impact.

• Austin Abrhams is the standout. Increasingly an actor I want to follow. I was like, I have seen this guy before! But from where? Ah yes in Resident Evil. This man can't escape the worst possible experiences in movies ;) His physical acting is very impressive. He is natural, relatable, without having to rely on traditional action hero charisma. There is something just so "normal" about him that makes him likeable to me. A lot of hollywood actors have the looks, like they could be a model. Just saw the new hunger games trailer before this movie, and I knew immediately why they cast the handsome main character. Abrahams is a fine looking fellow, but not a model. He carries the roles he has with a personal charm which I think should be appreciated.
• The sound design, music, and cinematography are among the movie's greatest strengths. It makes you feel claustrophobia. You know those Reels/Shorts that are movie scenes but with like extra sad music behind, making the scenes more impactful. Yes movies should (to some extent) dig that. This movie does well with using intense background music. It intensifies scenes. I think not enough movies use background music well, this one did. Visually the environments were impressive, even if the whale's interior occasionally resembles an alien spaceship.
• The screenplay deserves praise and credit for originality. It is based on a novel. The movie offers an unusual survival scenario rather than just another variation of a tried and tested formula. You have not seen this movie before! The part that you have seen is the underlying father and son story. But the newness of this movie gives that premise more substance. Although I think the dialogue and emotional themes are not quite deep enough to push this movie into excellent territory.
• The pacing is also inconsistent and the movies somehow manages to making being swallowed by a whale temporarily boring. My mind did begin to wander at times. I enjoyed the opening. Lost some interest during the early underwater sequences after getting swallowed. (Also I should mention that I though the whale was some kind of alien whale until I realized after the movie that it was the Squid that pulled him in and attacked him inside :D ) I did however really enjoy the last third even though the middle was average or underwhelming. For this to get higher marks, it needs to be a survival thriller that is stronger and more consistent in its suspense.
• That gets me to the next part. Although I appreciated the flashbacks, I am not sure all will, and it disrupts the immediate survival tension. Personally I like the flashbacks a lot because what was happening inside the whale was not so interesting, but if this movie aims to be a survival thriller then this is a problem. The father son drama works emotionally although the symbolism is very much in your face. It insists upon itself. The movie is very determined to make sure that nobody leaves without understanding its metaphor. I think the fine art of subtlety is being lost. This is ofc a choice. Maybe it works for the masses. But the truly best movies is less in your face IMO.
• The scientific realism is very questionable. I respect creative liberties, but the film does not establish well enough how seriously (or not) to take its biology.
• The emotional impact is good, but not extraordinary. I can understand why some might cry. I got a bit emotional too. But never truly invested. The themes of grief, family conflict and reconciliation, are great and meaningful, yet familiar, and the movie occasionally insists upon its own emotional importance rather than allowing the audience to discover it naturally.
• So a good movie but with some limitations. Again Austin will get nominated for some awards I think.

This is a beautifully shot movie with a relatable and intense storyline about love, loss, feeling lost, and redemption. This movie takes movie making back to a simpler time. Movies don't need to be complicated or full of special effects, AI, or CGI. Movies are about people, and this is a people-driven story about the complexity of human emotion.

Margaret Qualley plays a tough, independent, cynical nurse who, by a chance encounter, meets the love of her life. It's a dramatic change she didn't see coming, and it dramatically impacts her mental health when it suddenly ends. She has a total breakdown turning her into a self-deprecating woman that's bitter, cold, and isolated running from a pain that never stops chasing her. She fell in love, lost it, and lost herself along the way.

It's relatable because just about everyone has been there. Maybe not quite as dramatic, but everyone has felt loss and pain. The plot is a well constructed 3 act play. In the first act, they meet and fall in love. The second act starts with a cough. The third act starts on a moving walkway bringing her back home. The characters are well thought out. The script can be a little heavy handed at times, but it's easy to identify with the characters. The photography and set designs are really well done. The score is thoughtful with a metaphorical cassette tape acting as a central plot element. From a movie making standpoint, it's good enough that it could be taught in film schools.

It's a movie meant to attract academy attention with good casting to showcase the acting power of Qualley, Gabriel Bosso, Aaron Pierre, and Patrick Schwarzenegger. I would expect this movie to garner some award nominations and bring some attention to the work being done by Amazon Studios.

Street Fighter, directed by Kitao Sakurai, is a complete and utter action-packed, silly, and ridiculous popcorn flick, and it does not apologize for it! These “critics,” whoever the hell they are, clearly are not A). Gamers and B). Fans of the source material. It’s fucking Street Fighter; the name is very self-explanatory. This is not a groundbreaking film of the century; it’s literally centered on a World Tournament for Christ's sake, along with various characters teaming up to stop a greater evil, aka M. Bison played by David Dastmalchian.

My buddy Dylan and I were entertained and had a blast from start to finish with this new adaptation of the iconic video game franchise on the big screen. A lot is going on in this film, but what really stood out for us was the animation sequences (No Spoilers). Anime isn’t exactly utilized in every major film, so having those sequences felt very special and fitting given that this film takes place in 1993. It was also nostalgic to include anime since we did have the 1992 Street Fighter II anime film as well as the anime series back in the day as well. It was a very nice stylistic choice by the director and gave us a happy balance of anime and film together. Once again, no spoilers, but it was just chef’s kiss and, for me at least, reminded me of what Tarantino did in Kill Bill.

The casting in this film was great; each person cast really did an awesome job portraying every single character. Some things were not included as far as wardrobe goes, like with Roman Reigns’ Akuma; in the games, Akuma has his iconic spiked-up red hair, but given how much more it would cost for makeup and hair, it is a minor nitpick.

Andrew Koji and Noah Centineo were a dynamic duo, as Ryu and Ken Masters both have a brotherly bond and rivalry that just works so well in this film. It really establishes who they are through the good and the bad, and it’s also hilarious and dark to see this pair fight on screen, one-upping each other with their signature moves in good ol' Street Fighter fashion. It was true fan service for fans of this gaming franchise seeing little references and Easter eggs on the big screen. There’s no other way to describe it in detail; spectators will just have to see it for themselves. It’s very self-aware if you haven’t figured it out already, but my buddy and I loved it.

Other noteworthy characters that are worth mentioning include Chun-Li (“Mommy”), played masterfully to perfection by Callina Liang, excellent eye candy on the legs, ass, up, down, and four in a row! I loved not only her sex appeal, but I also loved her character and her backstory, much like Ryu and Ken. Chun-Li also has experienced tragedy and loss in her life. So it's basically a trio involving all three characters interconnected into one story. Chun-Li was also witty and a smart-ass, which added to her personality on screen- attractive and funny? SOLD! Please give me more of her in the sequel!

The one and only super villain M. Bison, played by David Dastmalchian, is menacing and evil, but I do wish they would have beefed him up just a little bit like in the games; it might have been a little goofy or too on the nose, but we might get that muscular body type whenever and if we do get a second film at some point. Besides that, though, I thought Dastmalchian was great portraying this evil, ruthless, creepy, and weird psychotic tyrant on screen.

Another character that we loved was Don Sauvage, a washed-up, sleazy, beat-to-shit news anchor taken hostage by Bison and forced to spread propaganda and, of course, to talk mad shit. Eric André killed it as Sauvage; lots of hilarious dumb moments that can only be achieved with a stand-up comedian. He was a whacked-out, drugged-out announcer, and God bless him for it.

Andrew Schulz as Dan Hibiki, “Useless Dan,” is a literal punching bag in the funniest way possible. He was the butt of the joke, and he has some funny moments; Schulz was perfect for this role, much like André was for his.

Cody Rhodes as Guile is a living, breathing popcorn bucket meme, but he is also intimidating, as well as hilarious. He’s got some funny one-liners and moments, and also kicks ass. In terms of his overall physique, Rhodes captures Guile 100%.

Lastly, Blanka and Balrog have to be mentioned as they are also pretty iconic characters that fans will recognize. Blanka, played by Jason Momoa, was a treat from his makeup and design to his overall mannerisms. Momoa really brought that goofiness to the character, and it just worked all around. 50 Cent as Balrog was cool too; I loved his fighting moves on screen.

The fight choreography in Street Fighter was awesome and very faithful to what we’ve seen and played in the games; it was handled with care, and those signature moves were done with love for the fans. Ansatsuken / Shotokan Karate, Chinese Martial Arts / Kung Fu, Boxing & Street Boxing, and Wrestling & Grappling are some of the many fighting styles blended in this film, and they all just work and complement each other synchronously thanks to this fun-filled cast.

The soundtrack has a unique blend of present-day, 2000’s, as well as 90’s music, but they all just work with this colorful vibe and feel of this version of Street Fighter.

In conclusion, Street Fighter was another video game adaptation done right on the big screen. It’s not an Oscar, it’s not pure cinema, but it is entertaining as all hell, and there’s nothing wrong with watching that type of film, especially based on a fighting arcade game. Don’t listen to the critics who have never played a video game in their lives. If you grew up with Street Fighter and know what you’re getting into, then you should have absolutely no problem or doubt seeing this at the theatre. A+

This was kind of a binge movie weekend for me. I saw 3 new movies with the common theme of prominent Tech Founders & CEOS & their minds, personalities, motivations, actions, and beliefs.

1. Social Reckoning (Zuckerberg/Meta)
   
2. You Can See Everything (Holmes/Theranos)
   
3. Musk (Space X, Tesla, Twitter, Starlink, Grok Ai, etc)

It was unintentional, I’m not a techie, but I actually really enjoyed them all. Anyone else seen any or all of them, and what did you think? All 3 of these people really scared me, I think most Tech CEOS seem like politicians mixed with business people mixed with actors, also sprinkling in some lying/deception, inflated egos, zero guilt, and maniacal madness too, lol.

A group of friends visit a haunted house on Halloween night.

You know, HAUNT wasn’t all that bad. The setup and set pieces are great. The haunted house, the creepy, crazy people wearing masks, the havoc being caused on a group of young adults, and the violence for no reason — that’s absolutely perfect!

I just wish the execution was better.

There are way too many cutaways, and you don’t get to see enough of the kills. For the most part, we get the aftermath or a really quick glimpse, and that’s it. That’s what’s holding this movie back. Because the kills are there, and they’re good, but I wanted to bask in the madness of what was happening.

The masked individuals are awesome and definitely look the part. They feel menacing, but again, the lack of visual carnage really diminished the vibe. It’s like you’ve got something good here with these guys. Bring the gore, the blood, the horror! That’s what I wanted to see. I just didn’t get enough.

I will say, though, that hammer scene was fantastic and so is the look of the haunted house itself. The cast is also pretty good and convincing.

With all that said, it’s not unwatchable. It’s more of a one-time-watch kind of movie. But it really should have been a lot better!

I’m giving it a soft…
🔨🔨🔨🔨🔨
5/10

Might work well for someone who wants a horror movie that’s creepy and violent, but not too gory.

Ken Russell’s widely controversial historical religious psychological horror film The Devils has been subject to heavy scrutiny, criticism, and blacklisted for 55 years since its release back in July 1971. The Vatican and the Catholic Church condemned it, and Warner Bros. and the British Board of Film Censors (BBFC) heavily cut it to allow a theatrical release, resulting in many graphic and blasphemous scenes being edited out or removed. Thus, it restricted Russell’s vision of his film based on French Catholic priest Urbain Grandier during the 17th century, who was accused of witchcraft, wickedness, demonic possession, among other things not deemed favorable to a priest or by the institutional hierarchy of the church. 

This film definitely does live up to its hype and controversy, and as a first-time viewer watching The Devils, I can completely see why this was X-rated or an NC-17. It is a raw and perverse, beautifully crafted film on religion and superstition and how mankind and groups of people can be easily manipulated in the name of political power and corruption in the name of Holy Wars.

The Devils is a challenging and provocative film as well, much like The Exorcist and The Omen, which also center on the Antichrist, the Devil, faith, and God dealing with the supernatural as well as Good versus Evil. However, in my opinion, The Devils surpasses both of those films completely because it is a complex and interestingly bleak and bizarre take on both humanity and religion within a true historical context of history and how church and state are intertwined together, resulting in a mass hysteria of sexually frustrated nuns yearning for Oliver Reed’s character, Urbain Grandier. Grandier is more or less a womanizer, a manipulator, and a God-like figure. He is loved by those in the town of Loudun, where Catholics and Protestants live in harmony until, of course, all hell fucking breaks loose thanks to King Louis XIII and Cardinal Richelieu in what became known as the affaire des possédées de Loudun or the Loudun Possessions of 1634. Unexplained bizarre events such as diseases, plagues, famine, and poverty, etc are all believed to be linked to witchcraft or demonic behavior at play, and it’s because Urbain Grandier supposedly made a deal with the devil that’s the best way I can describe this film. 

The Devils is an uncanny fucking experience, especially if you’ve never had the opportunity to see it before but have heard so much about it on social media for years, and both Oliver Reed and Vanessa Redgrave are the driving forces behind what captivates spectators to be immersed while also thinking to themselves, What the fuck am I watching? Vanessa Redgrave as Sister Jeanne is a hunchbacked, sexually repressed freak of nature; she's insane; her obsession with Urbain Grandier is disturbing as hell; her dreams and visions (without spoilers) can best be described as a violent, sexually pleasurable acid trip on one’s senses and general psyche. Sister Jeanne’s behavior is definitely called into question, as demonic possession and mental illness are blurred and debated amongst spectators watching the film. Redgrave played this role perfectly and really captured this deranged nun to a T; she was so believable and just disturbed the fuck out of me on a visceral level, and what’s done to her to get the so-called “demons” out of her… Holy Fuck. The same can be said about Oliver Reed’s character. What a brutal fucking performance. 

I loved this film. It is not just another horror film; it's a masterpiece in 1970’s cinema, and its reputation has rightfully earned that label all these years later. The acting is phenomenal, the visuals are horrific and bizarre, the production design of the overall set, wardrobe, and atmosphere of Loudun on location is so spot on and believable, and watching this all wash over me in Laser format at AMC in 4K was just amazing, so fucking perfect. I’m so glad that I had the opportunity and privilege to see Ken Russell’s religious, sexually orgy-crazed, brutally violent fucked up masochistic picture on the big screen, and I will definitely be looking into his filmography now that I have finally witnessed his notorious film The Devils at the cinema. It gives Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ a run for its money, even though The Passion of the Christ and The Devils are two opposite films in general in relation to Jesus Christ and Catholicism / Christianity. 

I give Ken Russell’s The Devils an A. After watching this, I definitely need a huge fucking palate cleanser that is a dumbed-down, turn-your-brain-off popcorn film based on another 1990s fighting video game, and that is none other than Street Fighter, which is what I’ll be seeing tomorrow (Today Sunday, October 18th). Stay Tuned! 

Picking up immediately after the first movie, Grace is joined by her sister to play yet another deadly game.

I had an awesome time watching READY OR NOT 2: HERE I COME. (Which really didn’t need the “2” in the title, but whatever.) Anyways, I watched it back to back with its predecessor, and that’s definitely the way to do it. It feels like a cohesive story with a straight narrative.

They expand on the lore and the satanic rituals, so now you’re fully aware of what’s actually going on. It’s great! It expands the world and also the craziness.

Samara Weaving is back as Grace, giving another great performance. I liked the characters more this time around as they are given a little bit more depth, adding more to the overall story. I am on the fence with Kathryn Newton’s character of Grace’s sister. Sometimes she works and other times, not at all. It doesn’t ruin the movie, but it makes me wish we were just following Grace again. Elijah Wood was perfectly cast for this movie, and I also liked Sarah Michelle Gellar and Shawn Hatosy.

The comedy still lands for me and goes hand in hand with the violence and carnage. We also get more of the violence, kills, and bloody fun! It’s a bigger movie with a greater story, lore, and stakes. So it makes sense that we’d get more chaos. It is a sequel, after all.

In the end, I really enjoyed myself with READY OR NOT: HERE I COME. It’s a fantastic continuation of the first film and adds to everything we previously got. I loved how it ended. And I’d be down to see more of this story. If you’re into the last one, you have to check out this sequel.

It’s another…
🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐
8/10

That ending scene… so good!

Dear All Through the House,

You were quite an experience, and definitely not in a good way. Starting with your pacing/structure your opening sequence could’ve been really quick and effective, but you overused fake outs and dragged yourself out completely. The more you progressed, the worse your pacing got. You had it get so slow that I was genuinely waiting for something exceptionally bad just to provide some form of entertainment to get out of the slump. By the time I reached your closing sequence I had spent a significant amount of time just waiting for you to end. 

Your story was a bit of a joke. You brought up a potential really dark and interesting trafficking storyline and instead dropped it quite literally immediately, only to be instantly forgotten. When it came to your actual backstory, your explanation of everything only makes things more complicated and raises more questions than answers. I understand why every single kill was sexualised but you really overdid it for the sake of the male gaze. 

You really felt amateurish, especially when it came to your actresses. Your casts performances ranges from unconvincing to just plain awful, with most of them showing no emotional range whatsoever. In fact you were so surprisingly bad that you somehow couldn’t even record a voicemail properly. 

Your technical aspects weren’t any better to be honest with you. Going from poor framing with random props blocking the shot to you blurring an entire shot for no reason. Furthermore, I really think you need to learn colour grading because you have some major correcting to do. You even somehow seemingly had some shots out of sequence, you just don’t feel like a 2025 movie, you feel very 80s. 

I won’t completely slate you as you do have a few select choices and moments, your outfits on your featured characters were quite nice to look at and your Christmas song you used early on was ridiculously creepy and disturbing, I’m not entirely sure it fit but I feel you made a good choice with it. You had one good jump scare, with your cat as it reminded me of Cat People but then you unfortunately tried to recreate that feeling too much and failed. Your wheelchair kill scene was so bad, you were actually quite funny and your final shot was really cool, and very well done. It’s just a shame the rest of you couldn’t make me feel that way. 

- True_kieran on LB

I just watched this movie and I feel conflicted. I've spent a good chunk of my childhood playing Street Fighter games so obviously I got excited when i saw that theres a new movie about it. I was hoping for a serious story in a street fighter setting based on those cut scenes in some latest games. I should've watched the trailer ... because it turned out to be a 2 hour long COMEDY SKETCH

I'll start with the cons

Andrew Schulz. Why the fck was he there?! honestly? He's not even one of the characters! He's just playing himself. and he's not just in one small scene he's literally there throughout the entire movie... bro GET OUT OF THE SCREEN. he was literally ruining my immersion I swear. pointless pointless character.

Bison. does the director hate Bison for some reason? genuinely because wtf?!?! they literally annihilated this character, I have no words. just... they made some decisions with him, I find them questionable to say the least

constant jokes. dude, why does every single movie these days have to be so meta ironic. every time something gets serious and important they just have to break that moment with a silly comedic remark. 'ha the game setting and this story is so silly, look at us pointing out this silliness' dude SHUT UP! NO ONE CARES! LET ME ENJOY MY SILLY!

tourney. what the hell? I was expecting to see all the fights, why didn't they show em? are u serious? Vega and Guile fight apparently happened but they didn't show it they just said who won... whatever

pros

fight scenes. the fight scenes that we get are genuinely impressive. I guess that's to be expected but they were AWESOME. a lotta moves straight from the games all the action was great. top tier.

ryu. idk who this actor is, I've never seen him anywhere before but he was good. he's actually just like I imagined him when playing a game as a kid, I loved his performance

Blanka. surprisingly liked this character too. he was pretty cool

Ken. it was hard for me to get used to the actor initially but I did get used to him by the end, him and Ryu should've had more scenes together instead of friggin ANDREW SCHULTZ

animated flashbacks. man those scenes were FANTASTIC! why didn't they do the live action scenes just like those? how is it you're making a live action movie and the best parts of it are the animated scenes... make it make sense

idk man, as a street fighter fan I did enjoy seeing all of my favourite characters in live action but I was hoping for something more. even having all the female characters facing the camera with their booty cheeks 24/7 didn't really make this movie any better for me

4/10

A film with an extraordinary story, powerful performances, and a depth that stays with you long after the credits roll.
What I loved most was how it tells a story about people suppressing their feelings, both towards others and towards themselves. It reminds you how much of life we spend keeping things inside, leaving feelings unspoken, and holding ourselves back from living as genuinely as we can.
It asks one of life’s most profound questions: You have one life to live. How are you going to live it? Because once it’s over, it’s over. And that thought hits differently when you start reflecting on your own life, your choices, and all the things you’ve left unsaid.
I found myself getting emotional towards the end. Not just because of the story, but because of how deeply it made me reflect on my own life. Sometimes a film doesn’t give you answers; it simply asks the right questions and leaves you sitting with them.
The colors, landscapes, framing, and sets are absolutely stunning, making the entire experience even more beautiful.
I genuinely didn’t want this film to end. There are very few movies that make me feel this way, where I want to stay in their world just a little longer.
Probably one of the best films I’ve watched. A beautiful reminder to live fully, feel deeply, and be true to yourself.
Must watch.

Dear Backrooms,

I feel like movies based off of internet memes and myths are a mistake as your audience is very niche and I am rarely if ever part of it. Your opening sequence was largely uneventful, yes your seagull did startle me a little bit but as a whole the whole thing just felt like I was watching a screensaver with a poor transition in to the rest of your movie. I dislike how much focus you put in to Clark, I get why you do it and by your ending it all makes sense but he was just unpleasant to watch and difficult to support. I definitely would not consider you a horror despite your found footage aspect purely because you’re not scary and you have little to no horror elements, you have a extreme lack of scares and spend more time focusing on characters watching adverts. 

The further you progressed the more disappointed I got. The concept of the Backrooms felt like it was just watching someone walk around a maze with no suspense, and purely repetitive, annoying sounds with the exaggerated fluorescent lights and warbling repetitive lights. You offered a slight bit of intrigue when Mary is introduced properly in your therapy sessions but you felt more like a much worse version of Homer3. 

As your duration is running out I feel like I’m wasting my time with you. At 75 minutes in it still feels like you’re trying to set something up. Other than your creepy ‘pick up the camera’ scene your found footage scenes were completely wasted and character decisions became purely predictable. You had infinite potential for what to put in the Backrooms and wasted it on random objects like shoes or couches. 

You had decent acting performances from Clark and Mary but if even you didn’t really know what was happening you’re doomed for failure. By your end I was dissatisfied, not because of your aforementioned lack of horror, but for the fact that you’re completely unfinished and you relying purely on audience guess work to fill in your missing pieces felt incredibly lazy 

- True_kieran on LB

P.S. Backrooms is a bad name, reminds me of “back rolls?!”

The tech industry has always been about hype and hope. Angel Investors and venture capitalists are hopeful their money results in something transformative. Entrepreneurs hype their business hopeful in investment. When it works, it’s pretty amazing what gets created. When it doesn’t, it’s a spectacular flop.

Is Elizabeth Holmes, the CEO of Theranos, a spectacular flop, a fraud, a con artist, or a risk taker that simply picked a bad path to a good idea? This movie lets you decide. The new venture Haemanthus will ultimately determine how this all plays out. The scenes are dramatic showing just how close they are to something that actually works.

The movie is too long, too performative, too confusing. It’s also captivating. Nathan Fielder is a director with a unique flair and sense of humor. I’m not sure how much of it was scripted, staged, and directed. I’m not sure how much was authentic emotion. I’m guessing very little was authentic and most was scripted for dramatic effect. It’s excellent writing with limited characters, a clear villain, and a simple story arc about a misunderstood master manipulator. The cinematography is fantastic with close up shots mixed with beautiful establishing shots to seamlessly weld together very different plot elements.

it’s definitely a movie worth seeing but make sure you pee and check your email beforehand because you’re going to be in the theater a while. In the end, you’ll talk about it which, to me, is what a good movie is supposed to do.

A family’s wedding night tradition of playing games turns into something sadistic.

I had so much fun with this movie. It’s a great concept that lends itself well to a dark comedy horror. The laughs are definitely present and go hand in hand with the violence.

There’s also some interesting lore that doesn’t get fully revealed till the end, and even at that is kept pretty vague—which I really enjoyed. They give you just enough to satisfy your questions but still leave something to wonder about.

Samara Weaving is fantastic as the bride and absolutely sells it! The rest of the cast is good and works well in the movie’s setting. I also really like the overall look and vibe of the movie. The violence doesn’t stand out as anything special but still delivers well for the story they’re trying to tell.

I really like everything about READY OR NOT. The tone gives this movie its charm with the cohesiveness of the comedy and violence functioning perfectly! And the ending… awesome! It’s really a must-watch for fans of the genre. Definitely check this one out!

It’s an…
😈😈😈😈😈😈😈😈
8/10

I had to revisit this one before watching the sequel, now I’m pumped!

Round three, you lose. This is the third movie based on the beloved video game franchise as with the previous two attempts, it's not great. There is a good movie somewhere within the story of Street Fighter, this just isn't it. One of the biggest problems is the fights that appear in the movie. Barely any fights from the actual tournament are shown and the ones that do get shown are never more than a single round. The fights were also not shot very well. Almost every fight is shot way too close so you can't really see what is happening. Most of the characters felt under utilized. There's around 14 characters from the games who appear in the movie, but most of them really only get a scene or two. I am not a fan of how they used CGI to make Blanka and wish they would've just gone practical as he has a kind of uncanny valley look to him in the movie. Most of the cast was good and fun, like Cody Rhodes as Guile or David Datsmalchian as M. Bison, which is unfortunate due to how poorly the movie turned out but there were some performances that were plain bad. Eric Andre as Don Sauvage, for example, is just annoying. 50 Cent was good as Balrog, but because they played 50 Cent songs in every one of his fights, he felt less like Balrog and more like just himself. There were also way too many needle drops. For a game series with some of the most iconic themes, I really wish they had utilized the game's music much more than they did. However not everything was bad. The movie takes place in 1993, but has flashbacks to 1987. The flashbacks are beautifully animated and I almost wish the whole movie had been animated the same style. The costuming was also fantastic, matching everyone's in game outfits perfectly. Honestly, save your money and skip this one.

Here is my review. It is written by me. Sorry for any grammar or spelling mistakes. I write in bullet points. I know this is not for everyone, but it is just my style. Be warned.

• I have played the games a little but don't remember them and have not seen any of the previous movies.
• I thought had a promising start but got progressively worse. I felt sort of entertained in the start, but the very generic plot, shallow characters, and increasingly incoherent storytelling, eventually made it difficult for me to care. I would not say it was a very bad experience not good either.
• The animated part felt excellent and is the movies main strength. Maybe the whole movie should have just been animated! I thought the way they blended in the animation in different parts, I have not seen done before, and that was very well done. This movie felt like it would pass better through animation.
• The acting is average to bad. Gouken and Dhalsim where the only characters I found interesting and they are not really in the movie that much. I think the actor for Dhalsim did pretty well for his character and his dialogue felt good. Everyone else felt cliched and underdeveloped. Maybe it is different for game players. All moments in the movie that were supposed to be profound, felt shallow. The movie did not earn any emotional investment into its characters. It just expects you to care because they are the good guys.
• The protagonists, meanwhile, have the emotional depth of characters waiting for you to press START
• The fighting and tournament was disappointing. The action feels meh. The tournament itself was rushed. Cut in a way which made me think the movie was twice as long and then been cut down a lot. Also why is the tournament all in one day? Doesn't that make zero sense for fighting sport? You are completely tired after a match, but then to have a nice final it is all in 1 day? Yeah I know maybe this genre of movie is supposed to be ridiculous in itself, and that is fine, but that also limits how high a movie can be rated.
• For a movie called Street Fighther, it fails to make the fighting particularly memorable.
• The editing is just bad and the movie feels incomplete. Important transitions and explanantions and what would seem to be entire scenes, seem to be missing. Character decisions often make little sense, logistics are cofusing. The world building is also weak. Having watched Predator: Badlands and Mortal Combat 2, I liked both for their world building. This is much weaker thatn MC2.
• I don't get how the powers work, the power leveling, relative strengths, the magic system, the rules, the lore, the mythology, or anything in this universe workes. I didn't really get where they were or felt immersed in their universe and that city. You don't have to give Bisons entire backstory but explain a little please!
• The sound mixing, soundtrack, and cultural variety deserve praise though. I recommend watching it in a dolby atmos cinema. My favorite track was "Let go of what binds you" and that fight was amazing although way too short.
• The cinematography, costumes, production design, are unremarkable.
• Mortal Kombat II, is the better movie IMO. It is just more entertaining and the comedy lands much better. It is just funnier. Better story. Better world building. Lore is better. And as someone who comes as an outsider, easier to get.
• But if you just want an action movie, to watch on streaming, after a hangover or with a bunch of your friends, the type where you just leave your brain on hibernation, it is not that bad either :)

There was something about the trailers for Street Fighter 2026 that got me excited for the film. It seemed pretty irreverent and leaned into the video game vibe that set it apart from the more serious take of the recent Mortal Kombat films. It had a tone that made me want to watch it.

Now, the previous Street Fighter films have been pretty up and down in terms of quality. The 1994 film has something of a cult following (probably more for its "so bad it's good" vibe), with quotable lines and Raul Julia delivering a standout performance. Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li, on the other hand, was pretty forgettable and failed to deliver on any of its promise. So I thought, maybe this time we were finally going to get an adaptation that would elevate Street Fighter in the cinematic realm.

Alas, it was not meant to be. I mean, I'll be honest, I really wanted to like this film, but I came away feeling pretty disappointed.

First, let me talk about the film's good parts. There are animated sequences in the film that pop up here and there that are really well done. So good, in fact, that I found myself wishing the whole film had been done in that style.

However, things that work in animation don't always translate well into live action, and the rest of the movie feels a bit disjointed, with the tone jumping around from outright campiness to complete seriousness.

When the movie works, it's when it fully embraces its video gamey roots. It doesn't bother explaining why people are capable of phenomenal feats. Instead, it just revels in the absurdity of it all and uses it to create spectacle after spectacle.

Where the film falters is in the overwhelming sense of melodrama that pervades a good bulk of its characters, melodrama that feels neither earned nor necessary. This is especially evident with Ryu, whose portrayal by Andrew Koji feels like it belongs in a completely different movie. Don't get me wrong, I actually like Koji's Ryu, but his performance has a totally different serious tone from the rest of the cast, who seem to be having a great time hamming it up.

I also felt like a lot of the characters were underutilised, and I got the distinct impression that quite a few of their scenes had been left on the cutting room floor. Which is a shame, because there were several characters who got a big build-up that ultimately amounted to nothing.

Speaking of which, Jason Momoa as Blanka has to be one of the biggest examples of stunt casting I've seen in a while. Given the CG nature of the role and his story arc, pretty much anyone could have played the role. It felt like a bit of a waste, and yet another character saddled with drama that really didn't need to be.

My last nitpick is that I felt the audio for the dialogue was poorly mastered. There were quite a few moments where I genuinely struggled to make out what was being said. Not that it mattered all that much, as the story is really just an excuse to string a bunch of fights together. There are plenty of plot holes and nonsensical story beats, but I'm pretty sure Street Fighter fans aren't going to see this movie for its story.

The fights themselves were adequate. I do think the editing diminished the impact of some of them, and quite a few seemed to finish just as they were getting going. I guess that's the downside of having such a big ensemble cast and a limited amount of screen time to give everyone their moment.

As things go, this movie certainly has more production value than its 1994 counterpart and is definitely better than The Legend of Chun-Li. Whether you enjoy it or not will probably come down to how big a Street Fighter fan you are and how much you're willing to overlook its shortcomings. Personally, I'd just wait to watch this one at home.

If you do decide to catch it in cinemas, there is a mid-credits scene, and that's it. Don't bother waiting till the end :)

I can bear with bad CGI and plot armor.

But holy... how is this movie not a comedy? Take a shot every time someone says "Shiba" and you might end up with alcohol poisoning by the end of the movie.

Everyone is constantly screaming and swearing at each other for no apparent reason. Even in serious moments, they still have to crack jokes. The worst scene might be the hospital scene where the old man reveals that there could be more monsters in the forest... only to be followed by diarrhea joke.

Despite its flaws, the first half set in town is pretty entertaining and interesting. The second half... not so much.

This is definitely a step down from Na Hong Jin's other works.

People should really appreciate and watch movies within their own context and the moment they were made. Whalefall is a solid 7 movie but this movie alone deserves more just for the technical achievement that it is. People should appreciate more all the work behind production design, cinematography, sound engineering, soundtrack and of course, acting.

​This is not just Austin Abrams's autumn. Beyond the hype around him, we are witnessing the rise of a terrific actor who somehow got lost in the cracks and has finally, twice this year, demonstrated that he can carry a movie on his shoulders. The way he conveys emotion just with his body language, his eyes, microexpressions and voice is something that is going to be studied for years to come.

​Brian Duffield once again demonstrated his proficiency in telling stories through visual cues with little to no dialogue, as he did in his previous film, No One Will Save You.

​Now, I'm a sucker for movies that tell a story using allegories to send a message: the more subtle, the better. Sometimes there are obvious examples, sometimes not so much. This is the weakest point of its screenplay, but overall, the highs of this film are something to behold, and its lows are not inversely proportional, id est, they are not as low as its highs are high.

​As long as there are people going to the theaters to watch these kind of movies, we can overcome the superhero, prequel and legacy sequel fatigue.

I just finished watching The Hope and honestly, I think it's a pretty good movie overall, but there are several things that really frustrated me and stopped me from enjoying it as much as I could have.

First of all, the excessive cursing and shouting. Holy shit, it's CONSTANT. I even saw a Korean reviewer count how many times the characters said “shibal” (a Korean swear word) and apparently, it was around 140 times.

I understand that the writer wanted to make the characters feel like real people and capture how people would react in a situation like this. However, in my opinion, constantly repeating the same swear words and having characters shout at each other doesn't make the dialogue feel more realistic. If anything, it does the opposite. It starts feeling repetitive and lazy, as if the movie is using the same dialogue over and over instead of giving us more interesting conversations and reactions.

Another major problem is the chase scenes. They're way too long. In the beginning, we have the police chief and the others running around for what feels like 30–40 minutes without actually showing us much of the monster. I understand building suspense and keeping the creature mysterious, but at some point, it just becomes frustrating. The later car chase scenes with the monster have the same problem. They drag on for so long that I started losing interest.

Honestly, it feels like a huge portion of the movie consists of people running around, chasing things, shouting and swearing. I don't mind long chase scenes when they're exciting, but here, I think they could have been much shorter without losing anything important.

And then there's the comedy. Some of the comedic moments feel completely misplaced. Instead of making me laugh, they just made me cringe because the jokes didn't fit the situation or the atmosphere. I want to feel the tension and danger when a terrifying creature is around, but some of these moments completely kill the mood.

Another thing is the alien reveal. When I first saw the monster, I genuinely thought it was amazing. It looked scary, mysterious and I was really interested in seeing what kind of creature it was. However, when the movie started revealing the spaceship and the whole alien aspect, I felt a little disappointed. Maybe it's just me, but I honestly would have preferred if the creature had been something connected to Earth itself, perhaps an ancient organism related to the land, local history, or some kind of bizarre biological phenomenon. The first monster didn't even look particularly alien to me, so I thought there might be something more mysterious or grounded behind its existence. I think that direction could have been even crazier and more interesting. That's just my personal preference, though!

However, I absolutely LOVE the monster design. The creature itself is amazing, and the alien design is one of the best things about this movie. Whenever the creature is actually on screen, it's genuinely interesting to watch. I really wish the movie had focused more on the creature itself and less on the repetitive shouting, unnecessary swearing, and unnecessarily long chase sequences.

Overall, I still enjoyed The Hope. I think it has a great monster concept and some genuinely good elements, but the excessive cursing, repetitive shouting, dragged-out chase scenes, misplaced comedy and the direction of the alien reveal really hold it back for me.

My rating: 6/10.

It's a good monster movie with amazing creature designs, but I feel like it could have been so much better. After finishing the movie, I couldn't remember a single memorable line of dialogue. All I could remember was the constant cursing.