October 7, 2024

EXHUMA: Let's Dig Up Grandpa!


EXHUMA (Blu-ray)
2024 / 134 min
Review by Josey, the Sudden Cat🙀

Prior to reviewing the film on Blu-ray, I’d heard quite a lot about Exhuma, nearly all of it very positive. So I approached it with somewhat elevated expectations, especially since a majority of the South Korean horror films I’ve seen have been pretty damn good. 

And there’s a lot to love about Exhuma. Establishing a dark tone and deliberate pace right away, this one bares more narrative and stylistic similarities to The Wailing than Train to Busan. But unlike The Wailing, which was good but often rambling and way too long (my minority opinion), this one stays more on-point, though the story itself isn’t without issues of its own.


Professional geomancer Kim Sang-deok (Choi Min-sik), shaman Lee Hwa-rim (Kim Go-eun) and mortician Yeong-geun (Yoo Hae-jin) come to the aid of a wealthy family whose long-dead grandfather has been haunting the dreams of all the males, including the newborn son of Park Ji-yong (Kim Jai-cheol). This involves exhuming his casket from a remote gravesite and performing a ritual that would banish him to the hereafter for good. But when someone opens the coffin, the ghost is freed. Worse yet, he’s plenty pissed and hell bent killing all his heirs.


"I don't think this is gophers, Kim."

Roughly comprising the first half of the film, this is a pretty fascinating story, particularly the scenes involving the shaman ceremonies, which look and sound authentic (I don’t know, or care, if they actually are). There’s also a lot of slow building tension and dread, punctuated by the “grandfather’s” ominous presence, which is effectively depicted through chilling sequences that don’t rely much on CGI. 


But that’s only half the story. It turns out something else was buried with Grandpa…a huge, monstrous samurai ghoul that Kim Sang-deok foolishly digs up as well. Now they must contend with this entity, which has the power to possess one of their own. This aspect of the the film ups the violence and features a few wonderfully effective scenes. However, it also feels more like a standard-issue good versus evil story, rendered less effective by clearly showing - early and often - the demon our protagonists are facing. For the most part, the events of the first hour are forgotten, essentially making the film two tenuously-linked stories, and unfortunately, the second one isn’t quite as engaging.


Still, Exhuma is has enough wonderfully creepy moments to be worth worth watching, probably more than once. Intelligently written and boasting solid performances (especially Choi Min-sik’s), the narrative might be a little overstuffed, but overall, the film is immersive and atmospheric 


EXTRA KIBBLES

MAKING-OF FEATURETTE

TRAILER


October 6, 2024

All Your FRIENDS in One Place...in 4K


FRIENDS: THE COMPLETE SERIES (4K UHD)
1994-2004 / 4800 min (236 Episodes)
Review by Stinky’s Mom😺

I’m not sure I need to write an introduction for Friends. Anyone who’s owned a TV in the last 30 years has probably caught at least one episode…or knows it through the show’s massive cultural impact that’s still relevant today through quotable gags and memes. 

But if you’ve only just now emerged from your underground bunker, I can still give you the basic rundown. The show follows the lives of six twenty-something friends living in New York City as they navigate their careers and relationships. The main cast is composed of Monica (Courteney Cox), a high strung chef, her roommate Rachel (Jennifer Aniston), who is a spoiled but sweet rich-girl-turned-waitress; Ross (David Schwimmer), Monica’s intelligent (arrogant) paleontologist brother; Sarcastic corporate slave Chandler (Matthew Perry) and his charming but dumb aspiring actor roommate, Joey (Matt LeBlanc); Finally, there's ditzy and strange musician Phoebe (Lisa Kudrow). 


Through the show’s ten season run, viewers witness the Friends career changes, hijinks, and plethora of hookups and breakups (and breakups, and breakups, and breakups Rachel and Ross, ahem). The final episode of Friends aired over 20 years ago, and while the series has seen reruns and jumped between streaming platforms (4% of Netflix’s total views were from Friends alone when the show landed there in 2015, and now it resides on HBO Max), now the whole series can be owned in stunning 4K Ultra HD. Friends: The Complete Series comes with all 236 episodes and over twenty hours of bonus features. 


The One Where They Find Jesus.
The picture and sound quality in this remaster is pretty amazing. While rewatching some of my favorite episodes I wasn’t initially convinced, wrinkling my nose and wondering what the difference could possibly be. Then I not only pulled up some clips on YouTube to compare, but also went ahead and dug into the bonus features that had some older clips. And wow, has there been a major improvement. Footage is clear, bright, and colorful, making it look like it did in my head. On top of the beautiful upscale, each season contains gag reels and audio commentary on select episodes. 

Bonus features (contained on 2 Blu-ray discs) are plentiful, but probably only interesting to the most die-hard of Friends fans. Some of the bonus features include a Jeopardy style trivia game, documentaries on the show’s creation and impact, and a really baffling feature called Friends of Friends, which is just context-free, low-quality clips of guest stars from the show…I think? There was no commentary, and while some clips were cameos of big stars who made appearances, others were regularly recurring guests. Maybe a bigger fan than I can piece that one together. 


Overall, it’s a fun collection, and it’s nice to know I can always just reach for the boxed set when I get that Friends itch without having to worry about it being yoinked to another streaming service I don’t want to pay for. I don’t think there's anything in this collection that will entice people to start the show for the first time, but those who love Friends will certainly find this to be a great tribute for the series’ 30th anniversary. 


EXTRA KIBBLES

AUDIO COMMENTARIES - For select episodes, Seasons 1-10.

FRIENDS OF FRIENDS - Seasons 1-10.

WHAT’S UP WITH YOUR FRIENDS? - Seasons 1-4.

GUNTHER SPILLS THE BEANS… - 1) …About Season 6; 2) …About Next Season (6-9).

TRUE FRIENDS DOCUMENTARIES - Friends from the Start; When Friends Become Family; The Legacy of Friends.

FEATURETTES - Friends from Around the World; The One That Goes Behind the Scenes; Friends on Location in London; Behind the Style: The Look of Friends; Friends Final Thoughts.

FRIENDS: THROUGH THE PEEPHOLE - A new 15-minute retrospective

HOW WELL DO YOU KNOW YOUR FRIENDS? - A new trivia game.

THE ORIGINAL SCRIPT AND PRODUCERS’ CUT - For The One Where Rachel Tells Ross.

FRIENDS ON THE TONIGHT SHOW WITH JAY LENO - From 2004

FRIENDS VISITS THE ELLEN DEGENERES SHOW - From 2004-05

THE ORIGINAL BROADCAST “SUPER-SIZED” EPISODES FROM SEASON 7

THE ONE WITH THE NEVER-BEFORE-SEEN GAGS

MUSIC VIDEOS - “I’ll Be There For You”; “Smelly Cat”; “Joey, Joey”; Phoebe Battles the Pink Robots.”

GAG REELS

SEASON 2 TRAILER


October 4, 2024

A QUIET PLACE: DAY ONE (4K UHD SteelBook): You Had Us At Frodo


A QUIET PLACE: DAY ONE (4K UHD SteelBook)
2024 / 99 min
Review by Josey, the Sudden Cat😺

The biggest problem with most prequels - especially horror prequels - is that the outcome is somewhat a given. In general, we all know the antagonist(s) - whoever or whatever it may be - is gonna survive to terrorize another day. 

However, the concept of A Quiet Place and its sequel was never about defeating the alien creatures. The films were about the mere survival of a single family. So why not offer another survival story with (almost) entirely different characters? In that sense, the basic concept is certainly conducive to the prequel treatment, especially one that finally depicts the apocalyptic invasion the second film merely teased us with in its prologue.


Better yet…it throws a kitty into the mix! For Free Kittens Movie Guide, that's reason enough to justify a prequel.


Fittingly, A Quiet Place: Day One takes place in New York, the loudest city in the world. The location is actually vital to the overall tone because, once the survivors figure out that the creatures attack at the slightest sound (even the kitty knows to shut the hell up), the silence of the city is almost oppressive.


This time, the story focuses on a terminally ill woman, Sam (Lupita Nyong’o), her cat Frodo (Nico and Schnitzel) and Eric (Joseph Quinn), a terrified English law student. After the initial attack, survivors are urged by the military to head to the seaport, where they’re rescuing people with boats (since the creatures can’t swim). But with what time she has left, Sam just wants to reach Harlem (where she grew up) and enjoy her favorite pizza one last time. Lonely and having no place to go, Eric begs to come along.


It’s a perilous journey through streets, ruins and subways, punctuated by excellent set-pieces that show these creatures have lost none of their menace over three films (the street attack on a crowd too big to remain completely silent is a definite highlight). And once again, the narrative wisely chooses not to reveal much about the creatures beyond what we already know (which has demystified too many other horror franchises). Like the first two films, A Quiet Place: Day One chooses instead to expand the characters…through their journey, actions and increasing dependence on each other. Because we become so invested in them - including the cat! - the film is more than a thrill-ride loaded with jump scares. 


The star of A Quiet Place: Day One...and Lupita Nyong'o.
But really, A Quiet Place: Part One had us at Frodo, and he ain’t just a token plot device. The cat is a vital part of the story, a catalyst for a few key developments and a major sporting character. Considering Frodo is not a CGI creation, the two kitties playing him are pretty damn impressive little actors. The best human performance belongs to Nyong’o, who does a tremendous job showing Sam’s transition from angry fatalist to selfless heroine.

We reviewed the 4K SteelBook version, which has outstanding picture and sound quality, maybe the best, most balanced we’ve seen and heard this year (at least in a horror film). The Steelbook itself features great artwork that I wouldn’t quite call minimalism, but it reflects the movie’s tone more effectively than the overly-busy standard cover.


Though presented on a grander scale than the first two films, A Quiet Place: Part One is ultimately a personal journey, the smaller moments nicely contrasting all the monster mayhem. Exciting, intense and often touching, it’s more that just another cash-grabbing prequel. Plus…a kitty!


EXTRA KIBBLES

4K, BLU-RAY & DIGITAL COPIES

FEATURETTES - All of them include plenty of interviews and behind-the-scenes footage running, 6-7 minutes each. Day Zero: Beginnings and Endings sort of summarizes how the film was created; In the City: Chaos in Chinatown focuses on locations and sets that substitute for New York; The Exodus: Against the Tide focuses on the massive crowd of survivors heading toward the river; The Long Walk: Monsters in Midtown features Nico and Schnitzel, the two real stars of the movie; Pizza at the End of the World explains the “farming” scene involving the creatures (which, frankly, I didn’t get from the movie), as well as using the pizza quest as a means of establishing the characters and their relationship.

DELETED/EXTENDED SCENES


October 3, 2024

THE POOP SCOOP: Warner Bros Classics in 4K

BLAZING SADDLES, NORTH BY NORTHWEST and THE TERMINATOR Arrive on 4K Ultra HD and Digital on November 19 from Warner Bros.
Three classic films celebrating anniversaries of their release – Blazing Saddles (50th anniversary), North by Northwest (65th anniversary) and The Terminator (40th anniversary), will be released for the first time on 4K Ultra HD and Digital on November 19. All three have been selected for preservation in the National Film Registry by the United States Library of Congress as being culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.


BLAZING SADDLES - Ribald, tasteless and hilarious ... this classic spoof of the Western genre by director Mel Brooks pokes fun at everyone and everything. A corrupt governor grants a reprieve to an African American convict if the condemned man agrees to serve as sheriff of a small Western town, believing that new sheriff will only live long enough to serve the needs of the governor and his nefarious railroad-baron backer.


NORTH BY NORTHWEST - Cary Grant stars as an innocent man mistaken for a spy in one of director Alfred Hitchcock's greatest thrillers. While leaving New York's Plaza Hotel, advertising executive Roger Thornhill (Grant) has the misfortune of raising his hand just as the name "George Kaplan" is paged--starting a lethal case of mistaken identity and a nonstop game of cat and mouse as he is pursued across North America by espionage agents trying to kill him--and by police who suspect him of murder.


THE TERMINATOR - Disguised as a human, a cyborg assassin known as a Terminator (Arnold Schwarzenegger) travels from 2029 to 1984 to kill Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton). Sent to protect Sarah is Kyle Reese (Michael Biehn), who divulges the coming of Skynet, an artificial intelligence system that will spark a nuclear holocaust. Sarah is targeted because Skynet knows that her unborn son will lead the fight against them. With the virtually unstoppable Terminator in hot pursuit, she and Kyle attempt to escape. Directed by James Cameron.


BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE On Digital October 8 and on 4K, Blu-ray & DVD November 19 from Warner Bros.
Beetlejuice is back!  Oscar-nominated, singular creative visionary Tim Burton and Oscar nominee and star Michael Keaton reunite for Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, the long-awaited sequel to Burton’s award-winning Beetlejuice. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice debuts for purchase and rental Digitally at home on October 8, then 4K, Blu-ray nd DVD November 19. Keaton returns to his iconic role alongside Oscar nominee Winona Ryder (Stranger Things, Little Women) as Lydia Deetz and two-time Emmy winner Catherine O’Hara (Schitt's Creek, The Nightmare Before Christmas) as Delia Deetz, with new cast members Justin Theroux (Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi, The Leftovers), Monica Bellucci (Spectre, The Matrix films), Arthur Conti (House of the Dragon) in his feature film debut, with Emmy nominee Jenna Ortega (Wednesday, Scream VI) as Lydia’s daughter, Astrid, and Oscar nominee Willem Dafoe (Poor Things, At Eternity’s Gate).

October 1, 2024

KILLERS and THE CONVENT: Who the Hell Is Mike Mendez?


KILLERS and THE CONVENT (Blu-ray)
Review by Josey, the Sudden Cat🙀

Mike Mendez? The name doesn’t immediately ring a bell. Time for a bit of Google-fu…

Oh…he directed Big Ass Spider, a pretty damn funny “big bug” flick with a lowly exterminator as its hero. He also did Don’t Kill It, another horror flick with a healthy sense of humor. Over the years, it looks like Mendez has carved himself a nice little niche in the genre.


Synapse Films is now re-releasing two of Mike Mendez’ early efforts on Blu-ray. One isn’t entirely successful, but shows inklings of his talent, while the other demonstrates a real knack for combining horror and humor.


KILLERS

1996 / 96 min

The notorious, parent-killing brothers, Odessa and Kyle James, have escaped from prison, leaving a trail of bodies in their wake. Picking a random house in which to hide, they break into one owned by the Ryan family. As infamously ruthless as the brothers are, none of the Ryans appear all that intimidated. In fact, the mother and oldest daughter are kind-of turned-on by them. Outside, there’s a manhunt led by a detective who later professes her love for Odessa. The Ryan family, however, are keeping a lot of secrets in the house, which are revealed when they turn the tables on their captors. 


Killers is Mendez’ first feature film, which often reflects a director far more in love with how it looks than the actual story, playing sort of like Natural Born Killers if directed by Dario Argento. There’s plenty of hyper-editing, impressive camerawork, flashy gunplay and gratuitous sex. However, attempts at satire are heavy-handed and some story twists are superfluous. I also gotta say its main antagonist, Odessa (and his pseudo-hip nihilism) isn’t nearly as cool as Mendez thinks he is, not helped by a one-note performance from Dave Larsen. Still, patient viewers will be rewarded with a few twisted surprises and an amusing turn by C.T. Miller as the Ryans’ nutty patriarch.


EXTRA KIBBLES - Audio Commentary by director Mike Mendez & author Michael Gingold; Alternate Ending; Trailers.



"No recess until you hail Satan."


THE CONVENT

2000 / 80 min

Your standard issue batch of obnoxious college kids decide to party in an abandoned old convent with a notorious past: 40 years earlier, a disgruntled teenager named Christine came in with a shotgun, killing every nun and priest. Unfortunately for these kids, the urban legend that demons now haunt the place turns out to be true. Worse yet, when someone is bitten, they become one as well.


The Convent is almost unbearably awful for the first thirty minutes or so, mainly due to the stupidly-written group of kids. But this one is worth sticking with because, like flipping a switch, it turns into a gory good time. Clearly drawing inspiration from films like Evil Dead and Demons, this one actually a lot better than the latter. And with the introduction of a few hilariously inept satanists, there’s a welcome emphasis on comedy to go with the mayhem. This is all before Adrianne Barbeau comes along to steal the entire movie. She plays Christine as an adult, who reveals the real reason for killing everyone when she was young.


EXTRA KIBBLES - Making-of Featurette; 2 Audio Commentaries - 1) By Mike Mendez and cast; 2) By Saul and Dickie-Boy (the two goofy satanists); Video Tour of Killers and The Convent (featuring director Mike Mendez); Original Electronic Press Kit; Gore Outtakes; Deleted Scene; Still Gallery; Trailers; Reversible Cover.



After viewing both, I think Mike Mendez’ best work was ahead of him, especially Big Ass Spider (as well as his segment of the anthology, Satanic Hispanics). Still, it’s always interesting to look back and see where directors honed their craft. Of the two, The Convent best showcases how well Mendez serves up terror and violence with plenty of laughs.