FACKHAM HALL: British Buffoonery

FACKHAM HALL (Blu-ray)

2025 / 97 min

Decal Releasing

Review by Stinky the Destroyer😼

God knows such stuffy British dramas as Downton Abbey and Merchant-Ivory’s entire catalogue could use a good ribbing, which the director and team of writers (including comedian Jimmy Carr) attempt to do with Fackham Hall. 

By their very nature, parody films are a challenge to pull off successfully. For every stone cold classic like Airplane!, there are a slew of celluloid suppositories that operate on the conceit that simply shoving pop culture references and bodily functions down the viewer’s throat qualifies as satire. Speaking of the latter, are they still letting Friedberg & Seltzer make movies?

Fackham Hall lies somewhere in the middle. Though never quite as clever as Zucker, Abrahams & Zucker’s best films, it’s generally pretty funny, even though it sort of runs out of gas before the credits roll. While certainly unfolding like the period pieces it satirizes, the plot is perfunctory, a clothesline on which to hang a rapid-fire whirlwind of gags, both visual and dialogue-driven. 

The titular estate is home to the Davenports, an aristocratic family headed by their patriarch, Humphrey (Damian Lewis). With no surviving sons left (they all died in previous accidents), he arranges for daughter Poppy (Emma Laird) to marry her cousin, Archibald (Tom Felton), in order to keep the house in the family. But when she leaves Archibald at the alter, Humphrey and wife Prudence (Katherine Waterston) insist their other daughter, Rose (Thomasin McKenzie), marry him instead. However, she’s smitten with streetwise orphan pickpocket Eric (Ben Radcliffe), much to the consternation of everyone in the house (including the help).

Liberal amounts of AXE makes men irresistible.

But what am I saying? No one watching is really gonna care about the plot, even after Humphrey’s murdered and Eric’s the primary suspect. The movie’s so busy stampeding from one gag to the next that the story almost seems intrusive. Still, a lot of it works. While not above throwing in scatalogical humor and a ton of incest jokes, the dialogue is frequently funny, if not always particularly clever. Sometimes I laughed out loud, sometimes I chuckled, and occasionally, I checked to see how much more I had to sit through. But by and large, the movie’s batting average is pretty good.

Another reason Fackham Hall works as well as it does is the casting of actors not typically associated with comedy. Most look like they’d be right at home in a genuine British drama, and for the most part, everyone plays it straight. Even during the more slapsticky moments, there are no heavy-handed reminders that these characters are in on the joke.

Though probably not destined to be a comedy classic, Fackham Hall is mostly pretty amusing and one doesn’t necessarily need to be well versed in period dramas to enjoy it. It looks and sounds like one, but a good portion of the gags have little or nothing to do the genre it parodies. 

EXTRA KIBBLES

15 DELETED SCENES - Some are very funny, but you can see why most were cut.

SPINAL TAP II: THE END CONTINUES...But Not To 11

SPINAL TAP II: THE END CONTINUES (Blu-ray)

2025 / 84 min

Bleecker Street/Decal Releasing

Review by Stinky the Destroyer😺

To paraphrase…41 years and three albums later (since Smell the Glove), Spinal Tap is still going strong. And their film, This is Spinal Tap, has earned a distinguished place in movie history as one of the funniest satires. So when I heard that Rob Reiner, Harry Shearer, Michael McKean and Christopher Guest were releasing a new film called Spinal Tap II: The End Continues, needless to say I jumped at the chance to review the mockumentary - or, if you will - superfluous sequel, that you’re gonna read about here. But hey…enough of my yakkin’...

Obviously, a little more yakkin’...

A movie like Spinal Tap II: The End Continues doesn’t really need to exist. You can obviously say that about most sequels, of course, but the original 1984 film was so damn funny and satirically spot-on that it not-only became a cult classic, it practically invented the mockumentary. Since then, the infinitely quotable dialogue, scenes mocking rock tropes and even the band itself have wormed their way into our culture over the years. So to quote Nigel Tufnul, “Where do you go from there? Where?”

Well, The End Continues certainly doesn’t go to 11. How could it? Even if the rock music world the original film parodied still existed in any relevant way, there’s simply no stone left to unturn. In fact, large portions of this sequel end up revisiting the same legendary scenes and gags (drummers' untimely deaths, problems with the Stonehenge prop, etc). Secondary characters from the first film show up in where-are-they-now bits. Even most of Tap’s 'classic' songs are revisited. 

Where's Bruno Kirby when you need him?

Still, I can’t say I was disappointed, because let’s face it…David St. Hubbins (McKean), Nigel Tufnel (Guest) and Derek Smalls (Shearer) are still wonderfully endearing characters. And you know what? I was kinda curious about what they’d been up to during the 15 years since they last played together…even if it is made-up. The story also has Tap reuniting and preparing for one last concert. Along the way, there are conflicts (especially between David & Nigel), new drummer auditions and plenty of gratuitous cameos. It culminates with a show of Tap classics before an excited crowd (which goes spectacularly awry, of course). 

The film is seldom uproarious, nor does it really make much of an attempt at satire. But even though I didn’t laugh all that much, I found it consistently amusing. It’s great seeing these guys returning to their most famous roles, the only difference being the passage of time. In a way, watching this is like a visit from old friends who haven’t changed much. Nigel, David and Derek remain as blissfully clueless as ever.

Spinal Tap II: The End Continues plays more like a tribute album where its creators are ultimately paying homage to themselves. We get the impression they’re happy to get the band back together - even if the song remains the same - and their enthusiasm is kind of infectious. The movie never goes to 11, nor should anyone have expected it to, but there are plenty of real bands that have made worse attempts at a comeback than Spinal Tap.

THE POOP SCOOP: Space, Spinal Tap & Stephen King

🙀Stephen King’s THE LONG WALK on Digital October 21 and 4K, Blu-ray & DVD November 25 from Lionsgate. The film is a hit with theatrical audiences, having taken in $57.6 million at the worldwide box office—and still walking. From Francis Lawrence, the visionary director of The Hunger Games franchise films (Catching Fire, Mockingjay – Parts 1 & 2, and The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes), comes the highly anticipated adaptation of master storyteller Stephen King’s first completed novel THE LONG WALK, an intense, chilling, and emotional thriller that challenges audiences to confront a haunting question: how far could you go?

🎸🎸SPINAL TAP II: THE END CONTINUES on 4K and Blu-ray November 11 from Decal/Bleecker Street. This Is Spinal Tap chronicles England's loudest and most punctual band on their disaster-filled U.S. tour. Experience the remastered, remixed, and definitive version of what can only be described as a mockumentary masterpiece. Includes deleted scenes.

🪐OUTLAND and RED PLANET on 4K November 4 from Arrow Video. Two underrated sci-fi films are finally on 4K from Arrow with new restorations and loads of bonus features. In Outland, Writer-director Peter Hyams (Capricorn One, 2010, The Relic) takes classic Western tropes off-world and into the future, starring Sean Connery as a federal marshall assigned to keep the peace on a distant moon. In Red Planet, Val Kilmer and Carrie-Anne Moss headline the sci-fi adventure that offers, an exciting glimpse into a future, where humankind's last hope for survival rests on escaping the bounds of Earth and colonising the cosmos.

🙀HIM available 10/7 on Digital Now and Blu-ray & 4K November 11 from Lionsgate. Attacked by an unhinged fan, quarterback Cameron Cade receives a lifeline when his football idol Isaiah White offers to train him. But as Isaiah’s charisma curdles into something sinister, Cam descends a disorienting spiral that may cost him more than he bargained for. 

😺PEE WEE’S BIG ADVENTURE on 4K & Blu-ray December 16 from Criterion Collection. One of the most eccentric comedies of the 1980s, Pee-wee’s Big Adventure is a pop-culture touchstone that helped make a manic oddball named Pee-wee Herman—the creation and alter ego of actor-comedian Paul Reubens—into an icon for outsiders of all ages.

🏆OUT OF AFRICA 40th ANNIVERSARY Edition on 4K November from Universal. This exquisite, intelligent romantic drama based on the life Karen Blixen, was the most highly acclaimed film of its time. Directed by Academy Awards winner Sydney Pollack and starring the late, great Robert Redford.

🙀THE CONJURING: LAST RITES on Digital October 1 and Blu-ray, 4K and DVD November 25 from Warner Bros. Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson reunite for one last case as renowned, real-life paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren in a powerful and spine-chilling addition to the global box office-breaking franchise.

😺Steven Spielberg’s MINORITY REPORT and CATCH ME IF YOU CAN on 4K December 9 from Paramount. Both Minority Report and Catch Me If You Can were remastered this year in 4K and the sparkling new transfers were reviewed and approved by Spielberg.  

🏆ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO’S NEST on 4K UHD November 11 from Warner Bros. Now that the movie is 50 years old, perhaps we can finally forgive it for winning the Best Picture Oscar over Jaws (buy probably not). Based on the 1962 novel of the same name by author Ken Kesey, the film is considered by critics and audiences to be one of the greatest films ever made.  

🎄Dr. Seuss’ HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS 25TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION on 4K Ultra HD & Steelbook Coming November 11 from Universal.  This special release also includes over 30 minutes of brand-new bonus content exploring the making of the beloved holiday classic.

😺The Gialli Cult Classic, A HYENA IN THE SAFE, on Blu-ray November 25 from Celluloid Dreams. This Blu-ray release will feature the film in its original Italian language with English subtitles exclusively. 

🙀SHUDDER: A DECADE OF FEARLESS HORROR and CREEPSHOW: THE COMPLETE SERIES on Blu-ray November 11 from Shudder. 10 of the streaming service’s best movies in one boxed set. On the same day, Shudder releases all four seasons of their acclaimed anthology series, Creepshow, based on the original film by George A. Romero and Stephen King. 

😺THE NAKED GUN (2025) on 4K, Blu-ray & DVD November 11 from Paramount. Lt. Frank Drebin Jr. (Liam Neeson) follows in his father's footsteps in THE NAKED GUN, directed by Akiva Schaffer.

RELAY: No Kaboom, No Problem

RELAY (Blu-ray)

2024 / 112 min

Bleecker Street/Decal Releasing

Review by Mr. Bonnie, the Betrayer😸

2025 has been a pretty good year for thrillers driven more by complexity and characters than kinetic kaboom. Not that everyone’s really noticed.

There’s nothing necessarily wrong with kaboom. I happen to love kaboom. I love Burger King Whoppers, too…just not for every meal. Sometimes you want to do a bit more than watch stuff happen. Sometimes you want a story than precludes running to the bathroom for fear of missing something important, with characters whose actions or motives aren’t spoonfed to you. Sometimes you want a twist in the tale that belies expectations and has you going, “Whoa…didn’t see that coming.”

Along with Black Bag, one of this year’s best films, Relay fits the bill quite nicely. In a perfect world, both would have been huge hits, or at least successful enough to remind studios that not everyone goes to the movies for fireworks.

In Relay, the story is the action. Riz Ahmed plays Ash, a freelancer who serves as a mediary between unscrupulous corporations and whistleblowers who threaten to expose their activities. He doesn’t interact or speak with either side directly, instead using a phone relay service to conduct negotiations. It’s a morally questionable profession, since Ash is essentially extorting these organizations into buying back incriminating evidence while keeping a copy to ensure his clients’ protection. Fiercely meticulous and protective of his own identity, Ash never allows himself to become personally invested, ready to walk away if any aspect of the job threatens to go south.

Nobody tells Ash when to walk.

But that changes when he agrees to help Sarah Grant (Lily James), who possesses a report containing evidence that her former employer, Cybo Sementis Research, has concealed harmful side effects of their genetic work involving wheat. Not only has Sarah lost her job, the company now has her under surveillance by a ruthless team led by Dawson (Sam Worthington). Via the relay service, Ash negotiates a $500,000 pay-off for the return of the report and to ensure Sarah’s safety, which turns into an intriguing cat-and-mouse game between Ash and Dawson, with the former being the cat…for awhile, at least. 

Despite his professional mantra, Ash does let his guard down during relayed phone conversations with Sarah. So when she makes mistakes that threaten his elaborate plan - as well as her life - he personally intervenes to protect her, at the risk of exposing himself to Dawson. But the plot is just beginning to unfold, and to elaborate further would spoil some terrific twists and surprises the viewer is unlikely to see coming. I will say that this is a movie where every scene - including the prologue that establishes Ash’s methods - is vital to the narrative. It's a credit to the film that we seldom question its overall plausibility. At least while watching.

But Relay isn’t entirely driven by its plot. Ash himself is an intriguing character…a recovering alcoholic who eventually reveals that the ethics of his job does sort-of weigh on him. True to the nature of his profession, the character has little actual dialogue and mostly isolates himself from others (his addiction recovery meetings being a notable exception). And Ahmed is excellent in the role, conveying more with an expression than a page of dialogue could provide.

Largely devoid of kaboom or traditional action (at least until the climax), Relay is nevertheless as fast-paced, tension-filled thriller. With good performances, snappy direction by David Mackenzie (Hell or High Water) and a complex (but not confusing) story, this is a really fun film that deserves to find an audience.