DUNE: PROPHECY (4K): Experience Preferred, But Not Necessary

DUNE: PROPHECY - THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON (4K UHD)

2024 / 392 min

From Warner Bros.

#InPartnershipwithWB

Review by Stinky the Destroyer😺

Though set in the same universe as Denis Villeneuve’s epic two-part adaptation of Dune, this six-episode series doesn’t really require that you’ve seen it. HBO’s Dune: Prophecy is set 10,000 years before the events in those films. So while the Atreides and Harkonnen surnames are central to the story, we’ve never met these characters before. And almost none of it takes place on the titular planet. 

Still, the show sometimes operates on the assumption that audiences are familiar with at least some aspects of Frank Herbert’s universe…the importance of planet Arrakis (Dune), civilization’s dependence on spice production, the nature of the Fremen, etc. It also feels like we’re jumping into the middle of the story and being brought up to speed with opening narration by its main character, Valya Harkonnen (Emily Watson). But even then, it takes a couple of episodes for the viewer to keep track of who’s who and what they’re up to (and most are up to quite a bit). 

We’re introduced to a huge cast of characters whose purpose and motives are initially ambiguous, which will intrigue some viewers and frustrate others. And unlike the action and spectacle of Villenueve’s films, Dune: Prophecy is far more driven by the political maneuverings of the various “houses” vying for power. The nutshell story arc focuses on the Sisterhood, the school of “Truthsayers” that would eventually evolve into the Bene Gesserit that longtime Dunies are probably familiar with. Headed by Valya and her sister, Tula (Olivia Williams), their ultimate goal is to insinuate their influence on House Corrino, ruled by Emperor Javicco (Mark Strong), in order to put one of their own on the throne.

"My kingdom for a recliner."

But as Harkonnens, Valya and Tula are also driven by revenge, their hatred of House Atreides being an underlying factor in some of their decisions. What ultimately makes Dune: Prophecy interesting is that even though these two are the primary protagonists, their actions and motives are morally questionable at best. In fact, most of the major characters are seen plotting, conspiring and betraying others to serve their own agendas. This political intrigue grows increasingly complex with each episode, with occasional flashbacks that reveal Valya and Tula’s past and how it impacts the Sisterhood’s direction (which doesn’t sit well with everybody). 

Though Dune: Prophecy pretty light on action - even as the season draws to its conclusion - the overall narrative is eventually pretty engaging. Playing almost like a sci-fi soap opera, the series is loaded with plot twists and revelations, some we see coming, others we don’t. Of the plethora of characters to keep track of, the most interesting is Desmond Hart (Travis Fimmel), an enigmatic soldier whose power and motives threatens the Sisterhood...and everybody else, for that matter.

One aspect the series does share with the films is its aesthetic. Dune: Prophecy is visually gorgeous, each world painstakingly depicted through creative production design and excellent visual effects. It also features a moody, evocative music score by Volker Bertelmann. Conversely, and because this is HBO, there’s a lot more sex in this one, with most of the younger cast bumpin’ uglies at one point or another. 

Dune: Prophecy isn’t quite bingeworthy, but after a slow, murky start, it’s a pretty entertaining prequel series. But be prepared for an overall lack of closure, with a majority of the storylines left open-ended in anticipation of Season Two.

EXTRA KIBBLES

INSIDE THE EPISODE - Summary/breakdown of each of the six episodes.

FEATURETTES - Disc 1: Entering the Dune Universe; Houses Divided. Disc 2: Truth or Lie (2 parts); Expanding the Universe.

BUILDING WORLDS (Disc 3) - Exclusive to disc, this featurette covers how each world/planet was conceived & created.

BEHIND THE VEIL (Disc 3) - Five separate featurettes covering various technical aspects of the series.

ALIEN: ROMULUS Brings Back The Horror

ALIEN: ROMULUS (Digital)

2024 / 119 min

FROM 20TH CENTURY STUDIOS

Review by Josey, the Sudden Cat🙀

Alien: Romulus is now available on Digital and on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and DVD December 3.

Maybe the shot-in-the-arm this franchise needed was for director Ridley Scott to step away once again (though he remains one of the producers). With all due respect to his legacy, both Prometheus and Alien: Covenant were interesting - especially the former - but strayed too far from what made the original 1979 classic a lean, mean masterpiece. I could be in the minority on this, but I never needed a xenomorph origin story. They were scarier when we knew less about them. 

Alien: Romulus, the seventh film in the series (sorry, I’ll never include those AvP poo-poo platters), is directed and co-written by Fede Alvarez, the same guy behind Don’t Breathe and the remake of Evil Dead (which was better than it ever had a right to be). Even his most maligned film, The Girl in the Spider’s Web, was a wild, stylish thrill ride. Alvarez is definitely the right choice to breathe new life into the franchise. More than any entry since Alien, this one feels like a horror movie.

Whether one considers Alien: Romulus a sequel, prequel or spin-off, it fits nicely within the franchise timeline, taking place between the first and second films. Five young people seek to escape the slave-like conditions of a mining colony run by the Weyland-Yutani corporation. For the nine-year journey to another planet, they need the cryo-tubes onboard an abandoned space station orbiting above. However, they discover the hard way the station wasn’t actually abandoned, and restoring the systems unleashes a whole lot of facehuggers. As if that weren’t bad enough, it turns there is also a new batch of xenomorphs on-board, the result of the company experiments that didn’t end well. Does it ever?

When you sneeze in zero gravity.

But it wouldn’t be an Alien film without the usual Weyland-Yutani shenanigans, would it? Speaking of which, Romulus is chock full of references to previous movies, sometimes as exposition, other times mere fan service, the latter of which is occasionally an unnecessary distraction. Sure, some fans might get a kick out of a new character uttering the immortal line, “Get away from her, you bitch,” but there’s absolutely no reason to use the late Ian Holm’s likeness (and a voice actor who sounds just like him) for another evil android. That's a worse decision than bringing Peter Cushing back from the dead for Rogue One.

Besides, Romulus introduces a pretty neat droid of its own. Andy (David Jonsson) is a discarded Weyland-Yutani product reprogrammed to be a companion/protector of main protagonist Rain (Cailee Spaeny). Their relationship makes them the movie’s most engaging characters, while the rest are comparatively bland (though Spike Fearn as android-hating Bjorn is fun to despise). 

Elsewhere, Romulus follows a similar narrative pattern to the first two films. taking time to establish the setting, scenario and characters before ramping up the tension. Not only are there xenomorphs & facehuggers to worry about, but the aforementioned nefarious android and another relentless countdown before the entire station is destroyed (voiced by MU/TH/UR!). And sure, there are the bloody alien kills and chest bursting scenes we’re all familiar with, but Alavarez manages to thrown-in a few nasty surprises of his own. It’s all deftly directed, with a couple of thrilling sequences as good as anything Ridley Scott or James Cameron came up with.

Did we need another Alien film? Probably not. This one doesn’t introduce new elements or concepts…just a fun, scary spin-off that, despite numerous shout-outs to the rest of the franchise, still tells a good stand-alone story. 

EXTRA KIBBLES

RETURN TO HORROR: CRAFTING ALIEN: ROMULUS - This is a pretty good four-part making-of documentary totalling 25 minutes.

FEATURETTES - Inside the Xenomorph Showdown features director/co-writer Fede Alvarez and others discussing zero-gravity elevator sequence; Alien: A Conversation features Alvarez and talking with original Alien director Ridley Scott (Alvarez’ idol worship is endearing).

4 ALTERNATE/EXTENDED SCENES

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

A QUIET PLACE: DAY ONE (4K UHD SteelBook)

2024 / 99 min

FROM PARAMOUNT

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 supporting 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

Growing Up With FURIOSA

FURIOSA: A MAD MAX SAGA (Blu-ray)

2024 / 148 min

FROM WARNER BROS

#InPartnershipwithWB

Review by Mr. Bonnie, the Bullet Farmer😺

Did Furiosa, brilliantly played by Charlize Theron in Mad Max: Fury Road, really need an origin story? Probably not, but we won’t hold that against this one. 

Like so many other prequels - Solo: A Star Wars Story immediately comes to mind - Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga has the daunting task of overcoming an overall air of inevitability that hangs over everything. We already know its protagonist is gonna emerge (mostly) unscathed…

…which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Director/co-writer George Miller revisits his iconic Wasteland with renewed zeal, serving up more wild vehicles, elaborate chases and some stunning production design. Unlike the jaw-dropping practical effects and stunts in Fury Road, this one relies a lot more on CGI, sometimes to a distracting degree. But that ain’t really a deal-breaker…Miller was never gonna top the action in Fury Road anyway.

Besides, the Mad Max franchise was always more than motorized mayhem. As the budgets grew, so did the worlds and characters inhabiting the Wasteland. Furiosa is arguably the series’ most interesting character since we first met Max Rockatansky back in 1979. And since there probably isn’t a hell of a lot left for Miller to do with Max, why not get to know her a little better?

Damn tailgaters.

She’s played by Anya Taylor-Joy this time around, supposedly because she’s young enough to depict the character's early days (though that doesn’t explain a final scene bridging the gap between this film and Fury Road). And Joy herself doesn’t appear for the first hour. Until then, Furiosa is a child who’s abducted and caged by gang leader Dementus (Chris Hemsworth) before finally ending up at the Citadel, ruled by Immortan Joe.

As in Fury Road, Immortan Joe is a cruel, cold-blooded overlord, but in this movie, Dementus is worse (and played with gusto by Hemsworth). A sadistic, arrogant narcissist, he’s like that guy you know who thinks he’s smartest person in the room, but is actually kind of an idiot. That also makes him dangerous, as he’s obsessed with ruling the entire wasteland. Meanwhile, Furiosa becomes a trusted War Rig runner under the guidance of driver Praetorian Jack (Tom Burke), who’s sympathetic for her desire to return home (and maybe some payback).

Compared to other films in the series, this one is surprising plot and dialogue heavy (though Furiosa herself speaks even less than Max ever did). The story is still fairly simple, but it takes longer to get rolling and there’s more exposition than usual. Still, there are outstanding action sequences throughout the film, all extremely well executed (the first War Rig must be seen to be believed). Joy displays physical intensity in the title role, but is seldom given much more to do than glower and kick ass. Comparatively speaking, it’s Hemsworth who walks away with the entire film.

Ultimately, Furiosa was never gonna match Fury Road’s kinetic energy, nor should we have expected it to. But for a movie that was never really necessary to begin with, it’s a lot of big, brutal fun that features plenty of  the vehicular mayhem and crazy characters we’ve come to expect from the series. Underperforming in theaters, the movie certainly deserves a second life on home video.

EXTRA KIBBLES

FEATURETTES - The best bonus feature by far is Highway to Valhalla: In Pursuit of Furiosa, which is an hour-long making-of doc; Darkest Angel focuses on Anya Taylor-Joy’s depiction of the title character; Motorcycle Messiah focuses on Chris Hemsworth as the main villain; Furiosa: Stowaway to Nowhere is about the best action sequence in the film; Metal Beasts and Holy Motors features the film’s wild automobiles.

DIGITAL COPY

TERMINATOR: THE BEGINNING

EVEN SKYNET STARTED SMALL...

A PREQUEL BY FREE KITTENS

THE FIRST OMEN is Creepy & Audacious

THE FIRST OMEN (Digital)

2024 / 119 min

FROM 20TH CENTURY STUDIOS

Review by Josey, the Sudden Cat🙀

Going in, I didn’t expect much…another cynical product assembled with about as much imagination as its title.

However, The First Omen begins with the spectacular death of a priest (Charles Dance), paying obvious homage to the original film’s lightning rod impalement scene while one-upping it with a nasty twist. Dance’s delirious expression right afterwards is disturbing…and priceless.

I perked up a little. Even if this prequel was simply a histrionic cavalcade of the same type of creative kills the Omen franchise is renowned for, perhaps I was in for a gory good time. At the very least, it would be more fun than that drab dumpster fire, The Exorcist: Believer, another recent attempt to breathe new life into a dead horror property. 

Rest assured, there’s some gonzo gruesomeness to be had here, including a couple of sick birthing scenes that might even have jaded horror fans wincing (while another poor rube cut in half by a truck might have them chuckling). But surprisingly, there’s more to The First Omen than cheap thrills. It actually has a good (and crazy) story, fairly interesting characters and generally solid performances. 

Taking place in Rome in 1971, Nell Tiger Free plays Margaret, a young American would-be nun arriving to serve at a Catholic orphanage run by her mentor, Cardinal Lawrence (Bill Nighy), and abbess Sister Silva (Sônia Braga). She’s immediately warned to stay clear of one girl, Carlita (Nicole Sorace), because of her evil, antisocial behavior. Meanwhile, she rooms with Luz (Maria Caballero), another novitiate bent on sewing a few wild oats before giving her life to the church. She even coerces Margaret into going out for one wild night (which has dark ramifications revealed later).

"My precious..."

Then Margaret is approached by Father Brennan (Ralph Ineson), who warns her of the Antichrist’s arrival. But before one assumes this revelation is just rehashing the original plot of The Omen, the narrative throws a curveball: Attempts to bring the Antchrist into the world are being carried out by Catholic extremists. For years, they’ve been trying to birth a male with the belief that his presence will coerce people to return to the church, which has seen its influence and authority diminish over the years. The film later throws in more surprises and twists, especially regarding most of the major characters, drawing just as much narrative inspiration from Rosemary's Baby as the franchise it belongs to. 

Speaking of which…for most of its running time, the film works well enough as a stand-alone story that one might temporarily forget it’s even part of a series, let alone a prequel. But we’re reminded at the end with what feels like an obligatory scene bridging this film to The Omen, as well as a coda that suggests aspirations of kickstarting a new franchise. Those who grew up on the original might get a nostalgic kick out of these scenes, but neither are really necessary.

Perhaps because my expectations weren’t all that lofty to begin with, The First Omen was a pleasant surprise. Creepy, violent and narratively audacious (maybe even a bit blasphemous), this is a good horror film that manages to avoid being just another superfluous prequel. If nothing else, it’s the best Omen film since the original. 

EXTRA KIBBLES

FEATURETTES - The Director’s Vision features director Arkasham Stevenson and interviews with the producers & cast; Signs of the First Omen focuses on production design, costuming and (of course) the gruesome make-up effects; In The Mystery of Margaret, actress Nell Tiger Free discusses her character.