Doctor Sleep

And this week's Friday night movie has been... Doctor Sleep!

Original image located here. Accessed 24th October 2025

Well I've seen The Shining. So let's talk about the adaptation of the sequel to that novel.

From the outset, this film is a contradiction: It looks like a horror movie but it is more a thriller. It is marketed as a sequel to the movie adaptation but can't decide whether to be a separate entity or be in reverence. It is a sequel to a movie adaptation but the original was majorly divorced from the source material. It is an adaptation of a sequel to a book that was adapted but this adaptation is still focused on the adaptation of it's predecessor and through writing this sentence I think I have fallen into some sort of singularity here.

But if the above paragraph seems confused then that's exactly the vibe I'm getting from this movie. There are some good ideas throughout but they just seem so all over the place and difficult to connect with. Matters aren't helped with a complete disregard for the subtlety that made The Shining so compelling. 

Parasite

  And this week's Friday night movie has been... Parasite!

Original image located here. Accessed 29th November 2024

Best Picture Oscar winner no.: 92 (2019)

It may be easy to mock the Oscars for getting it wrong and going for the 'safe' option. So credit is credit due when the Academy shows some stones and laud the nastier, less-audience-friendly choice.
Not much I can say really: This may have been the apex of the 'message' era/2010s of Best Picture winners. And certainly representative of the 'eat the rich' mindset that has emerged in recent years.

But the movie itself? It's a pitch black comedy and just the way I like it. Unforgettable imagery, strung out tension, delicious ironies, and a sense that one is never sure how this movie is going turn out.
Clearly movies never get better than this. 

Leaving Neverland

And this week's Friday Night movie has been... Leaving Neverland!

Original image located here. Accessed 9th June 2023

I was originally going to watch Puss in Boots: Last Wish but I had a last minute change of plan and opted for this.
I think a lot of my audience would have heard of this: It's a documentary where two guys, Wade Robson and James Safechuck, talk about how they were befriended by Michael Jackson at a young age and what followed afterwards. Needless to say, this documentary has gone a long way in challenging Michael's reputation.

Personally I always had an indifferent stance with Michael Jackson. So upon watching this documentary, two things stand out. Firstly it is long at four hours (Heaven help me if I ever decide to watch Shoah). And secondly, this is really Wade and James being very open about their experiences. I've heard people complain that this documentary is one-sided but really, it is both Wade and James' story.
And what a story it is. A lot of detail is given about what happened to these two and how they processed it: Stories of abuse, separation, secrecy, silence, cover-ups, and the long road in processing the trauma endured. This documentary certainly isn't easy to sit through but it certainly has power as a description of child abuse.
Powerful and without a doubt nothing quite like it....

So what did prompt that last minute change? Buggered if I know.

Booksmart

And this week's Friday night movie has been... Booksmart!

Original image located here. Accessed 2nd September 2022

Behold: Another movie that i have been wanting to see for quite some time but, for some reason or another, I never got around to it. Well, seeing as this is on Iview, I guess now is a good time as any.

For the uninitiated, this movie tells the story of two high schoolers who are best friends and are hardworking students. Upon realising they haven't had much of a high school experience outside of their work, they decide to spend the night before graduation going to a party. And as this is a movie, such a plan does not go...according to plan.

I have seen plenty of movies with this scenario but this still manages to stand out for a number of reasons. Firstly, these characters seem real and relatable. Secondly the gross-out humour is kept to a minimum. And thirdly it is actually funny. Makes me wonder: Did director Olivia Wilde watch the movies that follow the American Pie template and thought: 'I can do better than that"?
No matter: i like this movie a lot: It was funny, the characters seem exactly like the kind of people one would meet in high school, the situations never seem ludicrous, the script is funny and clever and it can be surprisingly touching.
Actually let me say it up font: Bugger American Pie, this is better

John Wick 3

And this week's Friday night movie has been... John Wick Chapter 3: Parabellum!

Original image located here. Accessed 14th May 2021

It's the third movie in this series, meaning that i am officially up to date and therefore well-prepared when the fourth movie rolls around.
Really there isn't much to say about this series at this point: John Wick is still a seemingly unstoppable assassin with a awe-inspiring reputation; the body count is ridiculously large and the action sequences are astonishing to say the least.
However I do like the female characters brought forward: I like Halle Berry's spin as Sofia (you can just tell these movies were written by a dog lover). I must admit that Asia Kate Dillon has a presence as the Adjudicator. And I found Anjelica Houston unrecognizable as The Director.
In fact, it is surprising that this series has quite the mileage with having it's cast in unrecognizable roles - seriously I never knew Jerome Flynn was present until the end credits. And it is indeed proof that this series has a secret weapon to it's tried and tested formula.

It Must Be Heaven

And this week's Friday night movie has been... It Must be Heaven!

Original image located here. Accessed 24th July 2020

Let me say this up front: I am not a fan of 'arty' movies. You know the type I'm referring to: The kind of movies that are loaded with images that have symbolism and little else. The kind of movies that have no plot favoring instead a series of non-sequiturs. The kind of movies that thrill critics (read: people who write words for a living). And the kind of movies that come across as being self-indulgent and clearly made by one guy yelling "Ask me what it means!" in a non-stop fashion.

So one would think that I would despise this movie. And yes I will admit that was indeed a challenge to get through. But if that was the case then it must have made some kind of impression on me. Considering that director Elia Suleiman dominates on both sides of the camera, this movie still doesn't strike me as self-indulgent.
There is indeed humour at work but it is strange to see it amongst scenes that don't appear to go anywhere. There is a hypnotic quality to this film but it appears to be at odds with a commentary on being a Palestinian.
So yes, this is quite an odd movie but at the same time, it has indeed a seductive quality to it. And that is enough to save it from being a target of contempt.
After all, if a movie can do that then it must be doing something right.

Knives Out

And this week's Friday night movie has been... Knives Out!

Original image located here. Accessed 3rd July 2020

Man, hasn't this movie been proving itself to be something of a critical darling. I however noticed the name of writer/director Rian Johnson: the guy who gave us the Last Jedi and has thus been something of a polarizing figure in the Star Wars community. So the question here is can he do something with his own material?

Apparently he can. This is a murder mystery, worthy of Agatha Christie, but with some interesting twists on the tried-and-tested formula. Although it may not be immediately apparent at first, this is indeed compelling to watch and, as with any murder mystery, the clues are all there and there's no cop-out. Plus, the twist are enough to keep this movie standing on it's own two feet
Plus, this movie has a Southern James Bond and a Jerk Captain America - which should be the price of admission alone.

Jojo Rabbit

And this week's Friday night movie has been... Jojo Rabbit!

Original image located here. Accessed 7th February 2020

Okay seriously I want to know what pitch was used to green-light this movie. I guess Taika Waititi had built enough credit through the success of Thor Ragnarok that he is allowed to do whatever he wants - truly the ultimate goal of any filmmaker.

I should point out that my preferred brand of comedy is 'pitch black' and there is certainly a lot of it on display here. But scratch that surface and the true intent of the movie is revealed: It has a lot to say about hate and being brainwashed into it.
But at the end of the day, this movie is funny, bizarre, horrific and honest all at the same time. A tricky balancing act to be sure but, in a way, it succeeds.

One point of concern however - or for me at least - is that Waititi may have pinched my idea: In 2018 I worked on manuscript about a guy with an imaginary friend - one who is leading the guy down a wrong path and is ultimately overcome. Now it would seem this movie has prompted a rethink on my part...

Jumanji: The Next Level

And this week's Friday night movie has been... Jumanji: The Next Level!

Original image located here. Accessed 31th January 2020

Considering how Welcome to the Jungle ended, I didn't think that there would be room for a sequel but, as is often the case, the money one makes can have incredible persuasive power.

But who are they kidding? It's pretty much the same movie as the predecessor. However that's not necessarily a bad thing: Sure this movie is running off the same blueprint and certain jokes are repeated but at the same time there is enough new stuff added, like any good sequel. and the established is expanded upon, like any good sequel.
Plus the whole 'Ruby Roundhouse = Socially awkward Lara Croft' gag will never not be funny

Ultimately however, the strength of this movie, much like it's predecessor, lies in the acting and the chemistry of the cast. After all, the principles/avatars are acting like other members of the cast, same inflections and personalities all the way. The newcomers, Danny Devito and Danny Glover, both add a lot and even the actor playing the baddie is unrecognizable.
And, as surprising as it sounds, these movies prove an excellent showcase as to just how a talented actor Dwayne Johnson is. Who would've thunk it?

Little Women

And this week's Friday night movie has been... Little Women!

Original image located here. Accessed 17th January 2020

This may seem like a curveball - but then again I have thrown many a curveball over the course of this series. But my reasoning for seeing this movie is that a) I have heard some good things about it and b) I have something of an attachment to this story.
When I was in high school, I saw the nineties version in class (the one that starred Winona Ryder, Kirsten Dunst, Samantha Mathis and Claire Danes). The movie must have made quite an impression because I do recall having an emotional response to it - only for my classmates, both male and female alike, deem me a wimp for it.
The swines.

As for this latest incarnation, it would appear the praise lauded on it is more than justified. Okay sure the jumps back and forth through time were indeed jarring and took some getting used to, but beyond that? The directing is superb, the photography is staggeringly beautiful and the cast give it their all. This may be an odd choice on paper but I am more than glad that I saw it.
Better than the 1994 movie? I think it might be.

All in all, a winner on all fronts
Here's hoping it wins best Picture at the Oscars....

Frozen 2

And this week's Friday night movie has been...Frozen 2!

Original image located here. Accessed 10th January 2020

Or, as my niece calls it, Elsa 2

No way around it: i have a lot to say about this movie so I may as well resort to bullet points.
- Given the monumental success of the original, perhaps it should come to as no surprise that this will lead to a franchise. We have a sequel and it would be anything but surprising if more Frozen movies are on the way.
- A lot of world building in this one, no doubt for laying down groundwork for afore-mentioned sequels.
- When i heard a sequel to Frozen was in development I was skeptical - to a point where the only way such a sequel would work would be if these characters took what they learned in the first movie and put it into practice. Now i won't give too much away but I did kinda get that vibe here - even if it was at odds with the impression that this movie seemed quite intent to undo the ending of it's predecessor.
- I've heard people complain that Kristoph didn't have much to do in the movie beyond being reduced to a joke sub-plot. True this isn't his movie, but personally, I'll let the matter slide as he does turn out to be quite supportive of Anna and Elsa when they need it.
- People want Elsa to have a girlfriend - personally I think that would go against a lot of character development she has been through and undermine the themes of this series. Thus it may be a better choice for Elsa to be asexual ( and I think my asexual friends would agree with me on that one)
- Grumbling aside, I did enjoy this movie. I like the autumn vibe going throughout and the use of colors. There are some strong ideas and, despite my cynicism over the potential franchising, I have some interest as to what these characters do next.
- I think I prefer Show Yourself over Let it Go.

Star Wars: Rise of Skywalker

And this week's Friday night movie has been... Star Wars: Rise of Skywalker!

Original image located here. Accessed 3rd January 2020

It would appear that assessing a Star Wars movie carries a degree of risk: It may be enjoyable in the moment but take a step back and you realize 'Hey, wait a minute...". Indeed it would appear that the Phantom Menace has a lot to answer for.

If I could describe this movie in a single word it would be breakneck: Everything is moving so quickly that it is difficult to keep up. Sure there's some great action pieces and some interesting character moments but I can't help but think if this movie would've benefited from being two movies. Or being a three hour epic. Like Avengers Endgame.

Speaking of which, the plan of this movie wrapping up all eight movies preceding does indeed draw similarities to Endgame. But whereas Endgame showed how to properly wrap up a movie serial, Rise of Skywalker seemed limp by comparison. I mean it was all right and, being the geek that I am, i did pick up various nods to the other movies scattered throughout, but this is not quite the 'sticking the landing' this movie was supposed to be.

This may sound kind of strange but I'm drawing a comparison with this movie to Close Encounters of the Third Kind. You see, the latter, i thought the movie was unremarkable UNTIL to awe-inspiring final quarter that completely vindicated the preceding three quarters. And that's the same vibe I'm getting with Rise of Skywalker: The last quarter was superb but somehow the journey there seemed somewhat underwhelming.

So in conclusion, I did gleam some enjoyment of this movie and I did pick up numerous nods to fans, but, much like a lot of the Disney-helmed Star Wars, the thought of what could've been is indeed a lingering one.

Joker

And this week's Friday night movie has been... Joker!

Original image located here. Accessed 22nd November 2019

This is a difficult one to discuss as much has said about it already: The disturbing nature of the movie, the aesthetic of the movie, Joaquin Phoenix's performance, the Martin Scorsese connection (not least having Robert de Niro present), a vital step froward for DC and superhero movies in general, and much being said about this movie potentially being a touchstone of the incel culture (if it isn't already). Such observations are indeed correct so it's hard for me to say something that doesn't sound like I'm repeating something previously said like a parrot.

So in the end, Joker is far from an easy watch and deeply unsettling but I can't say it was boring

Zombieland Double Tap

And this week's Friday night movie has been...Zombieland Double Tap!

Original image located here. Accessed 25th October 2019

I saw the original Zombieland and thought it was a right laugh. So it is somewhat inevitable that I would approach the sequel. However caution was still exercised: Where can you go from the original? That and a decade is a long time between drinks...

Turns out there is still a lot going for this movie. The jokes are funny, the self-awareness is still on point, Woody and Jessie still make for a fun on-screen partnership and Nevada makes for an interesting addition.
But ultimately, there is no way around the fact that this sequel took a decade to emerge. So it makes me wonder just how many drafts went through because it is clear there are some good ideas here that, for one reason or another, don't reach their full potential.
Firstly, the circumstances surrounding Little Rock's departure seem ....odd. I would accept it if she was a teen but she's not: She's clearly in her early-twenties. In any case, she is then left by the wayside for much of the movie to make way for Madison.
Speaking of which, Madison strikes me as a wasted opportunity. Sure she's a 'dumb blonde' and endearing in an adorable way but only for so long. You want her to contribute something but nothing of the kind comes which makes me wonder if the writers had no idea what to do with her.
And speaking of wasted opportunities, there's no shortage of them here. One of which being the world-building: We see the zombies have evolved but little seen of these new breeds. There are more survivors but no indication of HOW they've survived.

So yeah, it was a fun movie but severely hindered by some unfocused writing. Here's hoping a sequel doesn't take another decade to come.....

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

And this week's Friday night movie has been...Once Upon a Time in...Hollywood!

Original image located here. Accessed 20th September 2019

During my teen years I really did not like Brad Pitt and Leonardo Di Caprio as they, to me, represented this 'pretty boy' image that i had no hope in hell of matching. Who would've guessed that they would end up starring in a movie together? And not only that, but prove to be such a formidable duo?

Stars aside, this is advertised as a Quentin Tarantino movie and, as such, has some of what we've come to expect from a Tarantino movie: References for the movie geeks, a passion for film history and veteran cast members being handed unique roles. It also has the ultra-violence and the cussing but that isn't the point....

So what this is is Tarantino recreating Hollywood in the sixties. The recreations are fun, the attention to detail is superb and the familiar faces are interesting to spot. As mentioned above, Leonardo and Brad make a great partnership but for me the real star is Margot Robbie - she never disappoints and her role as Sharon Tate is interesting as Margot does so much with so little.
All in all, it's another gem from Tarantino which, considered his extensive oeuvre, is saying something.
Who would've guessed that hippies would be so dangerous?

Mystify: Michael Hutchence

And last week's Friday night movie has been....Mystify: Michael Hutchence!

Original image located here. Accessed 26th July 2019

So this has been doing the rounds lately: a biographical documentary on former INXS frontman Michael Hutchence, made up of (mostly) home video footage and spoken accounts from the people how knew him.

Being a child of the eighties and an Australian, I was in the right place and the right time to bear witness to INXS achieving their superstardom. Thing is, I never got into INXS. Sure their songs were a constant presence on the radio, sure Hutchence's face was everywhere but I however, was more into the likes of Hoodoo Gurus, Midnight Oil and Icehouse. I had no idea of the headway INXS were making overseas and, as far as I was concerned, their music wasn't for me - but I will admit to a fondness for Beautiful Girl which, as bizarre as it may sound, I will forever associate with my Primary School leavers dinner XD
In recent years though, my indifference has been challenged and I'm finding something to like in INXS' music. So maybe there is something to be gleamed from this documentary?

Apparently so: Clearly this documentary is going out of it's way to humanise Michael and show him as he really was. I was interested to see how Michael was described as someone who functioned best when he was within a familial unit. I was intrigued to hear about his relationship with Kylie Minogue - particularly when Kylie's accounts are delivered with boundless enthusiasm. And even when we all know how the story ends, the tragic of it is still a kick to the teeth.
So in the end, if this documentary was aimed at humanising Michael and show him who he really was, this succeeded with flying colours.

Spiderman: Far From Home

And this week's Friday night movie has been....Spiderman Far From Home!

Original image located here. Accessed 12th July 2019

It must be a challenge to make a Spiderman movie. Because, in my mind, there are two things that make it so: a) Meeting the standard set by the Sam Raimi Spiderman movies (well maybe not 3) and b) once you get past that you still need to face the fact that the greatest Spiderman movie has been made in the form of Into the Spiderverse. So what can Far From Home do besides picking up the gauntlet?

To me what made Homecoming and the aforementioned Spiderverse succeed was that they didn't try to replicate the the Sam Raimi Spiderman movies favoring instead to do their own thing. And Homecoming confirms the wise-ness of that decision. Yep, this movie makes up yet another winner in the MCU stable.
Much has been said about how this is the first post-Endgame movie in the MCU and how the effects of it are being felt in-universe but for me the real treat is how this movie is steadfast in doing it's own thing with Spiderman and is doing things differently. It's great to see familiar situations discarded in favor of going in a different direction (personally you can only see Peter Parker whinge about his girl troubles and his absurd lengths to protect his identity before it gets reeaaaalllllllllll tiresome). And Mysterio is made into a character that can work.
All in all a superb movie and it would be interesting to see what happens next with this incarnation of Spidey (especially considering the mid and post credit sequences).

Toy Story 4

And this week's Friday night movie has been....Toy Story 4!

Original image located here. Accessed 5th July 2019

And thus the curtain falls on an odyssey twenty four years in the making - or at least I hope it's the ending because I can't see where Pixar can go from here.

There's not really a lot I can say about this: It's Pixar. It's Toy Story. It has the same laughs, heart and pathos we have come to expect from this series. Gabby Gabby is a fascinating character and we see some familiar faces develop in some interesting ways.
So really, not only does this movie has a good case for existing but it can certainly sit comfortably alongside it's older siblings.

One last thing: Duke is indeed a delight and was well-received by the audience when i saw this in the theater - but I have to wonder how many people, besides me, have made the connection to Ken Carter

2040

And this week's Friday night movie has been....2040!

Original image located here. Accessed 7th June 2019

So this movie has been doing the rounds lately: It's a documentary made by one Damon Gameau with his own take on climate change - which takes the form of presenting solutions that are currently available and seeing what would happen in 2040 if they were applied now.

When it comes to climate change, all I'm hearing is a whole lotta bad. Everyone's saying how irrevocably doomed we all are yet no one is offering an solution that doesn't involve accusation and anger. So it is welcome for someone to say that these solutions are possible, they should be implemented and they are ultimately beneficial. So yes, this documentary is indeed enlightening and Gameau has enough charisma and conviction to get his point across.
Could've done without his attempts at humor though (seriously that yoga gag got real old real fast).

But in the end I enjoyed this documentary and, as a call to arms, it is effective. Go see it!

Avengers Endgame

And this week's Friday night movie has been.....Avengers Endgame!

Original image located here. Accessed 3rd May 2019

I think we all know the drill by now: Anyone who has seen this movie is being tight-lipped about it. So much so that they will come down on anyone who gives away plot details like a tonne of bricks. I've previously viewed that seeing a particular movie can seem like a secret handshake but this is another level entirely.

So in the spirit of this, let me say one thing: After eleven years and twenty-one movies i expected nothing less than a triumph - and that's exactly what i got