{"id":2316,"date":"2025-01-15T15:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-01-15T15:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gatecitygaming.com\/?p=2316"},"modified":"2025-01-15T06:09:02","modified_gmt":"2025-01-15T06:09:02","slug":"movies-with-the-doomsayer-august-2024","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gatecitygaming.com\/index.php\/2025\/01\/15\/movies-with-the-doomsayer-august-2024\/","title":{"rendered":"Movies with the Doomsayer – August 2024"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Trap<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I must confess, I was fully expecting to walk out of Trap<\/em> wishing I had rewatched Deadpool & Wolverine<\/em>.\u00a0 However, as the credits rolled, I was certainly glad I gave the film a chance, but ultimately feel like I can\u2019t recommend this one.\u00a0 For those unaware, Trap<\/em> is the latest film by the king of hit or miss, M. Night Shylaman, where a serial killer must play a game of cat and mouse with the police.\u00a0 Our serial killer, Cooper, is attending a pop concert with his daughter, only for him to realize the police are using the concert as a trap for him.\u00a0 All throughout the first half, Cooper must use sleight of hand or persuasion tricks to stay one step ahead of the police, and it is oddly satisfying.\u00a0 It\u2019s like watching Jason Bourne\u2019s evil twin at work. \u00a0 The second half introduces the rest of the family and does away with a lot of Cooper\u2019s sly maneuvers.\u00a0 The wife is ultimately able to do him in off a simple mistake, which felt like witnessing a rogue in Dungeons and Dragons<\/em> roll a natural one after a streak of natural 20 rolls.\u00a0 It feels bad in D&D, and it feels worse here.\u00a0 Save yourself from the mediocrity and watch any one of the better M. Night Shylaman films.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Eighth Grade (2018)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another confession from yours truly: I am not the biggest fan of coming of age films.\u00a0 I find it difficult to watch someone make the same mistakes you made so many years ago.\u00a0 You just want to grab them by their shoulders and start yelling at them to stop banging their shins on the coffee table.\u00a0 The mean girl\u2019s opinion doesn\u2019t matter; the spoon isn\u2019t real.\u00a0 Alas, I am duty bound to support creative minds no matter what paths they pursue.\u00a0 So naturally it led me to watching Bo Burnham\u2019s directorial debut, Eighth Grade<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The story of Eighth Grade,<\/em> revolves around our heroine, Kayla, an introverted teen trying to survive her last week of eighth grade.\u00a0 Throughout the movie, we get voice over from Kayla\u2019s YouTube videos that often discuss being confident and believing in one self, but will also show Kayla struggling to heed her own advice.\u00a0 Revealing that having the knowledge doesn\u2019t automatically fix your life; you need to go out and apply these lessons or teaching.\u00a0 It really drew me into Kayla as a character, which helped keep me invested in a story that\u2019s ins\u2019t really bringing anything new to the coming of age genre.\u00a0 Nonetheless, the writing and acting surrounding Kayla makes Eighth Grade<\/em> a film worth seeking out.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

The Goonies (1985)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Look, you don\u2019t get to be a 40-year-old cult classic if you have nothing going on. I don\u2019t really think I can add much to the discussion on this film, but the solid writing, directing and acting has made it a film that has aged like fine wine.\u00a0 The Goonies<\/em> is just a fun, plucky action adventure movie with a lot of heart.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Cuckoo<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another victim of a trailer giving away too much of the movie.\u00a0 The premise of Cuckoo<\/em> is an American family moves to a German resort that is secretly a breeding ground for some sort of … creature?\u00a0 The trailer contained lines about how it is human\u2019s responsibility to ensure the survival of some species, and how cuckoo birds will place their eggs in the nest of other birds.\u00a0 Cuckoo certainly had the potential to be an interesting creature feature mixed with invasion of the body snatchers, but it doesn\u2019t commit to either idea.\u00a0 The creature part doesn\u2019t feel fleshed out, as they look like regular humans.\u00a0 They can make you experience d\u00e9j\u00e0 vu to entrap you for breeding purposes.\u00a0 They can throw up in your mouth to implant their young, but the camera never gets a good shot of this.\u00a0 The film also doesn\u2019t dive deep enough into the idea of these creatures replacing you, only really touching on it as our main character\u2019s parent focus less on her and more on an adopted younger sister.\u00a0 Alas, I say onto you my followers, when will these horror films take the time to flesh themselves out into truly terrifying films.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Natural Born Killers (1994)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

My list of movies that seem to start strong and slowly sour as the movie goes on is a short list, but I am able to add another to that list with the addition of Natural Born Killers.\u00a0 <\/em>I was initially on board with the film’s almost comic book style presentation as our film depicts the two leads, Mickey and Mallory, and how the two met.\u00a0 However, as the film went on, it seemed to focus more and more on their relationship and less about how the media glorified them, which was the film\u2019s ultimate goal.\u00a0 I also can\u2019t get on board with the film\u2019s ending.\u00a0 I know Wayne, Robert Downey Jr.\u2019s character, was basically a slimy journalist looking to just advance his career, but the guy helped you escape, and you just do him in.\u00a0 The film\u2019s overall just fine, but not one I care to revisit.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Mid90s (2018)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Initially, I wasn’t sure if I was going to resonate with this film.\u00a0 I have only been to California a handful of times, and only as an adult.\u00a0 So a coming-of-age film in southern California just felt like a drop in the ocean of coming-of-age films.\u00a0 However, with the smart script from Jonah Hill, I was transported to the days when the neighbor kids and I would gather on our lawn to mess around.\u00a0 While Mid90s protagonist Steve and his friends were skating, rather than playing football, I was still able to get drawn in to the similarity between them and my own ragtag group of neighborhood friends.\u00a0 Despite taking thousands of miles away from my childhood home, Mid90s <\/em>will always transport me back to those simpler times; this film is now my new gold standard for coming-of-age films.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Alien: Romulus<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

My loyal followers, please don\u2019t let my opinion on Alien: Romulus<\/em> lead you down a path of death and despair, but I thought this film was average at best.\u00a0 Yes, there are plenty of great moments like sneaking through a room full of Facehuggers or the final twenty minutes of the film, which I won\u2019t spoil.\u00a0 However, beside a handful of these scenes, I wasn\u2019t really into the film, and I place the blame squarely at the feet of the characters.\u00a0 Not a single one had me rooting for their survival.\u00a0 Every single character is a stock-standard disenfranchised young adult who wants to make it off the mining colony, not to chase any dream or achieve something great, but to simply not be slaves.\u00a0 The main character\u2019s only real drive is to see a sunrise.\u00a0 Girl, you are thinking so small.\u00a0 Part way through, I started cheering for the androids.\u00a0 Yes, they were getting the humans killed, but at least they were invested in preserving their science project.\u00a0 When a movie, like Abigail<\/em>, is taking the ten to fifteen to develop their characters, it shows we shouldn\u2019t have to put up with generic stock horror movie characters we have seen time and time again.\u00a0 With news that they plan to continue the Romulus storyline, I long for a horror film that is able to draw us in with characters we hope can survive an attack from a Facehugger.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Napoleon Dynamite (2004)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shame.\u00a0 Shame upon all of you responsible for closing MTV films.\u00a0 With classics like Zoolander<\/em>, The Jackass<\/em> series, and Napoleon Dynamite<\/em>, MTV Films helped create some of the most iconic movies of the early 2000s.\u00a0 I remember my young freshmen days when everyone was quoting the awkward yet hilarious quotes of the titular Napoleon Dynamite<\/em>.\u00a0 Rewatching Napoleon Dynamite<\/em> not only reminded me of the quirky comedy my generation has been known for, but was also a disheartening sign that small studios like MTV Productions will always be swallowed and chewed up by the bigger fish.\u00a0 For shame.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Borderlands<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

When rumors were circling the internet that the Borderlands<\/em> film was worse than Madame Web<\/em>, I made it my mission to sit through this movie.\u00a0 So I am here, standing atop my soapbox to say this is no way worse than Madame Web<\/em>, but it is probably just as lazy.\u00a0 While the script doesn\u2019t feel like it was sown together from three different screenplays, it definitely felt like someone scanned the Borderlands wiki and wrote the story in an afternoon by the pool.\u00a0 The cast wasn’t chosen by whom best embodied the character, but who had the most star power; that\u2019s why comic relief Kevin Hart is miscast as the traditionally stoic Roland.\u00a0 Sloppy CGI that has become a cancer in the film industry.\u00a0 On top of it all, this film is too much of a coward to be the bloody, chaotic mess Borderlands is known for.\u00a0 Honestly, this film should have been much more violent and rated R. These safe PG-13 film are painful in every aspect.\u00a0 Alas, if Madame Web<\/em>‘s a Frankenstein mess of a film, then this is just a lazy stoner on the couch putting in effort one could say is vacuous.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

The Bling Ring (2013)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you cannot tell I am a fan of A24, then you have not heard enough of my rant atop my soapbox.\u00a0 I don\u2019t think all their movies are a hit, but I commend their hands-off approach to movie making, letting the creatives create, and finding efficient ways to market them.\u00a0 With my fondness for the studio, I figured I needed to watch one of their original, The Bling Ring<\/em>.\u00a0 The film is about a group of young teens who break into wealthy celebrities’ homes.\u00a0 Taking advantage of social engineering, the gang would find out when a celebrity would be in New York, leaving their Los Angeles homes completely unguarded.\u00a0 They would justify these robberies by saying these celebrities have so much, they won\u2019t miss a few objects, but unlike the heroic Robin Hood, they keep what they steal to sate their greed.\u00a0 My biggest issue with the film is none of the characters are remotely likeable.\u00a0 I understand that was probably the film\u2019s goal to showcase their teens as bored and selfish, but it leaves the audience with nobody to root for.\u00a0 Leaving me only really able to suggest the movie to A24 fans, like myself, who want to see where the studio got their start.\u00a0 Not even an Emma Watson trying to play a more wild and promiscuous character will net the film a strong recommendation from me.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Thelma<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

After getting scammed out of her life savings, 93-year-old Thelma embarks on a mission to reclaim her stolen money and prove she can still be independent.\u00a0 While appearing on the surface to be a spoof on action movies like Mission Impossible<\/em>, Thelma<\/em> also tackles the challenges of getting older.\u00a0 The struggles of trying to remain independent, even when you know you’re reaching the age when you need some help.\u00a0 There\u2019s also a great comparison on how we treat the elderly and young adults with kids gloves as they both struggle to navigate the world.\u00a0 With it being loosely based on a story about director, Josh Margolin\u2019s real grandmother, it will feel both naturally funny and heartwarming at the same time; quite frankly, this film is better written than have of the slop that comes out of the big studios.\u00a0 Do not let this one pass you by.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Strange Darling<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<Spoilers Ahead><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This may come as a bit of a shock, but I utterly cannot stand how the movie, Strange Darling,<\/em> sets up its twist.\u00a0 The film is about a serial killer’s final moments over six chapters, but the movie attempts to channel Tarantino by having the chapters all out of order.\u00a0 Yet, this film fails to imitate Tarantino because early scenes are deliberately designed to play on your assumptions on gender.\u00a0 If your opening scene is a woman running from a guy with a gun, I don\u2019t think it is unfair to assume she\u2019s the victim.\u00a0 THAT\u2019S ALL YOU HAVE SHOWED ME SO FAR. There\u2019s a Star Wars<\/em>-like text crawl in the beginning of the film that vaguely states this is the killer\u2019s final moments.\u00a0 Throughout the whole movie, I keep saying to myself didn\u2019t the opening text crawl use a \u201che\u201d pronoun when referring to a killer.\u00a0 As the credits rolled, I looked up the text crawl to see that they never specified the killer\u2019s gender, which just felt like a bait and switch.\u00a0 With the twist being the woman was the killer, the film seems built on making us form assumptions based on gender norms, and laughing in our sexist face when it is shown women can be killers too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you want an example of a twist that feels satisfying, look at the latest season of The Boys<\/em>.\u00a0 The show leaves plenty of clues for someone to piece together that Butcher is imagining Kessler.\u00a0 It never shows Kessler interacting with someone else, only to pull the rug out from you and say Butcher imagined the all the interactions.\u00a0 Every scene is Butcher talking to an imaginary Kessler and everyone around him ignoring it.\u00a0 The Kessler twist feels like a twist that elevates the story, where as Strange Darling<\/em>\u2019s twist is designed to make you look sexist.\u00a0 I walked out of Strange Darling<\/em> feeling it was preachy and nobody goes to the movies for a lecture.\u00a0 Tarantino, this is not.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Big Trouble in Little China (1986)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some movies are pure cheese.\u00a0 Three cheese fondue flowing out of a fountain like magma from a volcano.\u00a0 Big Trouble in Little China<\/em> is like that infamous cheese pizza from a Goofy Movie.\u00a0 <\/em>So rich and thick, that it makes the slice of pizza twice as long.\u00a0 Don\u2019t take my words as blasphemous messages against the film, for I too love movies that have no thoughts behind its eyes and just want to have fun.\u00a0 Sure, some moments haven\u2019t aged well, but there were significantly less of these moments than I assumed there would be.\u00a0 It certainly helps that the film makes Kurt Russell\u2019s character, Jack, the butt of many jokes rather than any of the Asian characters.\u00a0 Big Trouble in Little China <\/em>left me with a smile from ear to ear.\u00a0 If you want a movie that you can laugh at while eating nachos with a thick three cheese dip layered on top, then Big Trouble in Little China<\/em> is for you.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Coraline (2009)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I admire the passion that goes into making a stop-motion film.\u00a0 To painstakingly move these clay characters to appear to give them life, just show the length some will go for their craft.\u00a0 As a fan of Henry Selick\u2019s Nightmare Before Christmas<\/em> and James and the Giant Peach, <\/em>I had to get Coraline<\/em> off my list of movies I haven\u2019t seen.\u00a0 For those unaware, Coraline <\/em>stars the titular Coraline as she discovers a hidden door to a dream-like version of her life.\u00a0 Much like Selick\u2019s previous films, Coraline <\/em>has a childlike wonder that I can\u2019t help but adore.\u00a0 The world, Selick and writer Neil Gaiman created strikes the right balance of eerie and charming, perfect for both young and older fans of dark fantasy.\u00a0 I call upon the powers to be, to make more stop-motion films.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Trap I must confess, I was fully expecting to walk out of Trap wishing I had rewatched Deadpool & Wolverine.\u00a0 However, as the credits rolled, I was certainly glad I gave the film a chance, but ultimately feel like I can\u2019t recommend this one.\u00a0 For those unaware, Trap is the latest film by the king… Continue reading Movies with the Doomsayer – August 2024<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":2317,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4,6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2316","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","category-opinion","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gatecitygaming.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2316","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gatecitygaming.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gatecitygaming.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gatecitygaming.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gatecitygaming.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2316"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.gatecitygaming.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2316\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2332,"href":"https:\/\/www.gatecitygaming.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2316\/revisions\/2332"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gatecitygaming.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2317"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gatecitygaming.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2316"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gatecitygaming.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2316"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gatecitygaming.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2316"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}