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<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nShaun of the Dead (2004)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n MY LOYAL FOLLOWERS!!!\u00a0 WHAT COULD BE SAID ABOUT SHAUN OF THE DEAD<\/em> THAT HASN\u2019T BEEN SAID BEFORE?\u00a0 It is one of the best horror comedies out there.\u00a0 It is easily one of Edgar Wright\u2019s best films.\u00a0 It helped kick start both Simon Pegg\u2019s and Nick Frost\u2019s careers.\u00a0 Yet, what I feel is an underappreciated part of the film is how well the film depicts the friendship of Shaun and Ed.\u00a0 Sure the relationship isn\u2019t perfect but what is.\u00a0 In this age of social isolation, we should all aspire to have that one friend we would keep as a zombie in our backyard if they were bitten by a zombie.<\/p>\n\n\n Dolly<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n ALAS, MY LOYAL FOLLOWERS!!!\u00a0 ANOTHER SLASHER FILM THAT LEFT ME ENTIRELY VOID OF FEELINGS!!!\u00a0 The film in question is Dolly, <\/em>a Texas Chainsaw Massacre<\/em>-inspired slasher centered around the titular character, Dolly.\u00a0 She is a large woman sporting a porcelain doll mask who kidnaps people in the forest, forces them to play house with her and ultimately plays a little rough with her new toys. The movie starts off with protagonist Macy and her boyfriend, Chase, venturing into the woods for a hike. Macy is anxious about the trip because she suspects Chase is planning on proposing and she\u2019s not sure if she\u2019s ready.\u00a0 However, before Chase is able to pop the question, they are separated and attacked by Dolly.\u00a0 She then drags Macy off to her dark dank home in the woods and forces her to be her \u201cbaby.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I ultimately walked away from Dolly <\/em>feeling a little gross; yet not in the traditional horror movie sense, but in watching an elderly man catcall a young teen kind of way. I couldn\u2019t escape the thought that someone out there enjoyed the spanking scenes a little too much.\u00a0 On top of that, Macy is never really given an opportunity to overcome her fear of commitment; yes, Chase is able to propose to Macy, but I am sure it is not a spoiler to say that the two of them don\u2019t make it out together.\u00a0 If you are looking for a film to scratch that Texas Chainsaw Massacre <\/em>itch, I am sure there are worse options out there, and Dolly, the character, is iconic enough to eventually reach a slasher cult following.\u00a0 However, the actual act of watching Dolly<\/em> made me too nauseous to ever warrant a second viewing.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n Alien: Earth (2025)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n LEND ME YOUR EARS ONCE MORE, MY LOYAL FOLLOWERS!!!\u00a0 With a handful of days left on the Hulu account, I dove head first into the Alien: Earth<\/em> series: a prequel series about a Weyland-Yutani research vessel crash landing onto Earth while carrying a xenomorph and other dangerous specimens.\u00a0 As someone who enjoys the first two Alien films, but struggles with newer entries in the series, I walked away from Alien: Earth<\/em> enjoying my time.\u00a0 Alas, I must confess, I don\u2019t believe Alien: Earth<\/em> reaches the same heights as Predator: Killer of Killers <\/em>or a continuation of that story.\u00a0 HEED THOSE TORCHES AND PITCHFORK AND HEAR MY WORDS!!!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Alien: Earth<\/em> mainly revolves around hybrids, human consciousness uploaded into synthetic bodies.\u00a0 A company named Prodigy, led by young CEO Boy Kavalier, has started a program of taking terminal ill children and giving them a second life through the hybrids.\u00a0 The series is obsessed with this Peter Pan metaphor it\u2019s set up: Boy Kavalier frequently mocks growing up, the main hybrid protagonist adopts the name Wendy, and our main antagonist is a cyborg with a robotic arm.\u00a0 Meaning in this grand metaphor, the xenomorph is left to play the role of the crocodile; a mindless beast that will attack all in its sights.\u00a0 I certainly didn\u2019t expect the series to center around the xenomorph and give it a tragic backstory, but it frequently felt like the xenomorph was left to play second fiddle.\u00a0 When the credits rolled on the final episode, I wasn\u2019t interested in what would happen to the xenomorph; I frankly, wanted to know what would happen to the Trypanohyncha Ocellus (the eyeball monster).<\/p>\n\n\n\n All of this is to say, I certainly think it\u2019s worth watching Alien: Earth<\/em>.\u00a0 I applaud the eerie and creepy creature design that is on display.\u00a0 Yet, I am simply wondering if it is worth sidelining the xenomorph in what is extensively their own show.<\/p>\n\n\n Josie and the Pussycats (2001)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n GATHER FORTH, OH LOVER OF FILMS AND HEAR ME DECREE!!!\u00a0 I have laid witness to a film that I believe has flown under the radar.\u00a0 A biting satire about a band being turned into a brand to push teens into spending.\u00a0 That movie is Josie and the Pussycats<\/em>.\u00a0 Loosely based on the Archie comic series, the film is about Josie and her two friends, Valerie and Melody, and their band\u2019s sudden rise to fame and fortune.\u00a0 Throughout their journey, the film openly mocks the over-consumerism nature that seeped its way into our culture in the late 90s and early 00s, including having their record label embed hypnotic messaging within the girl\u2019s music.\u00a0 I\u2019ll confess to having a deeper fondness for other comedies from the early 2000s, but I would not be displeased if I crossed paths with this movie again.\u00a0 Along with an amazing pop punk soundtrack, I do think everyone should at least see Josie and the Pussycats<\/em> once in their lives.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n Undertone<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n LEND ME YOUR EARS, ONCE MORE, MY LOYAL FOLLOWERS!!!\u00a0 Many have written off this film, but I proudly stand atop my soapbox to proclaim THAT I LOVED UNDERTONE<\/em>!!!\u00a0 On the surface it would seem like Undertone<\/em> doesn\u2019t have much going for it; a horror podcast is sent ten different audio files from a mysterious source.\u00a0 I am sure there are many YouTube videos that have a similar plot.\u00a0 Yet as Undertone<\/em> tells its story, we are able to see the parallels between the audio files and our protagonist, Evy\u2019s life; to the point where Undertone felt more faithful to the Silent Hill<\/em> series than the pathetic attempt Return to Silent Hill<\/em> made.\u00a0 The film also makes excellent use of shadows; often panning the camera to a dark corner of Evy\u2019s room and allowing the audience\u2019s imagination to run wild with the possibility of something lurking in the shadows.\u00a0 That same dread even followed me home and came to life when my eyes caught a glimpse of a dark corner as I was trying to fall asleep. \u00a0 I recommend everyone watch Undertone<\/em>, but also use the best set of speakers or headphones that you own when watching this film.\u00a0 Audio plays a massive role in this movie, and you don\u2019t want to dampen it by using some crummy phone speakers or cheap earbuds.<\/p>\n\n\n Ready or Not 2: Here I Come<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n HEAR YE!!!\u00a0 HEAR YE!!!\u00a0 LET IT BE KNOWN!!!\u00a0 A good sequel jumps off from the original to explore uncharted territory; a bad sequel wallows in the original like a hippo in the water on a hot summer day.\u00a0 Ready or Not 2<\/em> is wallowing so hard that they literally have Grace put on the same bloodstained wedding dress she wore in the first film within the first ten minutes of this sequel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n My loyal followers, I really did try to enjoy myself with the Ready or Not<\/em> sequel, but I ultimately walked away just wishing I rewatched the original.\u00a0 Mere hours after the events of the first film, Grace is dragged into a double or nothing round of the same hide and seek game she faced in the first film.\u00a0 This time she has to escape from five equally cartoonish ultra rich families, while handcuffed to her baby sister, Faith.\u00a0 On paper these additions would seem like good ways to raise the stakes, but it ultimately just feels like more of the same.\u00a0 Most of the worldbuilding surrounding the wealthy families feels tired and clich\u00e9; scenes where heads of families had to sign away their assets in this demonic book really slowed the film down.\u00a0 The ending of Ready or Not 1 let the cat out of the bag on whether the demonic curse was real or just superstition, so it just feels really on the nose to have all the demonic imagery out in the open this time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n They also try to build on Grace\u2019s backstory with the inclusion of Faith, but this also makes the film feel like a drag.\u00a0 From the moment Faith walks into Grace\u2019s hospital room, you can feel the anger and resentment between the two.\u00a0 However, as the film continues, neither of them will clue us into what happened to fracture the relationship.\u00a0 They just keep slinging passive aggressive remarks at each other until the obvious third act reveal where we finally learn what happened to cause them to drift apart.\u00a0 Unfortunately, at that point, the familiar violence and unbearable sister dynamic had me thoroughly checked out; making the reveal feel like a too little too late moment.\u00a0 Also the humor in this film is completely unbearable.\u00a0 I don\u2019t recall Ready or Not 1<\/em> being a horror comedy, but Ready or Not 2<\/em> is imploring some Marvel-level quips here.\u00a0 The second someone made a remark about Grace and Faith having similar religious names, I knew there were going to be some embarrassingly bad attempts at humor.\u00a0 I think you are safe to skip this one.<\/p>\n\n\n Project Hail Mary<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n A CONFESSION FOR YOU, MY LOYALEST OF FOLLOWERS: I think the Project Hail Mary film is better than the book.\u00a0 PLEASE BOOK-LOVERS!!!\u00a0 HEED YOUR TORCHES AND PITCHFORKS!!!\u00a0 ALLOW ME TO MAKE MY CLAIM UNHARMED!!!<\/p>\n\n\n\n In a rare moment of clarity, I decided to listen to the audiobook of Project Hail Mary<\/em> in preparation for the film.\u00a0 I instantly fell in love with such a nerdy yet heart-warming tale of a schoolteacher awaking in space on a mission to save the Sun from being consumed.\u00a0 However, I also became weary of the movie.\u00a0 For starters, I felt Ryan Gosling was a poor choice for the dweeby nature of Ryland Grace.\u00a0 I picture Ryan Gosling being at home in cool but insecure characters; look to Colt Seavers in The Fall Guy<\/em> for more context.\u00a0 So hearing Gosling was going to play Ryland Grace, a character who spends a whole chapter outlining the migration pattern of space algae, I had my doubts.\u00a0 Yet the film makes the smart choice to shed a lot of excess weight of the science jargon in exchange for focusing on the characters themselves.\u00a0 Without the need to give long, excessive science-based monolunges, Gosling fits perfectly into this doughy dork that is Ryland Grace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The movie also had many more heartfelt scenes that weren\u2019t included in the original book.\u00a0 A certain character, that I won\u2019t spoil, lost a lot of their snarky humor in exchange for off-the-cuff improv humor that made the character much more endearing compared to their book counterpart.\u00a0 Despite knowing how the scene was going to play out, I genuinely felt a tear race down my cheeks when it looked like this character had sacrificed himself for Grace.\u00a0 I also began to cry during the karaoke scene as it gave Eva Stratt, a character who is cold and calculated in both the book and movie, a scene that showcased that she did have a heart and many of her hard decisions weighed heavily on her.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n My followers, I could go on and on about the beauty of this film.\u00a0 How scenes like the Home Depot one, gave some levity to an almost apocalyptic tale.\u00a0 How the puppetry and practical effects made a world that felt hundred times more realistic than any Marvel\u2019s green screens.\u00a0 How some of my favorite lines were completely adlibbed.\u00a0 There is zero doubt in my mind that Project Hail Mary<\/em> will be one of the best films of the year and this only came out in March.\u00a0 Do yourself a favor and see this movie.<\/p>\n\n\n Ghost in the Shell (1995)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n AGAIN, YIELD YOUR TORCHES AND PITCHFORKS, MY LOYAL FOLLOWERS!!!\u00a0 I will confess to you that I struggle to see a moment where I would want to rewatch Ghost in the Shell<\/em>.\u00a0 I will certainly not slander its name by claiming it to be a bad film.\u00a0 I just view Ghost in the Shell<\/em> the same way that I view The Beatles.\u00a0 There is no doubt both were pivotal to be science fiction and rock music, but so much has come out since their heyday and built upon what they already started.\u00a0 If I am truly looking to scratch the sci-fi itch, I feel like I would turn to The Matrix<\/em> or Ex Machina<\/em> before I return to this film.\u00a0 Ghost in the Shell <\/em>will always have my respect, but I doubt there will be a day where it has all of my adoration.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" MY LOYAL FOLLOWERS, I come bearing the words of March. A month that will go down in history. A month heralding a generational run in movies. A month making way to a set of movies that hasn\u2019t been seen since 1999. Come forth, my followers, and heed the words of the films that I watched in this month of March. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":2576,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10,6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2575","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-movies","category-opinion","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gatecitygaming.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2575","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=2575"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.gatecitygaming.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2575\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2585,"href":"https:\/\/www.gatecitygaming.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2575\/revisions\/2585"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gatecitygaming.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2576"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gatecitygaming.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2575"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gatecitygaming.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2575"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gatecitygaming.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2575"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.gatecitygaming.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Dolly.jpg\")
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