Man Finds Tape - The scoop and digest

Writers-directors Peter Hall and Paul Gandersman freshen up the found footage genre.

Kelsey Pribilski - Lynn Page

Willaim Magnuson - Lucas Page

John Gholson - Reverend Endicott Carr

Brian Villalobos - The Stranger

Nell Kessler - Wendy Parker

Summary

Larkin, Texas.

Summer 2023.

Lucas Page shows his sister Lynn security footage of a man (later revealed to be Charles Danforth) crossing a road and suddenly becomes catatonic, resulting in him being killed by a van travelling at a snail's pace.

Lynn reveals Lucas shot to viral fame by releasing creepy footage, which became known as the Man Finds Tape series.

We predictably jump back and forth, and at the centre of town's dense mystery is Endicott Carr.

Paranoia and transgressions

First off, like Dream Eater, both begin with a distressed woman making a 911 call.

Coincidence?

Anyway, home recordings, YouTube clips, CCTV footage, text messages, Reddit comments and interviews ensures all the tropes and more are present and correct.

Tension simmers, and you're sucked in like dirt up a hoover.

Carr has been a predatory feeder for decades and Wendy is carrying his surrogate child, which he plans to use to continue his legacy.

To apparently save the town, The Stranger slashes Wendy's throat.  But this is all a ploy, as while Carr uses his feeder to heal her wounds, The Stranger takes the opportunity to swallow all feeders from Carr's holy body.

Lynn chases him through a door to a tunnel opening to an endless spiral staircase, with The Stranger nowhere to be seen.

After an hour of intrigue, third act did stumble somewhat and Lynn being able to watch footage and retain memories isn't really explained.

Also, ambiguity did feel as though filmmakers didn't really know how to bring the curtain down on Lovecraftian yarn, especially when Carr spontaneously combusts.

Does that mean Larkin's ruling baton has changed hands?

Well that's my interpretation.

Dream Eater - The scoop and digest

Found footage horror is written, produced and directed by its stars Alex Lee Williams, Mallory Drumm and Jay Drakulic, with Eli Roth as an executive producer.

Summary

In 2023, Mallory and her parasomnia-stricken boyfriend Alex holiday at a snowy cabin in a remote location.

Yes, it's their Overlook (Alex's words, not mine).

On the first night, Alex claims "He's here. He's with me."

Could something supernatural be in our midst?

As Alex's behaviour grows increasingly more disturbing, Mallory video calls sleep therapist Dr. Armitage (David Richard) for advice, as he wrote a book on such phenomena called The Blackened Dream.

He tells her that Cthulhu-like figure is ancient entity Phobetor, described in Greek mythology as a personification of nightmares, and believed to possess a person through their dreams, almost like a sleepwalking zombie.

The black sun rising

Even if jump scares suck and Dr. Armitage is a blatant clone of Professor Jonas in Sinister (2012), you could still do much worse.

It's revealed Alex's biological mother Catherine Thorne was a member of cult The Night's Disciples that worshipped Phobetor, whose goal was impregnating vulnerable women through a breeding ritual.

Different principle, but Shelby Oaks also dealt with a birthing ritual.

Anyway, when she murdered the cult (including her husband Jerry), Catherine gave birth to Alex in police custody and then committed suicide in her cell, with the words "endless night" found etched into wall.

When Alex turned 30, he became the permanent host for the Eater of Dreams.

Alex attacks Mallory and she fatally stabs him in self-defense.

After Alex is cremated, Mallory discovers she's pregnant, and Alex's naked corpse suddenly appears, promising in a gruff demonic voice 'she'll never lose him'.

Five Nights at Freddy's 2 - The scoop and digest

Emma Tammi returns as director, but unlike 2023 original, sequel is solely written by series creator Scott Cawthon.

Josh Hutcherson - Mike Schmidt

Elizabeth Lail - Vanessa Shelly

Piper Rubio - Abby Schmidt

Freddy Carter - Michael Afton

Theodus Crane - Jeremiah

Wayne Knight - Mr. Berg

Skeet Ulrich - Henry Emily

Matthew Lillard - William Afton

Summary

In 1982, at Freddy Fazbear's Pizziera, Charlotte Emily is murdered by serial killer William Afton for preventing him from killing a boy.  Shortly after, an animatronic known as the Marionette emerges from its compartment holding her corpse. 

20 years later, and a year after original, Mike's younger sister Abby becomes fascinated with the animatronics, calling them 'friends'.

Hosts of paranormal show Spectral Scoopers, Rob, Lisa and Alex, and security guard Michael (unrelated to Mike), visit the 1982 site.

While exploring, Lisa deactivates a music box in the basement, which awakens the Marionette possessed by Charlotte's soul, which manipulates the other Toys.

The team are killed, but Michael manages to escape.

Not that I actually cared, but a code inputted by Abby allows the Toys to wreak havoc outside, leaving Mike and co to save the day.

Mid-credits

Three men find a hidden room at the original Fazbear joint and discover a decaying rabbit animatronic with William's rotting corpse inside.  As they leave, the Toy activates.

Post-credits

Right near the end, we hear Henry's voice in a message left for Mike, explaining he was William's business partner and helped create the Toys.  Also, the girl killed from 1982 was his daughter.  Before shit ends, loud noises imply the Marionette has broken into his house.

F for Fail

Once again, puppets by Jim Henson's Creature Shop are great.

But the rest of incoherent trainwreck is fucking dreadful, giving video game adaptations and sequels in general a bad name.

Even Uwe Boll would be embarrassed by such an atrocity.

If shit storm rained blood and guts, then that would ease the pain, but the assholes in charge couldn't even manage to spill a drop.

Willy's Wonderland (2021) may be a blatant rip off, but was a much better time than this and original put together, begging the question why filmmakers didn't take note.

Batman: Revolution

John Jackson Miller's sequel takes place during the summer, so a few months after Resurrection.

Check out my scoop of original book.

https://nukesandknives.blogspot.com/2025/03/batman-resurrection-2024-novel.html?m=1

For obvious reasons, title is stylized as Revolut?on.

Prologue

Created Equal

Story begins with a nine-year-old Norman Pinkus, who lives with his mother Martina in Gotham Library.

His father Philmont is also mentioned.

Year is not stated, but for timeline to gel, must be 1959.

Norman finds the newspaper from Batman (1989).

THOMAS WAYNE MURDERED

ONLY CHILD SURVIVES!

To recap, a young Bruce was eight when Jack Napier killed his parents in the alley of Phillips Street behind Monarch Theatre.

Norman grew up loving books, puzzles and word games.

30 years later (unofficially).

Summary

Following the defeat of Karlo Babić and Doctor Hugo Strange, a new threat rises in the form of Norman Pinkus (who goes under the pen name of Edward Nygma for his Riddle Me This feature in the Gotham Globe).

Batman must also contend with The Archer, Killer Moth, 'Camille' and the Aeterna Militia, the successor to The Last Laughs.

Question everything

Book spans four Parts and 64 Chapters, so longer than its predecessor (five Acts and 52 Chapters).

One Nation Under Siege

Two Worlds One War

Three Weeks of The Riddler

Four Flights No Exit.

Each slice is presented as a traditional word search, challenging reader to 'Seek the Hidden Words'.

One page is blank and the other side solved, giving title.

It's a really nice touch.

The Archer originates from the classic 60's TV series, not the comics.  However, character is re-imagined as a serial killer, who murders pedestrians with arrows.

Another callback to TV show is Norman (as The Bookworm) calling the GPD tip line.

This version of Killer Moth wears an armoured suit and utilizes technology allowing him to fly.

Fun fact.

Killer Moth wears a flying suit in the NES version of Batman: The Video Game.

Founded in 1757, The Servants of Freedom is what Norman ends up associating with.

It's revealed that Gordon comforted Bruce in the aftermath of the murders and they've remained close ever since.

As a child, Norman sent the GPD a letter saying that Napier's associate was Joe Chill, but Gordon dismissed theory as nonsense.

As a cute nod to common knowledge, Max sarcastically 'thanks' his parents for naming him after an actor (Max Schreck) in an old vampire movie (Nosferatu).

Along with Shreck, Selina Kyle and Alexander Knox are major players.

Remember how The Penguin used Fred Atkins' hand to blackmail Max in Returns?

Sure ya do.

Here, Max's business associate is shall we say very 'hands on' with women, falling victim to Camille's seductions.

To address the mobility issue Batman had in Resurrection (ie. getting the Batmobile into Gotham and changing into the Batsuit), the Batvan is both a ride and changing room.

Clever or daft? Down to personal opinion.

Comparable to medieval torture device the Catherine Wheel, one of Batman's new mobile weapons is the Batspiral.

The mystery of what happened to Addison Fish, the accountant for the late Carl Grissom is solved.  

When the Joker killed Grissom and made Gotham a laughing matter, he disappeared.  Turns out he never left the city, and went into hiding at a local hotel.

Elena, really Eleonora (the latter also a short story by Edgar Allen Poe), Camille uses alias as a tribute to Camille Desmoulins (even though French revolutionary was male).

Err, okay.

But her actual name (Emily Van Cleer) isn't mentioned until Chapter 63, simultaneously revealing that Cameron van Cleer (Killer Moth) is her long-lost father.

Overstuffed

While again nailing the Burtonverse's atmosphere and giving established characters dialogue they deserve, there's too much going on and over 500 pages was a slog.

Apart from a decent chase sequence with drones, action with Batman is hit and miss.  Finally, Camille's militia (and its goal) closely resembling the terrorist outfit in The Dark Knight Rises (2012) felt lazy.

Climax

Emily is involved in a major confrontation with her father.

After refusing help from Cameron to 'destroy', she screams "Get out of my life!" and opens fire.  Batman ducks for cover, as Killer Moth's armour takes severe punishment.

When the shooting suddenly stops, Batman notices that Cameron's cheek is bleeding.  His armour is a bullet-pocked, sparking mess, having deflected bullets everywhere - including one place in particular (unspecified).

On his knees, Cameron cradles Emily drenched with blood.

"My name... is Camille. And I don't... want your..."

Removing her flak jacket, Cameron sees her shots pierced it.

Batman suggests taking her to Gotham General Midtown, but Killer Moth doesn't listen.  He activates the turbines on his armour and the Van Cleers vanish in a colossal burst that lights the whole atrium, leaving fate slightly ambiguous.

Batman and Norman escape the library Camille earlier planted with time bombs, but Norman's face is critically burned by the explosion.

Idea may have been partially inspired by Batman: Arkham Asylum (2009), as The Joker threatens to detonate bombs hidden around Gotham City, with Arkham Mansion also containing a library.

The Riddler doesn't physically appear, but hacks Batman's communication systems and challenges player to solve riddles, sometimes requiring "Detective Vision".

Epilogue

Home of the Brave and the Bold

Having been handed over to the authorities by Batman, a drugged-up Norman bombards Strange with anagram after anagram at Arkham Asylum.

Aeterna Militia - eliminate atria and aerial intimate

Utterly aerospace - eatery speculator and outleap secretary

The Servants of Freedom Live - The Festival Demons Forever

But somebody fucked up.

Liechtenstein saints¹ - intestinal snitches²

(19 letters)¹ and (18 letters)².

Oops.

Book ends with Batman removing a black cat from the Batmobile, saying "No riders."

This is a fun riff to Returns, as Bruce finds a cat and takes animal with him.

Acknowledgements doesn't entirely rule out a third:

"Keep watching the skies. You never know when the Bat signal will appear!"

But seems unlikely.

Zootropolis 2 - The scoop and digest

Known as Zootopia 2 in America, Jared Bush writes and co-directs long overdue sequel with Byron Howard.

Most will forget, but events in TV miniseries Zootropolis+ (initially released in 2022), run concurrently with orignal film.

Ginnifer Goodwin - Judy Hopps

Jason Bateman - Nick Wilde

Ke Huy Quan - Gary De'Snake

Fortune Feimster - Nibbles Maplestick

Andy Samberg - Pawbert Lynxley

David Strathairn - Milton Lynxley

Idris Elba - Chief Bogo

Patrick Warburton - Mayor Brian Winddancer

Wild cameos include Alan Tudyk, Jean Reno, Michael J. Fox, Danny Trejo, John Leguizamo, Josh Gad and Macaulay Culkin.

Summary

One week after the arrest of former mayor Dawn Bellwether, Judy and Nick go undercover to investigate pit viper Gary De'Snake.  At a gala celebrating town's centenary, Judy befriends Pawbert, the youngest descendant of Ebenezer Lynxley, who apparently founded Zootropolis.

Mismatched ZPD cops soon find themselves at the centre of a conspiracy and go on the run, doing whatever it takes to clear their names.

Post-credits

Judy plays back the recording of Nick declaring his love on the carrot pen, and a feather landing on her apartment window teases a third film.

Ter-roar in Tundratown

Like Inside Out 2 (ironically, also released nine years after its predecessor), this wasn't as good as the original.

But that doesn't mean to say buddyquel wasn't fun, even if shit appears to rip off Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2005).

Striking animation is predictably top notch and chemistry between leads remains strong.

Cheesy dad jokes and relentless animal puns get tedious and Pawbert being the villain was obvious from the moment we laid eyes on him.

Marsh Market (which may as well be called 'Disneyland') introduces marine animals, reptiles and amphibians, most of which are just background noise.

Judy surfing the net with Zoogle and Nick's streaming service Huluzoo are pretty cringe, but nods to iconic movies fare way better.

Back to the Future

Grumpy prison inmate Michael J. says "What are you looking at butthead?"

Yes it's Biff's catchphrase, not Marty's, but whatever.

The Silence of the Lambs

Dawn Bellwether is basically Hannibal Lecter.

Pulp Fiction

Gary cures Judy by injecting her in the chest with anti-venom.  Vincent uses an adrenaline shot to bring Mia back after she OD's.

Also, a specific camera angle of Flash pulling his car up mirrors The Wolf's arrival.

The Shining

At Honeymoon Lodge, Nibbles smashes his head through a door and Pawbert trudges through the hedge maze.

Heck, we even hear music samples.

Mulholland Drive

A road sign reads Moleholland Tunnel.

Similar, yes?

Here's the best one.

When Harry Met Sally...

Inside a barber's shop, a sheep exclaims "I'll have what he's having."

After Meg Ryan convincingly fakes an orgasm in a crowded restaurant, a woman responds:

"I'll have what she's having."

Tormented Souls II

Dual Effect's sequel picks up soon after the events of 2021 original.

Summary

Seeking answers about Anna's terrifying visions, Caroline Walker (real name Emma Wildberger) and adoptive sister take a train to Villa Hess.  When Anna is kidnapped by Mother Lucia's cultists, Caroline rolls up rescuing sleeves and in the process, uncovers dark secrets of sinister town.

Do not let shadows embrace you

First off, choose between Standard or Assisted difficulty.

To unlock Tormented (how innovative), beat game on Standard.

We're thrust into a creepy convent, then (in no particular order), a school, shopping mall, processing plant, cemetery, sewer and bunker.

Boasting masterful chiaroscuro and beautiful melancholy, environments look amazing.

Monsters are tamed by a variety of melee weapons and firearms (which can be upgraded), including hammer, crowbar, nailer, shotgun, crossbow and chainsaw.

Bosses (dubbed entities by Lucia), are Iron Maiden, Doctor Hertz, The Harvester, Pighead and Lord Nautilus.

Hello frustration my old friend

Like original, accomplished love letter to old-school Resident Evil and Silent Hill should be applauded for doing a lot of things right, but awkward controls, clunky combat and annoying fixed camera angles made experience an endurance test.

The 'darkness kills' mechanic returns and illuminating claustrophobic corridors leaves you extremely vulnerable.

Oh, get used to fucking back-tracking.

While I tolerated anything back in the day, 'classic' trope always pissed me off.

Most puzzles are obtuse to say the least and solutions more so.

Several items (weapons and tools) are used more than once for different situations, making shit cryptic later on.

Verdict 6/10

You'll need patience, a stiff drink and something to punch, but shit is worth persevering with.

Then again, I'd suggest most will flip the bird and give up.

Sisu: Road to Revenge - The scoop and digest

Jalmari Helander returns as writer and director.

Jorma Tommila - Aatami Korpi

Stephen Lang - Yeagor Dragunov

Richard Brake - KGB Officer

Summary

In 1946, Aatami dismantles the house where his family was murdered and loads the timber onto his truck.

Meanwhile in Siberia, a KGB Officer releases ruthless Soviet Commander Yeagor Dragunov from prison and promises to make him rich, providing he 'destroys the legend he created'.

Even with the might of the Red Army at his disposal, something tells me that 'killing machine' won't go down easily.

Light the fire

Doing everything what made the original great and turning shit up to eleven - this was fucking awesome.

Once scintillating action starts (clearly inspired by Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade), it doesn't really stop.  Sure there are brief lulls, but that's only so we can catch our breath.

After a soldier is thrown off the front of Aatami's truck and motorbikes swerve around him.  But reprieve is short-lived, as Dragunov runs him over.

HA HA HA!

Think Road Runner, with blood and guts.

In my favourite sequence, a plane heads towards Aatami's truck at speed.  But our man thinks fast by using planks of wood as a shield, causing aircraft to bounce over and explode.

Superb climax takes place on a train, where Aatami launches a ballistic missile into Dragunov's forehead.

Aatami gets back to Finland unobstructed and a group of locals help him Aatami rebuild his house.

If this doesn't become a trilogy, that'd be really sad.