Nobody 2 - The scoop and digest

From a screenplay by Derek Kolstad and Aaron Rabin, Timo Tjahjanto makes his American directorial debut, replacing Ilya Naishuller due to scheduling conflicts.

Bob Odenkirk - Hutch Mansell

Connie Nielsen - Becca Mansell

John Ortiz - Wyatt Martin

Colin Hanks - Abel

RZA - Harry Mansell

Christopher Lloyd - David Mansell

Sharon Stone - Lendina

Colin Salmon - The Barber

Summary

After the first film, Hutch completes 'missions' for The Barber to pay off a $30m debt he racked up for destroying a Russian bank.

To reconnect with his family, Hutch suggests a vacation to Plummerville amusement park, promising Becca to leave his Nobody life behind.

At an arcade (where randomly a Mortal Kombat II arcade is seen), Brady gets into an altercation over a plush toy meant for his sister Sammy, resulting in them getting chucked out.

Incident angers park's owner Wyatt and corrupt sheriff Abel, who secretly tells his men to kill Hutch.

Following a telephone call with his brother Harry, Hutch learns Plummerville is a bootlegging route, with The Barber informing it's owned by Russian crime boss Lendina, who Wyatt owes big time.

Suffice to say, all concerned fucked with the wrong tourist.

Making memories

While not as good as original, sequel isn't a damp squib.

Music remains ironic, gory slapstick violence holds its own, and the final 15 minutes is literally an absolute blast.

Ahead of Lendina arriving with her goons, Hutch, David and Harry rig water park with lethal traps.  Yes it's Home Alone (which infamously ripped off the concept of 1989 French action-horror Deadly Games), but principle is identical to Rambo: Last Blood (2019).

Coincidentally, in Rambo III (1988), Stallone is also labelled a tourist.

In Silent Hill (1999), Harry says to Cybil he's just a tourist.

Finally, The Tourist is a film and unrelated Radiohead song.

Sharon Stone is good fun as spunky villain, with character's zero tolerance approach to cheats paying homage to Ginger in Casino (1995).

She's killed by Becca saving Hutch, firing a tranquilizer dart into her eye.

Will a third be greenlit?

Hopefully.

Together - The scoop and digest

Michael Shanks writes and directs debut, with real-life married couple Dave Franco and Alison Brie co-producing.

Summary

Two dogs come across a cave and drink from a pool of water.  Later that night, the owner finds pets seemingly merged.

After moving to the countryside, English teacher Millie and aspiring musician Tim fall into the same cave while hiking in the woods and drink from the pool, where a strange symbol can be seen carved into a church bell.

Principle of set up smacks of Chronicle (2012).

In the morning, they find their legs glued together, but dismiss the incident.

As time marches on, shit escalates.

When the mind gets tighter, the body takes over

Here's the deal.

Tim returns to the cave and finds a mural of people fused together.

Millie's co-worker Jamie (Damon Merriman) earlier mentioned a chapel in the woods collapsed and its members disappeared.

She enters Jamie's house and watches a ritual playing on TV, where Jamie was the result of said fusion.

Tim meets missing hikers Simon and Keri, who have since become a multi-limbed monstrosity.

Resigned to their fate, Tim plays Spice Girls song 2 Become 1, and yeah - they literally do.

The next day, her parents visit and ring the bell (adorned with symbol) and 'Millie' answers.

Although gooey and occasionally grotesque, body horror is pretty mild in comparison to The Substance (which copied multiple sources, such as Society and Braindead). 

When Tim and Millie get frisky inside a toilet cubicle, Tim struggles to break free after copulation.

It's more funny, then cringing.

Copyright infringement

All concerned are accused of plagiarising Patrick Henry Phelan's Better Half (2023).

"After a one-night stand, Antoro and Daphne find their bodies literally fuse during sex."

Plaintiffs StudioFest allege idea was pitched to the defendants in 2020, with WME passing on the project.

Striking similarities include using Plato's Symposium as a thematic device, a bathroom scene where respective genitalia become attached and Spice Girls' album Spice.

With that said, I do find it odd that film isn't available to watch anywhere.

Alien: Earth - Episodes 1 and 2

TV series is set two years before Alien and rewrites canon, ignoring Prometheus and Alien: Covenant.

Before diving in, here are some strange similarities to title.

Italian horror Alien 2: On Earth (1980) aka Alien Terror, was marketed as a sequel to Alien (1979), even though Ciro Ippolito's film had nothing to do with Ridley Scott's groundbreaking original.

Of course, actual sequel Aliens was released in 1986.  

While that's obviously common knowledge, the strangest video game based on James Cameron's action classic was curiously called Aliens: Alien 2, released exclusively in Japan for the MSX in 1987.

Anyway, opening blurb states.

In the future, the race for immortality will come in 3 guises:

Cybernetically enhanced humans: Cyborgs

Artificially intelligent beings: Synths

Synthetic beings downloaded with human consciousness: Hybrids

Which technology prevails will determine what corporation rules the universe.

Neverland

Written and directed by Noah Hawley

2120.

Weyland-Yutani deep space research vessel the USCSS "Maginot" has brought back alien specimens on a mission that took 65 years.

Crew awakes from cryosleep and among them is tough cyborg security officer Morrow (Babou Ceesay).

Prodigy "Neverland" Research Island.

The consciousness of sick 12-year-old girl Marcy is transferred to an adult robot and becomes the first Hybrid, naming herself Wendy (Sydney Chandler).

Five other children (Slightly, Curly, Nibs, Smee and Tootles) undergo the same procedure.

Back on the Maginot, specimens are loose and an adult xenomorph goes on a rampage. 

In New Siam, ship crashes into a tower.

While marines and Marcy's older brother Hermit (Alex Lawther) search the wreckage, Morrow alerts MU-TH-UR of their presence.

Peter Pan-obsessed Boy Kavalier (Samuel Blenkin) deploys Wendy, Kirsh (Timothy Olyphant) and The Lost Boys to retrieve Maginot's cargo.

Mr. October

Written by Noah Hawley and directed by Dana Gonzales

Prodigy "Neverland"

Research Island

Kavalier tells his colleague Dame Sylvia that he plans to make Wendy smarter than him, so he can finally have an 'interesting fucking conversation'.

Yutani contacts Kavalier, demanding ship's cargo.

Wendy meets Hermit and reveals she's really Marcy in another body.

They stumble across inanimate eggs and following the xeno forcing Hermit into an area below, Wendy gives chase.

Assessment

An interesting start, but pacing is all over the place.

Characters are a mixed bag, with acting and dialogue pretty cringe.

Prodigy cityscape is very Blade Runner and Kirsh looking like Roy Batty can't be an accident.

Also, Babou Ceesay is a dead ringer for Yaphet Kotto, who famously played Parker in Alien.

Ice Age: Continental Drift features, even though in this timeline, film was released 108 years ago.

WHAT?

Xeno doesn't fuck about, but does hold back for the sake of convenience.  Finally, body is too dry and mouth looks goofy.

We get a few other creatures (like a leech and eye octopus), but nothing particularly great.

Kavalier's enforcer Atom Eins (Adrian Edmondson) is a man of few words, but wears a sinister smile.

Eddie Hitler has come such a long way.

Even though technology is ridiculously advanced, CRT monitors and basic keyboards are used to tick nostalgic boxes.

Not cool, just stupid.

Bambi: The Reckoning - The scoop and digest

Rhys Warrington writes and Dan Allen directs the fourth instalment of The Twisted Childhood Universe.

Roxanne McKee - Xana

Tom Mulheron - Benji

Nicola Wright - Mary

Alex Cooke - Simon

Summary

At some point in the past, an animated sequence shows after a hunter killed his mother, Bambi meets Faline, with doe giving birth.  Faline is killed by a truck carrying toxic waste and Bambi's offspring vanishes.  Bambi drinks contaminated water from a river, mutating him into a carnivorous beast, hellbent on revenge.

Present day.

Xana and her son Benji take a taxi to spend Thanksgiving with their family, where her husband Simon promises to meet them there.  En route, Bambi rams them off the road and kills the driver.

Survivors flee and reach the house, but just like what Kevin said about the Dragon in Alien³, "This thing is REALLY pissed off!"

The forest fights back

Taking inspiration from Alien, Predator and particularly Jurassic Park, this was the best entry yet.

I expected CG monster to be terrible, but it's surprisingly good.

However, the same can't be said about acting and dialogue though.

While there's some decent gore, the most satisfying kill is Harriet's unpleasant teenage son Harrison getting mauled to death by a colony of mutated rabbits.

Simon killed Faline and kidnapped Bambi's offspring.

Although Xana and Benji return fawn, Bambi is fatally shot by a hunter and bleeds out.

Everybody go awww.

Pinocchio: Unstrung is due next year and I've never been so optimistic, especially since Robert fucking Englund is The Cricket.

Weapons - The scoop and digest

Writer-director Zach Cregger's latest is a completely different animal to Barbarian.

Josh Brolin - Archer Graff

Julia Garner - Justine Gandy

Alden Ehrenreich - Paul Morgan

Austin Abrams - James

Cary Christopher - Alex Lilly

Benedict Wong - Marcus Miller

Amy Madigan - Gladys

Summary

In Maybrook, Pennsylvania, seventeen children from Mrs. Gandy's class suddenly disappeared the night before at exactly 2:17 a.m.

The only student to remain is unpopular recluse Alex Lilly.

A police investigation begins, but goes nowhere.

Film focuses on six characters and/or parts, with most intertwining until the big reveal.

Campbell's soup

Despite what trailer would have you think, this is not a horror.  It's a mystery thriller featuring some decent jump scares, which quickly evaporate.

While disjointed and seemingly at war with itself, shit is never boring, boasting strong performances and keeps you invested.

At the start, Justine's finds her car vandalised with 'Witch' on the side. 

Alex's 'aunt' Gladys is exactly that, preying off the energy of children to retain youthfulness.  The ritual involves cutting the palm of her hand with a thorny twig, wrapping a lock of hair from others around it and ringing a bell, hypnotising victims and turning them murderous.

Ignoring witchcraft, concept of staying young by heinous means has been done several times before.

Examples include:

Queen Ravenna - Snow White and the Huntsman, Winnie, Sarah and Mary - Hocus Pocus and Gerri/Bathory - Fright Night 2: New Blood.

The final 15 minutes or so goes for action, and when Alex turns Gladys's spell against her, the possessed children literally tear her apart, breaking the curse. 

It's not as stupid as 28 Years Later, but still unintentionally funny.

Magnolia was a key influence, along with Cuckoo and Twin Peaks.

During Archer's nightmare, father chases Matthew, like the beginning of Silent Hill (1999), and/or 2006 film adaptation.

There's also huge similarities to The Pied Piper of Hamelin and Hansel and Gretel.

Of course, we can't forget Stephen King's The Shining.

2:17 (room 217 in novel) and somebody sticking their face through a door imitates "Heere's Johnny" from Kubrick's adaptation.

Interestingly, Matthew 2:17 describes the massacre (or slaughter) of innocents.

Manga/anime

Marcus headbutting his husband Terry multiple times reminded me of the battle between Jubei and Gemma in Ninja Scroll (1993).

Kids running with aeroplane arms are identical to the titans in Attack on Titan.

Goof

Inside Justine's classroom, there's a poster of Odontceti and Mysticeti.  Unfortunately, the correct spelling for the scientific classification of toothed-whale is Odontoceti.

The Naked Gun (2025) - The scoop and digest

After a well deserved holiday, here's what I thought of the 'best comedy film of the year'.

For the record, continuation/reboot is directed by Akiva Schaffer, who also co-wrote screenplay with Dan Gregor and Doug Mand.

Liam Neeson - Lt. Frank Drebin Jr.

Pamela Anderson - Beth Davenport

Paul Walter Hauser - Capt. Ed Hocken Jr.

Danny Huston - Richard Cane

Kevin Durand - Sig Gustafson

Summary

When Edentech's CEO Richard Cane sends his right-hand man Sig Gustafson to steal a Primordial Law Of Toughness Device from a safety deposit box at a bank, Frank Drebin Jr. becomes embroiled in a murder investigation, meets romantic interest Beth Davenport aka Cherry Roosevelt Fat Bozo Charming Spaghetti, and ultimately must save the world from Project Inferno.

The world was better before

As shown in the trailer (and lots more besides), film begins in bizarre fashion, with Drebin disguised as a little girl, removing CG mask, growing in size and wrecking a bunch of robbers.

Liam Neeson wears a straight face, but doesn't hold a torch to the genius of Leslie Nielsen.

He was a one off, and sadly missed.

I really wanted to laugh, but almost every joke and visual gag failed.

In a scene clearly inspired by Batman Returns (1992), Cane becomes the Penguin, taking control of an electric car he gave to Drebin.  At the end of set piece, infamous Microsoft Office Assistant Clippit aka Clippy, is actually useful, as opposed to being really annoying.

During a weekend getaway, Frank and Beth dabble in witchcraft and inadvertently bring a snowman to life, which turns nasty when ignored.

I'm sure co-producer Seth MacFarlane had a huge say.

Gustafson using thermo binoculars to spy on Drebin rips off the principle of a scene in Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me.

Is it worth sticking around for the end credits?

Unless you need a shit like Drebin's body cam footage, I suppose. 

The Fantastic Four: First Steps - The scoop and digest

The start of Phase Six and IP's second reboot is written by Josh Friedman, Eric Pearson, Jeff Kaplan and Ian Springer and directed by Matt 'WandaVision' Shakman.

Pedro Pascal - Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic

Vanessa Kirby - Sue Storm/Invisible Woman

Ebon Moss-Bachrach - Ben Grimm/The Thing

Joseph Quinn - Johnny Storm/Human Torch

Julia Garner - Shalla-Bal/Silver Surfer

Paul Walter Hauser - Harvey Elder/Mole Man

Ralph Ineson - Galactus

Matthew Wood - H.E.R.B.I.E.

Summary

Earth-828.

The Ted Gilbert Show is celebrating four years of the Fantastic Four, who went to space, encountered cosmic turbulence (altering their DNA) and came back forever changed.

During a meal at the Baxter Building, Reed and Sue reveal to Ben and Johnny they're expecting a child.

A few months later, a metallic female arrives on a surfboard-like craft, warning that Earth has been marked for death and will be consumed by Galactus, the Devourer of Worlds.

They decide to return to space and confront Galactus, who offers to spare their world in exchange for Sue's unborn baby, as he senses great power within him. 

Nah, you're alright mate.

After escaping, Sue gives birth to Franklin.

Back on Earth, inspired by Archimedes' Lever principle, Reed plans to create a series of interconnected bridges that will transport Earth to another solar system, which planet eating pest won't be able to find for millions of years.

But one suspects there might be a few hiccoughs along the way.

Mid-credits

Four years later, after reading The Very Hungry Caterpillar to Franklin, no doubt a reference to Galactus' hunger, Sue asks H.E.R.B.I.E. what his favourite book is, to which he produces Charles Darwin's The Origin of the Species.

She hears a noise and walks in on a green-cloaked man interacting with Franklin.

Text appears stating "The Fantastic Four will return in Avengers: Doomsday".

Post-credits

An old-school animation sequence (directed by the Russo brothers) has team fight numerous villains.

Die with yours

Full of heart, narratively coherent and set against a superb futuristic 60's landscape, this was undoubtedly studio's best since Endgame.

Action is at a premium, but worth every second, especially when Silver Surfer chases team across the universe.

While characters are likable and bounce off each other, accents did feel a little weird.

Ever since trailer dropped, my biggest concern was The Thing, as apart from peculiar sized head, CG seemed to regularly alter proportion.

Ben is goaded throughout to say 'It's clobbering time' and when he does during final battle, it's satisfying, rather than cheesy.

Miscellany

Before Shalla-Bal's arrival, Reed says he's been tracking The Puppet Master, The Wizard and Diablo, potentially teasing cameos in the future.

Or maybe, just for the hell of it.

The portal that Galactus is forced into by Sue is open for 37 seconds.  This is the 37th MCU film.

Jack Kirby's birthday is August 28, hence why film is set on Earth-828.

The rocket that team use is called Excelsior, named after Stan Lee's signature catchphrase.  In the comics, it was Marvel-1.

Shalla-Bal is occasionally referred to a sexy alien.  While probably a coincidence, Kelly (Maria Menounos) in the infamous Fantastic Four (2005) is listed Sexy Nurse in the end credits.

Shadow of the Colossus (2005/2018)

At one point during the final fight with big bad (which I really enjoyed btw), Reed jumps on and hops about Galactus' back, slamming his makeshift javelin into a weak spot.

Anybody who has played classic video game (originally on PS2) will be nodding in agreement.

While blow isn't pivotal, just hand me a controller already.