The Housemaid - The scoop and digest

From a screenplay by Rebecca Sonnenshine, co-producer and director Paul Feig adapts Freida McFadden's 2022 novel (ntbcw 2010 Korean film of same name).

Sydney Sweeney - Millie Calloway

Amanda Seyfried - Nina Winchester

Brandon Sklenar - Andrew Winchester

Michele Morrone - Enzo

Elizabeth Perkins - Evelyn Winchester

Summary

Shortly after being released from prison for manslaughter, Millie Calloway is hired as a live-in maid by Nina and Andrew Winchester at their luxury house.

Her room in the attic has a window that doesn't open and locks from the outside.

It's revealed that Nina allegedly tried to drown her daughter Cecelia when she was a child.

When a mix up forces Nina to miss a Broadway play, Millie and Andrew secretly go together, leading them to have a special cuddle.

After Nina leaves, Millie discovers Andrew's personality is darker than an eclipse.

Hundred strands of hair

Story twists and turns in predictable fashion, but thanks to committed performances (particularly by Seyfried), this ticks along nicely, definitely feeding off psychological thrillers from the 90's, such as The Hand That Rocks the Cradle (not 2025 re-imagining) and Single White Female.

A flashback shows a teenage Millie bludgeoning a boy to death while he's raping her best friend Kelsey.  After finding this out, Nina believed Millie was capable of doing what she couldn't: kill Andrew.

Andrew is an unhinged control freak, who likes to imprison and 'punish' women before setting them free.

Millie turns the tables, forcing him into DIY dentistry.

In the book, Millie keeps Andrew trapped inside the room until he dies of thirst.

Here, Millie pushes him over the edge of a spiral staircase.  She then unscrews and drops a lightbulb below, making it look like his death was an accident.

McFadden wrote two sequels, The Housemaid's Secret and The Housemaid is Watching.  Winter-themed bonus short The Housemaid's Wedding is supposed to bridge the gap between Book 2 and 3, but is apparently also standalone.

'Probably' everything that Avatar ripped off

2009 original was lauded for revolutionizing 3D and went on to break multiple box office records, but what's more amazing is that James Cameron and 20th Century Fox were never successfully sued for plagiarism.

Jurassic Park (1993)

Pandora's animals stole T-rex's iconic roar and the Raptors' husky communications.

Now let's really get stuck in.

Films

The Emerald Forest (1985)

Dances with Wolves (1990)

FernGully: The Last Rainforest (1992)

Pocahontas (1995)

Princess Mononoke (1997)

The Last Samurai (2003)

Battle for Terra (2007)

While I'm sure most of the above have formed part of many lists, this may not.

A Man Called Horse (1970)

In 1825, an English aristocrat, John Morgan (Richard Harris), is captured by Native Americans and begins to understand their way of life.

Eventually, he is accepted by the tribe and aspires to become their leader.

It spawned two sequels, The Return of a Man Called Horse (1976) and Triumphs of a Man Called Horse (1983).

Literature

Jungle planet Pandora was introduced in Noon: 22nd Century (1961), the first book in Arkady and Boris Strugatsky's ten-strong series, which fans later called the Noon Universe.

The girlfriend of biologist Mikhail Sidorov is called Nava, which sounds nothing like Na'vi.

Back in 2010, Boris reportedly said: "The Americans have 'borrowed' our idea - it's very unpleasant. But I won't take them to court. Or shall I?"

Legal action never came to fruition and Boris died in 2012.  Arkady passed years before in 1991.

Dune (1965)

Before amalgamated as one, Frank Herbert's epic sci-fi novel was originally published as two separate serials - Dune World and Prophet of Dune.

Anyway, precious commodity unobtanium is basically a derivative of spice melange, commonly just spice.

Sticking with Mr. Herbert, Destination: Void (1965) shouldn't be ignored, the first in The Pandora Sequence series.

The rest he wrote with Bill Ransom.

But worst of all though is this:

Call Me Joe

Poul Anderson's novelette was first published in Astounding Science Fiction in April 1957.

Paraplegic astronaut Ed Anglesey telepathically connects with an artificially created life form (nicknamed "Joe"), enabling geezer to explore Jupiter's harsh surface and gradually goes native.

UNBELIEVABLE.

Comics

Firekind (1993)

Originally published in 2000 AD progs 828-840 (between 27th March-19th June), xeno-botanist Hendrick Milhouse Larsen is sent to Gennyo-Leil to study jungle planet's fauna, flora and indigenous alien race the Gennyans.

Toxic hallucinogenic atmosphere is filled with psychotropic pollen so geezer wears a filter mask to survive.

Loylee-Coh

Sully riding an Ikran vs Hendrick on a Kesheen

Cameron says he wrote an 80-page treatment for Avatar in 1994.

How convenient.

The Light and Darkness War (October 1988-September 1989)

The first collaboration between Cam Kennedy and Tom Veitch concerns disabled war veteran Lazarus Jones, who after a car accident is placed in a coma.

He's transported to the Outer Darkness in a star system called Abraxas, where his war buddies (dubbed Light Warriors), are still alive.

Together, they fight against Na, Lord of Reality, and his motley crew of Deadsiders.

Mentep engineer Mu-Mun-Da-Mandra-Lue Urumm.

Roger Dean

British artist rose to fame in the 1970s, creating album covers for the likes of Yes, Asia, Uriah Heep and Gentle Giant.

He also designed a host of shit for video game developer Psygnosis, including Brataccas, Obliterator and Shadow of the Beast.

He was also responsible for company's logo, with owl used as the sprite for Agony (1992), notable for title music composed by Tim Wright.

When Norwegian black metal band Dimmu Borgir released their album Stormblåst in 1996, keyboardist Stian Aarstad passed off Wright's piece as his own for instrumental track Sorgens kammer. 

Album was re-recorded in 2005, and shit was replaced by Sorgens kammer - del II.

Moving on.

Hometree vs Pathways

Stone Arches vs Arches Morning

Hallelujah Mountains vs April 1st

Hallelujah Mountains vs Stairway Heaven

Thanator vs Paladin Charge

In June 2013, Dean sought damages of $50m, but Judge Jesse F. Furman threw the case out in September 2014, ruling static cannot be substantially similar to fluid.

(Vigorously shakes head).

As a special bonus, check out sequels.

Avatar: The Way of Water (2022)

Tulkuns produce amrita in their glands which prevent humans aging, thus replacing unobtanium as the most valuable substance known to man.

Captain Mick Scoresby uses the SeaDragon to hunt marine animals.

Firekind

Gennyo-Leil is frequently raided by ruthless poachers, who delight in torturing and mutilating their victims while seeking Hexacrin, which is kind of like an elixir of eternal youth.

To domesticate Kesheen, locals attach symbiotic organism the Lantrisant to giant dragons, with leech creature being the only source of hallucinogen.

Archduke Ruggerio Neumann and his sordid outfit of hired mercenaries slaughter flying monsters for this very reason. 

Avatar: Fire and Ash (2025)

Spider's oxygen mask runs out of battery and he collapses from asphyxiation.  After his body is wrapped with mycelia, he's able to breathe on Pandora without a mask.

Firekind

Hendrick finds himself stumbling through the forest, twelve hours without a filter mask, breathing in the psychotropic air.

He should be dead, but works out the pollen (a class 'C' hallucinogen) works directly on the sensory vortex, causing neurological changes and making his body immune.

On behalf of creators John Smith and Paul Marshall, I have two words for the untouchable Iron Jim.

FUCK and YOU.

Avatar: Fire and Ash - The scoop and digest

James Cameron directs and co-writes third entry with Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver.

Sam Worthington - Jake Sully

Zoe Saldaña - Neytiri

Sigourney Weaver - Kiri

Stephen Lang - Colonel Miles Quaritch

Oona Chaplin - Varang

Cliff Curtis - Tonowari

Joel David Moore - Dr. Norm Spellman

CCH Pounder - Mo'at

Edie Falco - General Frances Ardmore

David Thewlis - Peylak

Summary

Following the death of their son Neteyam, Jake and Neytiri encounter Varang, leader of hostile Na'vi tribe the Mangkwan, aka the Ash People.

Meanwhile, the Na'vi-fied Colonel Quaritch seaches for his son Spider and in the process, begins a romantic relationship with Varang.

Back at Bridgehead, RDA scientist Norm Spellman plans to colonize Pandora and Mick Scoresby's team continue having a whale of a time hunting tulkun herds.

Breathing the air

Visually spectacular yes, but the real challenge was staying awake.

Yeah, it's really fucking boring.

Practically nothing happens for nearly two hours and action during the last 40 minutes is very similar to previous film.

Oh sorry, we get a rubbish version of Obi-Wan vs Anakin, and ironically; is when CG looked 'Sith'.

Knowing he's going to be shot anyway, Quaritch jumps into fiery abyss and says "Ain't this a bitch."

To be fair, at least he didn't bow out with: "Game over man."

More could be in the pipeline, but those blue bastards won't be wasting my precious time again.

Terminator 2D: No Fate

Bitmap Bureau's tribute to classic run and gun is sealed with a loving blob of liquid metal.

Modes

Story

Arcade

Level Training

Infinite, Boss Rush and Mother of the Future are initially locked.

Difficulties

Easy Money - unlimited continues, weaker enemies

No Problemo - normal - a balanced fight

Hasta La Vista - hard - more enemies, faster reactions

Judgment Day¹ - very hard - relentless enemies, ultimate challenge

¹complete MOTF to unlock.

Story

The opening stages are set in 1994, a year before the film.

Level 1 - Desert Town

While Sarah is putting John through weapons training in Copper Valley, Bandit Bob kidnaps him.

I guess name is a nod to 'Uncle Bob'?

Whatever, he's Allen O'Neil from Metal Slug.

Levels 2 and 3 are set in Cyberdyne Research and Factory respectively.

 

Both are inspired by dialogue between John and Tim.

[finds a picture of John's mother] Is that her?

John: Yes.

Tim: She's pretty cool, huh?

John: No, she's a complete psycho. That's why she's up at Pescadero. It's a mental hospital. Okay? She tried to blow up a computer factory, but she got shot and arrested.

Levels 4-5 jump to 2029, with John Connor fighting HK's.

Future War has been done countless times before, largely in games based on The Terminator, and throughout the first mission of T2 arcade.

Although Arnold Schwarzenegger, Robert Patrick and Edward Furlong lent likeness, Linda Hamilton refused over a payment dispute, so stunt performer Debbie Evans portrayed the digitized sprite of Sarah Connor.

Oh, nice "bangs" btw.

(Winks).

Levels 6-11 play out meat of iconic action in 1995, with the final stage putting us back in control of John in 2029.

Clothes, boots and motorcycle

The best Terminator game ever made... over thirty years too late.

If this was on the SNES, Mega Drive etc, then nobody would bat an eyelid at price tag, but £42.95 in 2025 for basically an hour's gameplay is ridiculous.

In an alternative universe, this should've been released for consoles on August 29th 1997, but nobody had the balls to end three billion human lives.

While silent dialogue is pretty accurate, it's not verbatim.

Also, music doesn't reflect situation.

Pixel art is impressive, but nothing mind-blowing.

Cut scenes and in-game character animations knock things out of the park though.

Those who can be bothered to play more than once will unlock ghosted modes and can trigger an alternative continuity by ordering the T-800 to kill Dyson.

A few 'new' stages play out, including Cyberdyne HQ: Annihilation, which let's us have fun with the T-800 and his mini-gun, with A.P.C. as a boss.

But then story is as you were, until an older Sarah takes on a pair of T-808's in Future War.

Finally, if we reset chip and have Sarah pull the trigger on Dyson, a T-808 kills John in the final stage.

Verdict 8/10

But this isn't the 90's.

Reality 5/10

Silent Night, Deadly Night (2025) - The scoop and digest

Writer-director Mike P. Nelson remakes Charles E. Sellier Jr's 1984 controversial cult classic of same name.

Original was previously re-imagined as Silent Night (2012), also the title of several other unrelated films.

Rohan Campbell - Billy Chapman

Ruby Modine - Pamela "Pammy" Sims

Mark Acheson - Charlie

David Lawrence Brown - Dean Sims

David Tomlinson - Max Benedict

Summary

At a care home, an eight-year-old Billy Chapman (Logan Sawyer) visits his Grandpa who tells him:

"Good boys get good things. Naughty boys get punished. Santa is always watching."

Shortly after, he suddenly vomits blood, as Billy watches in horror.

10 years later (presumably in 2025), Billy has recurring nightmares about his parents shot dead by a man dressed as Santa called Charlie, who through more flashbacks, transferred his 'curse' over to Billy before he died.

Having fled to the town of Hackett (where kids have a habit of going missing), Billy literally has Charlie's voice in his head and when he 'gets one of those feelings', Billy claims a new victim.

Amidst all this is romantic interest Pamela, who suffers from what her father Dean dubs EPD (Explosive Personality Disorder).

Suffice to say, those on Billy's annual 'naughty' list better watch out.

Guns are for pussies

Not great by any means, but still pretty decent.

As bizarre as it sounds, the curse idea rips off Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers (1988), as like Jamie touched Michael's hand, Billy does the same to Charlie.

Going further, Halloween Ends lifted concept and also starred Corey Cunningham.

(Laughs).

The regularity of voice and goofy humour may annoy people, but I was fine with it.

Fun nods to the original include Elroy's Trees, since 1984, Ida's Trinket Tree rather than Ira's Toy Store, Billy using a box cutter to open packages (he used the same weapon to murder Pamela) and Billy impaling The Foster Mother on a set of deer antlers (identical to how Denise dies).

Undoubtedly the standout sequence is Billy attending the I'm Dreaming of a White Power Christmas party on 22 December and massacring a room full of Nazi Santas.  The batshit factor is cranked up further, when its leader Delphine (Sharon Bajer) pulls out an uzi and is then decapitated in the woods.

HA HA HA!

On Christmas Day, after Dean was shot dead by a masked assailant, Pammy wants revenge.

Billy tells her that Charlie was the janitor at the care home and he knew about his parents poisoning grandpa, prior to him signing over his inheritance.

Anyway, they find the Snatcher's lair and find the missing kids hidden beneath a ball pool.  Billy manages to kill him, but is seriously injured in the process.

Max turns up and fatally shoots Billy, who before succumbing to his wounds, transfers his power to Pammy, allowing her to see visions of the past.  Knowing Max was Elroy's accomplice and probably killed Dean, she bites his nose off and hacks him to death with the axe.

Before leaving the scene, she hears Billy's voice speaking to her.

While door is left open, a sequel is 50/50.

Man Finds Tape - The scoop and digest

The next found footage horror Ive discovered is written and directed by Peter Hall and Paul Gandersman.

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) who becomes catatonic while crossing a road, 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?

Maybe.

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 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'.