CHILD'S PLAY (2019)

Andy and Chucky 

CHILD'S PLAY (2019). Director: Lars Klevburg. 

Karen Barclay (Aubrey Plaza) gives her son Andy (Gabriel Bateman) a technologically sophisticated doll, Buddi, for a present, but she doesn't know that a disgruntled employee of the firm who makes these toys has removed its safety protocols. The "doll." who calls itself Chucky, does everything it can to defend Andy, and gets sinister ideas after Andy and his pals -- along with Chucky-- watch one of the sequels to Texas Chainsaw Massacre. It isn't long before the massacre is on ... 

Child's Play is a pretty bad remake of the original 1988 film, and it gets just about everything wrong. The first mistake is turning Chucky into more of a robot that can already walk and talk on its own. Unlike the 1988 film, Chucky is not possessed by a serial killer, and -- although voiced by Mark Hamill -- has absolutely no personality. (It's like stripping Freddy Krueger of everything that made him interesting.) Andy is much older than in the original film, a teen, so the contrast of innocence with utter evil is minimized if not eliminated altogether. In addition the mother in this film is edgier than Catherine Hicks in the original, but both actress and character are unlikable. 

Andy and his pals

The sequels to the original film became increasingly stupid and gory, and this new version follows in that tradition. The killings in this aren't just grisly, they are sadistic (along the lines of the Saw movies), and even if most of the victims are creeps, I'm not sure they deserve what happens to them. Horror movies are not supposed to be in good taste, but I think the absolute nadir of this film -- if not modern horror films in general -- is when a cute little girl gets splattered and undoubtedly traumatized by a victim's spouting blood. Even the moments of black comedy don't do much to help this waste. 

Verdict: Even Deadly Friend was better than this! *1/2. 

GODZILLA: KING OF THE MONSTERS (2019)

Kyle Chandler

GODZILLA: KING OF THE MONSTERS (2019). Director: Michael Dougherty. 

Dr. Mark Russell (Kyle Chandler), whose son was killed in the war between Godzilla and other creatures (called MUTOs), wants all of these gigantic monsters destroyed. His nutty ex-wife, Emma (Vera Farmiga), believes that humans have become an infestation in the planet and that these ancient creatures will restore a natural balance -- both humans and MUTOs can live in supposed harmony. Emma forms an alliance with eco-terrorist Alan Jonah (Charles Dance) that even has Emma's young daughter, Madison (Millie Bobby Brown), gagging. 

Ghidorah

Meanwhile Russell and the military do their best to deal with the re-emergence of several major MUTOs (aka "Titans"), including Mothra, a big insectoid creature; Rodan, a pterodactyl-type monster; and an extraterrestrial three-headed dragon known as Ghidorah or Monster Zero. An organization called MONARCH tries to monitor all of them. Will Godzilla prove to be the savior of the human race by defeating these creatures or is he just as terrible a menace as the others?

Godzilla and little people on submarine

Once upon a time monster movies were generally looked down upon by the critical establishment. They were also a lot more fun. Whereas the 1998 Godzilla was a little too humorous (although it had stunning FX work), this Godzilla is way too serious and ponderous, with an inappropriate musical score that tries to make you think you're watching something moving and profound. It isn't. 

Godzilla emerges from the sea

I must admit that all of these Japanese monsters have never looked better, and the CGI in this is marvelous. Unfortunately, much of the time the battles are fought against misty, cluttered and foggy backgrounds, often making the action difficult to follow. However, there is a lively battle between Mothra and Rodan, which the former wins, and Rodan's attack on a fighter squadron is effective. (One poor pilot ejects from his plane only to fly right up into Rodan's mouth!) 

Ken Watanabe

The trouble with Godzilla is that after awhile it's just plain tedious. You don't care about the characters or what happens to them, and you don't give a damn about the big lizard, either. Say what you will about the 1998 Godzilla, that had some thrilling sequences in it (baby Godzillas hatch out of eggs in Madison Square Garden; big Godzilla chases the heroes down Manhattan streets) and there's nothing as exciting as those sequences in this movie. 

Ghidorah

Godzilla: King of the Monsters drags in everything from Edgar Rice Burroughs to H. P. Lovecraft, with talk of a hollow earth (which enables Godzilla to get around the world unseen) and intimating that the Titan monsters are "old gods" who once ruled over the earth. There are also some nods to the original fifties Godzilla (Gojira) in this film. Just as an Asian scientist sacrificed his life to kill Godzilla in the original movie, in this Dr. Serizawa (Ken Watanabe) sacrifices himself to re-energize the monster. The martial music that plays over these and other scenes sounds very similar to the music at the end of Gojira. 

This is a sequel to the 2014 Godzilla and to Kong: Skull Island. Needless to say, Godzilla vs. Kong comes out next year. 

Verdict: Despite some good FX work, even monster geeks may find this a waste of time. **. 

QUATERMASS AND THE PIT (1958)

Andre Morrell as Professor Quatermass

QUATERMASS AND THE PIT (LIVE BBC Television mini-series in six parts/1958). Director: Rudolph Cartier. 

Professor Quatermass (Andre Morrell of Behemoth, the Sea Monster) is consulted on a plan to put military bases, complete with missiles, on the moon. At the same time a possible unexploded bomb is discovered at a subway excavation in Hobbs Lane, a populated area of London. Quatermass feels that the bomb theory is improbable, and eventually a space vehicle of some kind is uncovered in the rubble. Inside the ship are found several deceased insectoid and crab-like aliens with antennae that are later determined to be five million years old and from Mars! But is it possible that the aliens and their ship can still be influencing modern-day Londoners all these centuries later? 

one of the Martians

Quatermass and the Pit is the third in a series of BBC TV serials concerning the exploits of Professor Quatermass, herein played genially by the ever-professional Andre Morell. (Like the first two serials, this was also turned into a theatrical film under the same title and is also known as Five Million Years to Earth.) Pit is full of interesting concepts, including a machine that is used to get visual impressions from the brain, and it is generally well-acted. Cec Linder is cast as Dr. Roney and Christine Finn is his chief assistant, Barbara Judd. Anthony Bushell is vivid as Colonel Breen, who turns out to be not too tightly wrapped. 

Morrell and Linder

Pit holds the attention for the most part, but it also has a bit too much padding, and the ending, which depicts a martian "wild hunt" to purge mutations that is re-enacted on Earth, reminds one of the later film Lifeforce, with its rioting in London. The budget is too low to make the most of these sequences and the finale is dragged out. However, it must be remembered that this was actually shown LIVE and considering the limitations of the format it is rather well-done for its time. However, I daresay the basic story is better told in Five Million Miles to Earth. This and the other Quatermass serials -- Quatermass Xperiment and Quatermass II -- were scripted by Nigel Kneale. 

Verdict: Interesting if imperfect live sci fi. **1/2. 

DOUBLE CROSS

Kane Richmond

DOUBLE CROSS (1941). Director: Albert H. Kelley.

A cop named Bronson (Richard Beach) is fiddling with a moll named Fay (Wynne Gibson), who works in a club, The Silver Slipper, owned by gangster Nick Taggart (John Miljan of The Ghost Walks). When the place is raided, Fay shoots one of the officers, and Bronson is mistakenly fired upon in return. Bronson's sister, Ellen (Pauline Moore), works in the club and is engaged to Bronson's pal and fellow officer, Jim Murray (Kane Richmond of The Tiger Woman). When Bronson kicks the bucket, Jim comes upon a plan to get kicked off the force so he can go undercover at the Silver Slipper and get the goods on the gang. He tells his fiancee of his plans, but doesn't clue in his heart-broken father (Robert Homans of X Marks the Spot), who happens to be a police captain!

John Miljan and Wynne Gibson

Kane Richmond is perfectly acceptable as Jim Murray, but the acting honors go to the vivid Wynne Gibson as Fay, who loves Taggart not wisely but well. Her best scene has her going off on Taggart when she discovers he's secretly recorded her talking about her crime. Pauline Moore is adequate if bland, John Miljan is fairly snappy as the crime boss who has the mayor in his pocket, and Homans is effective if overall unpleasant as the captain. The movie is relatively fast-paced although the finale seems a little dragged out. This is a cheap production from the poverty row studio PRC (Producer's Releasing Corporation). 

Verdict: Square-jawed Kane Richmond in another cheap thriller. **1/2. 

20,000 EYES

James Brown and Gene Nelson

20,000 EYES (1961). Produced and directed by Jack Leewood. 

Dan (Gene Nelson) tries to pull a fast one on a mobster named Novak (John Banner) and winds up owing him $100,000 which he pays back in five days -- or else! With the aid of his fiancee, Karen (Merry Anders  of The Hypnotic Eye) and old buddy Jerry (James Brown) -- who used to be Karen's squeeze -- Dan concocts a scheme to steal diamonds from a museum and engineer insurance fraud. But this might prove to be even more difficult to pull off than he imagines. 

Merry Anders with Nelson

20,000 Eyes had possibilities, and the acting is perfectly adept -- former song and dance man Nelson is perfectly fine as the anti-hero -- but this is a super-cheap TV-like production and there isn't enough skill in the direction to make this percolate, let only come to a boil. The storyline is over-familiar as well with few if any twists. The best performance is given by John Banner, who later wound up as Schultz on Hogan's Heroes; he's quite good as the mob boss. 

Verdict: Nelson gives a good account of himself, but this is a tepid melodrama. **. 

WEAPONS

Not Bette Davis as Baby Jane; Amy Madigan as Aunt Gladys

WEAPONS (2025). Written and directed by Zach Cregger.

Seventeen children who were all in the class of a young female teacher named Justine (Julia Garner of Wolf Man) simply take off in the middle of the night and disappear. Justine becomes the chief suspect. Now you would imagine that FBI agents would be all over this town, but the only people working the case are some small-town cops, including Paul (Alden Ehrenreich) and one of the missing kids' fathers, Archer (Josh Brolin). Most of the people in town think that Justine has something to do with the children's disappearances, and frankly she seems more concerned over that than that her whole classroom has vanished. The only exception is young Alex (Cary Christopher), whose ill Aunt Gladys (Amy Madigan) is staying with him and his parents. Justine wants to talk to Alex herself, but the principal, Marcus (Benedict Wong), is against the idea. Meanwhile Paul pursues a drug-addicted drifter, James (Austin Abrams), who breaks into Alex' house and has reason to regret it ... 

Oscar-winning Amy Madigan

Weapons gets points for being something a little different, not just another slasher film, and (arguably) nothing with clowns. The picture is episodic, told from multiple points of view, and there is a degree of suspense until the villain behind the disappearances is revealed and everything turns into a dark, almost campy comedy. One could argue that the heavy moments of illogic -- nobody wonders about Alex' parents, for instance -- can be attributed not just to dramatic license but to the notion that Weapons is meant to be a kind of sinister fairy tale that no one could possibly take seriously. But that's just the problem. There are several very arresting sequences and some fine performances -- but no, I don't think Madigan's performance was quite worthy of an Oscar! -- but ultimately the whole thing just seems a little ridiculous, a burlesque. Also, for me, watching children being abused, psychologically or physically, is never entertaining. 

Verdict: Too long, too weird, too campy, too incredible, too much. **1/2. 

BONE LAKE

Maddie Hassan and Marco Pigossi

BONE LAKE (2024). Director: Mercedes Bryce Morgan.  

Sage (Maddie Hassen) and Diego (Marco Pigossi) are a young couple who are excited about a weekend retreat in a fabulous house in the country. Unfortunately, they discover the house has been double booked, and Cin (Andra Nechita) and her boyfriend Will (Alex Roe) show up on the doorstep. It is agreed that both couples will share the house, and slowly become friendly. But then things begin to turn a little sinister, with one couple trying to turn the other two against each other. Before long things turn desperate and deadly ... 

Andra Nechita and Alex Roe  

Bone Lake is not the most original of movies -- its earliest antecedent might be The Most Dangerous Game -- but it is quite well-acted and is suspenseful for most of its length. It eventually turns into a gory survival story, but is effective enough on that level. One sequence is almost ruined by a pretty bad (and painfully obvious) song, "Sex and Violence," playing over the action. There is a pretty mediocre cat fight. Overall the film is watchable, but a bit slow and predictable. 

Verdict: A lot of overfamiliar elements to this. **1/2. 

JUSTICE LEAGUE VS GODZILLA VS KONG

JUSTICE LEAGUE VS GODZILLA VS KONG. Written by Brian Buccellato. Art by Christian Duce and Tom Derenik. DC Comics/Legendary Comics. 2024. Originally published over seven issues. 

In a story that is apparently outside of normal DCU continuity, Superman is planning to propose to Lois Lane when trouble erupts in the shape of old foe and King Kong variation Titano. But that's only the beginning. Lex Luthor and his Injustice Society manage to invade Superman's Fortress of Solitude, and somehow wind up bringing Godzilla and other monstrosities -- a gargantuan spider, a winged Bat-creature, a mammoth-type beast with enormous tusks -- into the DCU via a "Dreamstone" manipulated by Toyman. Superman has little problem with Titano, but Godzilla is another matter, and a blast of his nuclear breath puts Superman in a kind of coma where his fellow Leaguers aren't even certain if he's still alive. Green Arrow winds up on Skull Island where he not only encounters King Kong (much, much larger than in the original movie) but the League of Assassins, who are up to no good. Under the seas another huge creature -- and Godzilla -- threatens Atlantis, so Aquaman unleases a many-tentacled Kraken to beat them off. Gorilla Grodd uses his mind-control powers to turn both Kong and Supergirl against our heroes temporarily, and also snuffs Green Lantern Guy Gardner. Luthor puts his mind inside a gigantic robot, MechaGodzilla, while Batman counters with his own gargantuan Bat-robot! Superman eventually recovers and joins the fray, he and his colleagues taking after monsters, Luthor, and assorted super-villains alike. 

Now if this isn't the ultimate fan boy's collection -- not only super-heroes but giant monsters, plus Lex Luthor and his huge collection of super-villains -- I don't know what is. The story is well-told, juggling all of these different characters and pop culture references together in swift and exciting fashion, while the art is at least serviceable and often quite striking. There was a sequel which will soon be out in a hardcover collection as well.  

Verdict: The ultimate pop culture experience. ***1/2. 

 

THE HOUSEMAID

Amanda Seyfried and Sydney Sweeney

THE HOUSEMAID (2025). Director: Paul Feig. 

Millie (Sydney Sweeney), who is keeping a few secrets, gets a job as housekeeper to a young couple with a small daughter. Nina Winchester (Amanda Seyfried) seems warm and welcoming at first, but has a habit of throwing fits and becoming jealous. Her husband, Andrew (Brandon Sklenar of Drop), is handsome and charming and seems to do his best to keep Nina under control. But the Winchesters are keeping secrets, too, as Millie learns when Nina and her daughter go out of town and Andrew asks Millie to accompany him on an innocent excursion to the theater ...

Brandon Sklenar

During much of its length The Housemaid resembles another one of those Lifetime movies with couples and nannies and housekeepers and the like where you know nothing good is going to come out of this particular hire. The Housemaid is a little trickier than that, although nothing that is that out of the ordinary. It's no big surprise who the big bad person will turn out to be, as it's almost obligatory in this day and age. Despite that, the film is absorbing enough and very well acted by all. All told, it's entertaining but not that memorable, although it has several compelling -- and even sexy -- sequences. Paul Feig also directed A Simple Favor and Another Simple Favor. 

Verdict: Very good performances in a credible if minor suspense flick. **1/2. 

SUPERMAN (2025)

Superman (David Corenswet) goes into action

SUPERMAN (2025). Director: James Gunn.

David Corenswet as Clark Kent/Superman and Nicholas Hoult (of The Menu) as Lex Luthor give fine performances in this new Superman movie that trades on some nostalgic references while trying to stay somewhat contemporary in its approach. Kyrpto, the super-dog, more an artifact of silver age comics, shows up, and we've got Steve Lombard and Cat Grant -- both of whom work for the Daily Planet -- from the seventies. Superman's robots occupy the Fortress of Solitude. Instead of a phantom zone there is a prison that exists in a pocket universe and in which Superman is temporarily imprisoned. 

Hoult as Lex Luthor

In addition to bad guy Luthor, there is a clone called Ultra-Man, and a mammoth, if silly-looking monster that attacks Metropolis. As well there are appearances from members of the "Justice Gang," including Metamorpho, Green Lantern/Guy Gardner (Nathan Fillion), Mr. Terrific, and Hawkgirl. Oddly, Ma and Pa Kent are pretty much portrayed as hillbillies! Superman is entertaining enough, Conrenswet makes a swell, good-looking Man of Steel, but while this by no means a bad movie, it's still lacking something. 

Verdict: Okay only. **3/4.