Today on "Words On Film", Dan Burke reviews "Smile 2", "We Live In Time", "Piece By Piece", and "Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story". Mr. Burke also gives a spoken word preview of movies subject to being released into theaters and/or streaming for the week of October 21st - 25th, 2024.
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(upbeat music) - Hello and welcome to Words on Film, the spoken word show dedicated to moving pictures. I'm Dan Burke, your host and movie critic. And you're listening to Words on Film on WBCALP Boston. I will be reviewing some of the newest movies out right now. - For this show, I have four movies to review for you. Two of them are brand new, as in they were released on October 18th, 2024. And the other two were actually released on October 11th, but I didn't get to reviewing them until now. That kind of happens sometimes, but I don't have any ardent fans who are demanding that I review the latest films right when they come out. So at least there's that pressure that's not exactly on me right now, which is kind of nice, but at the same time, I try to get the newest films in here. So I'm gonna start with a movie that's probably going to be the most talked about this week. The first movie I'm going to be reviewing for you is Smile 2, which is, of course, the sequel to the 2022 hit horror film Smile, which, like the sequel, was also directed and written by Parker Finn. Only this time, this movie, Smile 2, is more like a standalone sequel, in the sense that some of the other events and characters that occurred in the original Smile are referenced here, but not shown. And there are virtually no characters and no actors from the original Smile film that are in this film. But don't let that be a deterrent for you, especially if you loved the original Smile movie from 2022. As for me, personally, I did review it when it came out. I didn't love it. I did love or like the performance of "Soci Bacon," and I thought that structurally, in terms of its plot, the movie worked, but I also thought it relied way too much on cheap jump scares. And honestly, when some of the people smiled, it wasn't exactly scary. Smile 2 is a little bit of a spoiler alert for my review, a huge improvement over the original Smile, for the reason that it actually makes this entity that is smiling at its victims even scarier. And there's also a beginning scene where nothing horrific in terms of paranormal activity occurs, but it's a setup for what happens probably later in the franchise in the inevitable Smile 3. And given that Smile 2 is as scary as it is, this is a movie that definitely deserves a sequel. But I'll get into that in a little bit. But the movie is about a global pop sensation by the name of Sky Riley, who's played in this film by Naomi Scott. And she is a well-established pop star who has the stage presence of Duolipa and probably the following of Taylor Swift, or maybe not as big as Taylor Swift or Beyonce, but either way, she has a legion of devoted fans and about to embark on a world tour, Sky begins experiencing increasingly terrifying and inexplicable events overwhelmed by the escalating horrors and the pressures of fame, both to things that are really hard to deal with, I'm sure. Sky is forced to face her past. In other words, not only does this paranormal entity that has people smile at her in very creepy and plastered ways keep terrorizing her, but she also has to deal with the skeletons in her closet. And I won't get into her entire backstory, but I will say that this pop star, Sky Riley has a past and it involves drug use and self-destruction. But as we meet her in the beginning of this film, she still has a legion of devoted fans who are aiding her in her comeback, but she also has to deal with the fact that she can't get drugs for aching back, for example. Once she encounters a drug dealer who's also a mutual friend, that's when really creepy things start to happen. And honestly, to writer and director Parker Finn's credit, this movie does not rely on cheap jump scares. Every jump scare in this movie is earned and it also pretty much nine out of 10 jump scares in this film absolutely made me flinch. But it wasn't just because of these other characters who are possessed by the paranormal entity who keeps smiling in that creepy way at their victims. The paranormal entity does more than just smile. And I think as the movie progresses, you see this paranormal entity terrorize Naomi Scott's character in very morbid and yeah, terrifying ways. And I think this movie absolutely gets you on the side of Naomi Scott's character. You can sympathize with the pressure she has of fame alone. That's a lot to deal with in and of itself. But she also has to deal with this entity that's making her crazy while at the same time, knowing well that in this age of 24 hour news and social media that every move she makes is captured on camera and scrutinized. So there's that pressure as well. But Naomi Scott in this film is amazing. She anchors this film incredibly well and probably turns in her best performance. She is actually no stranger to being a singer in addition to being an actress. I think she started out as a singer first, although honestly, I'm not too familiar with her songs and her music videos. I've only seen her in movies like the live action remake of Aladdin, for example. Here she shows not only that she's a triple threat. In other words, she's a great actress, a singer, and a dancer, but she really earns her place as the scream queen or one of the scream queens of this generation of moviegoers. And it's easy to see why here. There are also some genuinely terrifying scenes in this film, particularly where you'd think that Naomi Scott's character would be safe in her apartment, but this entity comes to haunt her in her apartment and she shows that there really are no safe places and not even people whom she can trust, even her doubting and devoted stage mother who's played in this movie by Rosemary DeWitt or her best friend either. So Smile 2 is one of those sequels, one of many sequels this year, but very much like Twisters and a few other sequels that are of note in 2024, Smile 2 has the distinction of being one of the few sequels ever, let alone this year that is undoubtedly better than the original in terms of its plot, in terms of its characters, also in terms of the fact that these characters in here, particularly the victims of this paranormal entity actually make logical decisions based on their circumstances, which makes for a scarier ride here. It also shows some rules about this paranormal entity that smiles at its victims that are an improvement over the original Smile film, which is why I give Smile 2 my rating of a knockout. This movie is genuinely scary, and if you don't like scary films, stay the hell away from this one. And one other criticism that I had of the original Smile was for some of the people who were smiling, who were about to kill their victims, I didn't think their Smile was creepy enough. There was one character I thought was creepy, but the others, no, not quite so much, but in this film, the people who smile are indeed creepy. And also, there is one particular scene that takes place in Sky Riley's apartment where there's not just one person in their terrorizing Naomi Scott's character. There are several, and it's a cat and mouse game that really makes you very fearful for the mouse, and that's really of huge improvement over the original Smile. (upbeat music) (upbeat music) Welcome back to Words on Film, the spoken word showed dedicated to moving pictures. I am your host and movie critic, Dan Burke. The next movie I'm going to be reviewing for you is We Live in Time, which is another film that hit theaters on October 18th, 2024, at least here in Nashville, where I am recording the show. And this movie was a very pleasant surprise from A24 Studios. And I'm not exactly saying that it's a surprise because it came out from A24 Studios. I'm just saying it is a pleasant surprise in general. I knew I was getting a romantic drama, but romantic movies are hit or miss in a lot of ways. But this film has Academy Award nominee Andrew Garfield and Academy Award nominee Florence Pugh, and the two of them are amazing in this film. I can't go as far as to say that this movie is their best performance individually, but it's probably going to be their top five performances until the end of their careers. They work so well together and it is amazing to see the two of them together. Their chemistry is undeniable and their acting is phenomenal. There are some scenes that are unexpectedly funny in this film, but there are also some other scenes that are dramatic and because of the character arcs of Andrew Garfield's character and Florence Pugh's character, these dramatic scenes are heart wrenching at times. But let me tell you what the film is about. The film is about an up-and-coming chef who's played by Florence Pugh and a recent divorcee who's played by Andrew Garfield, who find their lives forever changed when a chance encounter brings them together in a decade spanning deeply moving romance. And to tell you exactly what happens to these characters and also the crossroads that their relationship faces is going to spoil the movie for you. As a matter of fact, one of the brilliant things about this film, you know, besides the acting, is the fact that their relationship is told in a non-linear way that's brilliantly edited. I should also note that the writer of this film is Nick Payne who wrote the story and the screenplay and this movie is not based on a book. And the reason that I emphasize that is because these characters feel like they were previously fleshed out literally, literally in another source material, but as it turns out, that's actually not the case. I can't make the claim that this movie is biographical or semi-autobiographical, but it certainly feels very real. I wouldn't be exactly surprised if it was, but the movie does have these characters and shows actually some very good character arcs of them. It gives you not too much of their backstory, but enough to elevate the plot of this film. And also the way in which Tobias, Andrew Garfield's character, and Alma T, Florence Pugh's character actually meet, is probably one of the most unique ways that anyone has met in any kind of romantic film. It's also a scene that is so absurd that it would probably belong in a Judd Apatow romantic comedy, or so it would seem. But I'm not exactly saying that this film is a film that Judd Apatow would make and that either writer Nick Payne or director John Crowley is trying to emulate Judd Apatow. But the movie has Judd Apatow elements to it, but overall is its own original film. And there are a lot more dramatic scenes than comedic ones, but you are on board with Tobias and Alma from the very beginning. And the reason it was so smart of this film to be non-linear is because it allowed you some time to not only sympathize with some of the characters and also see where their lives and relationships are at the beginning of this film, but you also kind of learn about these characters through some of these flashbacks and some of this non-linear storytelling. And sometimes you're a little bit confused because you assume that the story is going to go one way, but it actually goes another, but it allows you to completely focus on what's on the screen and also allow you to absolutely sympathize with these characters. And this movie, of course, has great editing, great writing, amazing dialogue. It seems like it is improvised as opposed to actually written, but Andrew Garfield and Florence Pugh turn in probably among their best performances. And it's hard to top Florence Pugh after she's done films like Little Women in Midsummer, not to mention Andrew Garfield after having done films like The Social Network and Tick Tick Boom, the former of which Andrew Garfield was not nominated for Academy War, but should have been, and the latter of which he was deservedly nominated. And if Florence Pugh and Andrew Garfield are not nominated in this film for We Live in Time for Best Actor and Best Actress in a Leading Role, both, there's gonna be something wrong with the Academy. But We Live in Time is probably one of my favorite films that I've seen so far. Granted, I have about two or three more months before I give you my best of list, but my guess is We Live in Time is going to be in my top 10. It may even be in my top five, but the latter is too soon to tell. What I can tell you, however, and this is not too surprising, is that We Live in Time gets my rating of a knockout, an absolute certified 100% no looking back knockout. It is a beautiful film. It's a film that's funny in unexpected ways, heart wrenching in ways that you may not expect a romantic drama to be. And this definitely blows a lot of other romantic dramas, particularly those with tragic endings, like Love Story and It Ends With Us out of the water, especially It Ends With Us. I know that the movie It Ends With Us has a big following, and it's been re-released into theaters due to popular demand, but I think even big fans of that film, of which I am not one, would see We Live in Time and absolutely forget the latter film. This movie is rich in character, it's rich in story, and it's also rich in tear jerking moments. And it also happens to be so far, one of the best films of the year. (upbeat music) (upbeat music) - Welcome back to Words on Film, the spoken word showed dedicated to moving pictures. I am your host and movie critic, Dan Burke. The next movie I'm going to be reviewing for you is Peace by Peace. This is part documentary, part animated film, and no part, or at least in all part, it is brilliant. It is a documentary that focuses on the life and career of mega producer and great musician in his own right, Pharrell Williams. And it is a vibrant journey through the life Pharrell Williams told through the lens of Lego animation. And this is one of those instances where a lot of people would see this film and ask why, why Lego animation? And Pharrell would probably be one of those people who would tell you, why not? Pharrell Williams is definitely creative when it comes to music, as a matter of fact, he produced a lot of the biggest bangers of the decade that lasted from 2000 to 2009 that I sometimes call the aughts. And when I don't know what the decade is called, I awkwardly call it the decade from 2000 to 2009. And the director of this film is Morgan Neville, who has also directed a number of other great documentaries, including but not limited to the one for which you won an Academy Award, which was 20 feet from stardom. He also directed Best of Enemies, Buckley versus Vidal. And also, won't you be my neighbor, which was the documentary about Fred Rogers, which was snubbed for an Oscar nomination, but I still remember it as an excellent documentary. And undoubtedly, the inspiration behind the dramatized film, a beautiful day in the neighborhood starring Tom Hanks. But piece by piece is something that Pharrell Williams definitely hasn't done before and Morgan Neville hasn't even done before. It is a documentary in the sense that it details the life and career of Pharrell Williams, but it's also an animated film. And it is so unique, so creative and so full of life that I know it will be or it should be nominated for something. Would it be nominated for Best Documentary? Maybe. Would it be nominated for Best Animated Film? I think more likely. And I think the animation of this film is superb and definitely up there, although different, from Inside Out 2 and The Wild Robot, which are two of the most excellent animated films that I've seen so far this year. And undoubtedly, there are other animated films that are coming out later this year that also promise to be great, but we'll have to see about this. But I've liked Pharrell Williams ever since his music came out in, actually when I was in grade school, because one of the first songs that he and his producer partner, Chad Hugo, produced was the song "Rumpshaker" by the "One Hit Wonder" Rex and effects. And that's a song that really gets a party going. Would I ever dance to it? No, it's not quite the song I dance to. And I'm not so much of a dancer, but it is a very infectiously catchy song. But Pharrell Williams, excuse me, Pharrell Williams was just getting started when he produced that song. But what's really amazing is how much detail this film goes into about Pharrell Williams' early life growing up in Virginia Beach, Virginia. And one thing I did not know about Pharrell Williams was that not only did he know "Timbaland and Missy Elliot" and push a T back when they were in high school, but they went to the same high school. And my God, that high school, whatever it is, I think it might be Virginia Beach High School. I temporarily forgot. But that probably has a shrine to at least three out of four of those artists because they went on to make great music after they left high school. And that could not have been coincidence there. But yeah, it seemed like once Pharrell Williams stars a producer faded, "Timbaland" was a really hot producer there for about five years and became a household name as well. But Pharrell Williams actually showed when he wrote the Academy Award-nominated song "Happy" for "Despicable Me 2" that he was really just getting started. And the movie also deals in a more frank way than you would expect from an animated film that has Lego people in it, how Pharrell's career peaked in the late aughts. And he went through a bit of an existential crisis that also deterred his career for a little bit. But Pharrell Williams' insight and his creativity is on full display here, not to mention that this film is a delight to watch for its animation alone. It's incredibly creative, it's incredibly fun, but it also has some really good dramatic moments as well. And Pharrell Williams showed, in fact proved, that he can be as creative visually with this documentary and still give it the documentary or the educational credibility that most great documentaries have. So that's kudos to both Pharrell Williams and Morgan Neville, the latter of whom not only directed and co-wrote this film, but also appears in the movie, of course, in Lego form as himself. And piece by piece is a film that I absolutely wanted to see for last week's show, but I just didn't have time to see it then, but I'm so glad that I made time for it this week. And because I made time for it, piece by piece gets my rating of a knockout. It is not only one of the best animated films of the year, it's also one of the best films of the year. And yeah, I did say that for the last movie that I reviewed, we live in time, but piece by piece is a beacon of creativity that reminded me at least in style of a Lego brickumentary, which was a documentary that the Academy snubbed, first of all, and secondly, it was a film about Legos. Now this film, piece by piece, is not about Legos per se, and it doesn't exactly promote toys that you can go out and buy in toy stores or online, at least not directly, but it showcases the creativity of Lego animation, as well as the amazingly creative mind of Pharrell Williams in conjunction with Morgan Neville. I absolutely love this film, and this could be a film that I would see again with enthusiasm. (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) - Welcome back to Words on Film. The spoken word showed dedicated to moving pictures. I am your host and movie critic, Dan Burke. The next movie I'm going to be reviewing for you is Super Man, the Christopher Reeve story. And the reason I say that the movie is called Super Man and not Superman is, first of all, because this is not a Superman movie, it's a documentary, and secondly, because there is a forward slash between the words Super and Man in this documentary, and that is not an accident. The movie is directed by Ian Bonhoez and Peter Edigee, and it is a fairly predictable account of a documentary about a public figure like Christopher Reeve, but it is most certainly an inspiring one, because Christopher Reeve, especially in the last decade of his life, was a very inspiring person. And I think largely before his tragic accident that left him paralyzed from the neck down, so in other words, it left him severely quadriplegic. He was known as a movie star and a well-respected one, and definitely one of the people who brought comic book movies to the big screen and gave them actually cinematic credibility. Unlike other comic book films that came up before it, like Batman the Movie, for example, with starred Adam West and Bert Ward, amongst other people. But the movie details Reeve's rise to become a film star and follows that with the near fatal horse riding accident in 1995 that left him paralyzed from the neck down. And after the accident, he became an activist for spinal cord injury treatments and disability rights. And I do think that this film was right in being non-linear in its storytelling. It does start with the near fatal horse riding accident because even though that wasn't the only big thing to happen in Christopher Reeve's life, it was certainly a turning point for him. And also the movie details very well through a plethora of archive footage, how Christopher Reeve was actually considering taking his own life after the accident. Honestly, I would not have been surprised if he had, but I am glad and so many other people of various points in their life are probably very glad that Christopher Reeve did not succumb to that temptation and ultimately became a champion for people who literally couldn't stand up. And I think that the movie did skimp a little bit on some of the achievements that Christopher Reeve did after his accident. It did mention that he directed a film when he was quadriplegic, which he most certainly did. I wish they had actually gotten into more details about what that movie was. And the movie was a 1998 TV movie that was a remake of Alfred Hitchcock's rear window. And to remake that with somebody who is quadriplegic and not somebody who has a broken leg like Jimmy Stewart did in that film was actually brilliant. But they also neglected to mention that Christopher Reeve made an appearance in an episode of Smallville, which is a movie that is a prequel to the Superman legend. And I am very surprised and shocked that this documentary didn't cover that. But I won't be nitpicky about what this documentary didn't cover. I think it covered Christopher Reeve's life very well, not just his film career, but also his personal life and how he met his second partner Dana Reeve. And her death, which happened about two years after Christopher Reeve's death in 2004, was probably as tragic, if not more. But the movie details how Dana Reeve died as well. And if you don't know, look it up. But you also get a lot of excellent interviews in this film from the likes of people who are still alive today and knew Christopher Reeve personally, like Whoopi Goldberg, Susan Sarandon, and also Reeve's three children, Alexandra Reed Givens, Matthew Reeve, and Will Reeve, the latter of whom was the only child of Christopher and Dana Reeve. And Will Reeve is a guy for whom I feel immediately bad. He lost both his parents over the course of two years. That's gotta be rough. And this movie does not shy away from showing the difficulty or at least the emotional difficulty that Will Reeve had, even though he still had extended family from Christopher Reeve's previous relationship. And also he was adopted by a family friend, but that's really rough there. But this movie, Superman, the Christopher Reeve story, according to its posters, it was only supposed to be in theaters for two days, September 21st and 25th. But fortunately, I can't exactly say that this is true for all theaters all over the United States of America or even the world. It is still in theaters now, at least in my neck of the woods. And I'm really glad that I got to see it because Christopher Reeve himself is very inspiring. But this documentary also did not direct or write itself either. The anecdotes that this movie has from the likes of the aforementioned people that I mentioned, in addition to Glenn Close, Jeff Daniels, and also other people who are no longer with us, like Richard Donner or Margo Kitter, amongst others, really gives you a portrait of Christopher Reeve and the good man he was, not just the celebrity, which is why Superman, the Christopher Reeve story, gets my rating of a knockout. It is an undeniably powerful documentary. And even though I knew that both Christopher Reeve and Dana Reeve's deaths were going to be covered in the film, it was still heartbreaking to see the deaths take place before you either. It's not like the camera was actually on them, but even hearing about them dying was just heartbreaking and brought me back to when I first heard the news, especially when Christopher Reeve's name was mentioned in the second presidential debate between John Kerry and George W. Bush. John Kerry brought up that he wanted to invest in spinal cord research to get Chris Reeve out of his chair. And then less than a week later, Christopher Reeve died. Not because of any of the complications with his paralysis, but of something else. But the really inspiring part of Superman, the Christopher Reeve story is that it actually shows what the Christopher and Dana Reeve foundation has done for people who have struggled with paralysis. And that in and of itself is heroic. (upbeat music) (upbeat music) - Welcome back to Words on Film, the spoken words show dedicated to moving pictures, I am your host and movie critic, Dan Burke. And now that I've reviewed all the movies that I have to review for you for this show, it's now time for me to get into my final segment, which is what's coming up next. This is a spoken word preview of movies that are subject to being released in theaters or and or if I have time on streaming. This, in this case, it's for the week of October 21st through 25th, 2024. And there are a number of films that are promising that are going to be coming out this coming week. On October 23rd, which is a Wednesday this year, there is a musical documentary that's called Whitney Houston, the concert for a new South Africa, Durban. Now, it's coming out on a Wednesday. My guess is that this is going to be a documentary that's gonna be released by Fathom Events. But I'm really interested to see this one because Whitney Houston held three benefit concerts in post-apartheid South Africa in 1994 in Durban, Johannesburg and Cape Town. And over the course of these three concerts, over 200,000 people attended. And the proceeds aided children's charities throughout her foundation. So obviously Whitney Houston did this concert for a number of good causes. And her coming to post-apartheid South Africa in the early '90s was huge. And 1994 was the year that Nelson Mandela was elected president of South Africa. He only served one term. I think he should have served more, but he actually chose not to seek re-election because he didn't wanna be a dictator or an emperor or anything else that was non-democratic. So he left office for the right reason. But at the same time, there are moments or there, yeah, there still are moments where we could use someone like Nelson Mandela in our public discourse. But I would love to see this documentary because not only does it have meaning, but Whitney Houston, of course, put on an amazing concert when she was in her prime. Later on, that's a different story. But this is a movie that if it comes out in the theater near me, I will see it, but I can't exactly guarantee that I will because coming out on a Wednesday, that can be awkward. But anyway, Whitney Houston, the concert for a new South Africa, which I think it takes place in its entirety in Durban and not Johannesburg or Cape Town, although I may be wrong about that, is subject to being released in theaters on October 23rd, 2024. Look out for it if you can. But on October 25th, you got movies that are Oscar contenders as well as popcorn flicks that are coming out on that day. And there are only four films. These will be easy to cover. The first film, which looks like it's going to be very promising, is a movie that's called Conclave. And this has a killer cast to it. It's a movie about a Cardinal in the Vatican whose name is Cardinal Lawrence. And when he is tasked with leading one of the world's most secretive and ancient events, which is selecting a new Pope, he finds himself at the Center Ray conspiracy that could shake the very foundation of the Catholic church. The director of this film is Edward Berger. And the movie stars Ray Fines, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow and Isabella Rosalini, amongst other people. And Ray Fines, Stanley Tucci and John Lithgow play Cardinals. Isabella Rosalini plays a nun. So already you got a great cast right there. It's not going to attract a lot of young people, but that doesn't really matter. But I kind of figure that in this movie, which is fictitious, but based on a book, a bestselling novel written by Robert Harris, that something is going to, something even bigger than what actually shook the Catholic church is going to shake the Catholic church in this movie. But I haven't read the book. I haven't seen the previews. So I don't know what it's going to be. But I do know that I will see Conclave, and I'll let you know what I think on next week's show. Another movie that's subject to being released in theaters on October 25th is a movie that's called Venom, The Last Dance. And this year has not been a great year for comic book films. I think this is the point where the comic book films have gone in a downward trend. So Venom The Last Dance does not have a tough act to follow, especially after Madam Webb, which was terrible, and Deadpool and Wolverine, which was, I thought, bad. But it's a movie that I'm still looking forward to seeing because I love the first Venom film. The second one with Carnage starring Woody Harrelson, I didn't think it was all that great. I had excellent special effects, but not a lot of people talk about it right now because it was a largely forgettable film that also deviated from the comic books in one of the worst ways or some of the worst ways. But Venom The Last Dance looks a little bit more promising where Eddie, who's played by Tom Hardy and Venom, are on the run, and they're hunted by both of their worlds and with the net closing in, the duo are forced into a devastating decision that will bring the curtains down on Venom and Eddie's last dance. Besides Tom Hardy, the movie star's Geno Temple, Alana Youbach, Steven Graham, Risa Fons, Chivotel Egea 4, and others. So already you have a pretty good cast. And I think that the character that Chivotel Egea 4 played in the Doctor Strange films is going to be reprising his role in this film. And I think Venom The Last Dance is one of those films that didn't start out in the MCU, but will eke its way into the MCU and has a better chance of doing so, a much better chance than Madam Webb, which is probably going to be one of the worst, if not the worst films of this past year on critics' best and worst of lists at the end of the year. I know it will probably be on mine, but I can't say for sure if it's going to be the worst film of the year, but it was a tremendous disappointment. And this is the Sony Spider-Man universe to which Venom and unfortunately Madam Webb also belongs. And there's another film that's actually coming out in the same cinematic universe later on this year that stars Aaron Taylor Johnson. And this movie has downplayed its connection to Spider-Man. And I think largely because of the disastrous performance of Madam Webb, as I said. But Venom The Last Dance is a movie that I will see, and I can't guarantee I'm going to enjoy it, but I'll let you know what I think on a future show. Another movie that is subject to being released in theaters on October 25th is a movie that's called Your Monster, which comes out right in time for Halloween. And I feel like there are some other films like Smile 2 and Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, that could have been released in October and become big Halloween films. But these films are gonna be in theaters for a while, even going past Halloween. So it was probably smart of them to kind of strike while the iron was hot as opposed to having horror movie overload in October. And there are even some promising horror films, including a remake of Nosferatu that are coming out in December around Christmas. And this is actually not unusual because The Exorcist came out around Christmas time in 1973, 51 years ago. But Your Monster is a film that is a comedy horror romance and is looking to be a contender in the Halloween favorites, or at least movies that might be Halloween favorites, years or even decades from now. But this movie is about a soft spoken actress by the name of Laura Franco, who, after her life falls apart, finds her voice again when she meets a terrifying, yet weirdly charming monster living in her closet. And this movie is a romantic comedy horror film about falling in love with your inner rage. So thematically, this movie sounds a little bit like a movie that was released earlier this year, that was also a comedy horror romance by the name of Lisa Frankenstein. And I can't guarantee that your monster is going to be better than Lisa Frankenstein, but it looks promising. The movie is directed and written by Caroline Lindy and stars Meghan Fahey, who's one of those actresses whose name isn't exactly a household name, but she looks very familiar. Melissa Barrera, who was in the last two scream films along with Jenna Ortega, Tommy Dewey, Edmund Donovan, and others. I could go into some of the other actors who are in this film, but there aren't a lot of people that I know. I think Melissa Barrera is one of those actresses who I think is the one that I know the best. But your monster is a film that I will try to see. I'll definitely make the new Venom film and Conclave a larger priority, but this movie, Your Monster, looks fun and certainly looks like a fun Halloween movie to come out right the weekend before Halloween, which is a great time to see a horror film, if not on Halloween night itself. So this is a film that I will try to see, but if I don't see it for you next week, I'll try to make it the week after. And the final film that is subject to being released in theaters on October 25th, is a movie that's called A New Kind of Wilderness, which is a documentary. And it takes place in the Norwegian wilderness where a family seeks a wild free existence, but a tragic turn of events shatters their isolation, compelling them to adapt to the demands of contemporary society. Now, remember, this is not a dramatic film. This is a documentary. So presumably this family is actually experiencing all these things in, well, not real time because it's prerecorded, but as this movie is being filmed. So the writer and director of this film is Siljay Evansmo Jacobson, a filmmaker I've never heard of, but the subject of this film makes it one of many contenders for best documentary. And it seems like one of those films that thematically the Academy Awards would eat up, at least in the documentary category, because you have some people who are cut off from modern society, who are living off the fat of the land. The Academy loves that kind of subject. As for me, I don't know if this movie is coming out in a theater near me, I never really know, but it's a film that I'll look out for and try to review for you if I get the chance on a future show. So those are all the movies that are subject being released in theaters for the week of October 21st through 25th, 2024, and there was a Netflix film that I really wanted to see for you for this show, but I'm gonna hold off on seeing it until next week. And the movie that I'm talking about is Woman of the Hour, which not only stars Anakendrick, but was also directed by Anakendrick, and it looks to be a promising film. And I'll see anything Anakendrick is in, except maybe the Twilight films, 'cause those movies are generally crap. I mean, it made Anakendrick's wallet fatter, but fortunately, Anakendrick, along with Robert Pattinson, and actually very recently, Kristen Stewart, have broken out of the stigma of having been in the Twilight films, but considering how much the residuals and royalties Twilight has gained, they're gonna be set for life unless they completely blow their money. But that's another subject for another time. Woman of the Hour is a film that came out on October 18th on Netflix, and it was one of many Netflix originals that came out that day. And it's a film that I will see, and I'll let you know what I think on next week's show, because I'm gonna have a lot more time to see it later. But in any event, for the week of October 21st through 25th, there are a number of films that are going to be released on Netflix as Netflix originals. One of them is a movie that's called Family Pack, and that will be released on Wednesday, October 23rd, 2024. And that film, it looks to be a foreign film. It is, it's actually, I believe a French film, but I don't, I can't guarantee if it's from France, but it's a movie about werewolves, and when night falls and the players have their eyes closed, werewolves make victims among the villagers. I don't know what the players have their eyes closed means, but that's what the synopsis is giving me here. And the movie has a few well-known actors who are big in France and are marginally, or better known in the United States than other French actors, including Suzanne Clemente and Jean Reynault. Other stars in the movie include Frank Dubasque and Jonathan Lambert's. So this is a film that I might see. Again, it's kind of low on my priority list based on what, when it's going to be released, but I'll let you know what I think on a future show if I do see it. On Friday, October 25th, there are three films that are going to be premiering. The first one, which is a Netflix original, is a movie that's called Don't Move. And it's one of those pithy titles that might suggest that it is a foreign film, but it actually isn't. The stars of the film are Finn Windtrock from Stranger Things and also Kelsey Asbill. I hope I pronounced her last name right. But this movie follows a season killer as he injects a grieving woman with a paralytic agent. Oh boy. She must run, fight and hide before her body shuts down. And if this is a season killer, why didn't the killer just kill the woman? Well, I don't exactly know. I think he probably takes delight in torturing his victims as some killers tend to do. I'm not condoning that action at all. What kind of man would I be if I did condone that action, but it does sound like something that is particularly thrilling. And also sounds like one of the subplots to the 2000 film What Lies Beneath. But a lot of people have largely forgotten that film by now, even though it was directed by Robert Zemeckis and starred Harrison Ford and Michelle Pfeiffer. But this movie Don't Move is a film that looks thrilling. And it's a movie that I might see and I may review it for you on a future show. But of course, it being a film that's released on streaming as opposed to in theaters, not that there's anything wrong with that, but I put a higher priority on films that are released in theaters nowadays, especially with theaters open post pandemic. Another film that is subject to be released in theaters, excuse me, subject to be released on Netflix, is a film that's called High Jack 93. And I can tell you with a lot of certainty that this is a foreign film. And I can already tell based on the names of the people who are acting in the film, like Denamdi Agobo and Idia Asen, amongst others. I think this is an African film, but I don't know for sure. And I also can't tell you the plot because I don't have that information for you right now. And because of that, I can't tell you whether or not I'm going to see the film. I could probably tell you that it may be one that I'm going to skip, but I'll let you know for sure on next week's show. And I'm telling you also that it's low on my priority list because of the simple fact that it is a film on streaming. But sometimes I make exceptions. But anyway, there is one other film that is going to be released on Netflix on October 25th. And this film is called The Remarkable Life of Ebalen. I-B-E-L-I-N, I guess that's how you pronounce his name. And this is not just a movie, it's a documentary. It's about Matt Steen, a Norwegian gamer who dies of a degenerative muscular disease at the age of 25, oh boy. And his parents mourned what they thought had been a lonely and isolated life when they started receiving messages from online friends around the world. Now this sounds like one of these films that is stranger than fiction. And this also looks like a film that might be a contender for best documentary. It certainly has Oscar-like qualities for films that or for documentaries that Oscars give nods to. But The Remarkable Life of Ebalen is a movie that I might make it a higher priority to see based on its content. But if I do, I'll let you know what I think on a future show. That just about does it for this episode of Words on Film. Words on Film is the spoken word showed dedicated to moving pictures. And I am your host of movie critic Dan Burke, reminding you that the views and opinions expressed on Words on Film about movies or other topics are solely those of your host of movie critic Dan Burke. They not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of any employees or volunteers who are working at WBCA or the station as a whole. Until I watch a whole bunch of brand new movies, this is Dan Burke saying I'll see you at the movies. (upbeat music)