Series Review: Stranger Things Season 5 (Netflix)

By: Jesse Striewski

Few shows in recent memory have come along and reached the pop culture phenomenon status the way Stranger Things has (The Walking Dead comes to mind in comparison, although that turned out to be a case of not knowing when to quit while you’re still ahead for sure).

When Stranger Things first dropped on Netflix in 2016, it felt like this nostalgic little secret that the wife and I (and eventually our son) stumbled upon that was of course a fun ride, though none of us could’ve possibly ever predicated then just how huge this show created by The Duffer Brothers would become.

Fast foreword to season five, where audiences have by now seen the beloved group of friends enter the upside down and fight evil in more ways than one by now. I honestly had some doubts at the onset of the season, where many of our heroes are now looking far too old to pass as believable high school students still getting bullied the way Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo) is in the first episode.

But as things progress, the season gets steadily better. This time around, the entire town of Hawkins is under military control after the events of the fourth season, with the entire gang keeping a steady eye on both them, and the upside down while Hopper (David Harbour) prepares Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) for her ensuing final battle. Meanwhile, there’s another “bad guy” in the form of Dr. Kay (played by an over-the-top Linda Hamilton) trying to to catch El in the middle of it all.

There’s one subplot after another, as the evil Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower), disguising himself now as “Mr. Whatsit” to a select few of the town’s children, imprisons a group of kids lead by Holly Wheeler (Nell Fisher) – Mike (Finn Wolfhard) and Nancy’s (Natalia Dyer) younger sister – who at one point finds herself in the same world as the still-comatose Max (Sadie Sink), who shows her the way to navigate through this new world.

This all leads to one final, huge confrontation with Vecna (who we also learn some more backstory on along the way), which I’ll stop at here before giving away any potential spoilers. (Though be advised, there are certainly a few tearjerker moments.)

Aside from all those previously mentioned, many other familiar faces return here, including (among others) Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin), Steve (Joe Keery), Jonathan (Charlie Heaton), Robin (Maya Hawke), and of course Winona Ryder returns as Joyce once again, though her character feels a bit pushed to the wayside here. And of course the “coming out” of Will (Noah Schnapp) has been much-talked about, which is fine and all because it feels like a natural progression for the character, but the moment itself just feels a bit forced and awkwardly placed. Newcomer Jake Connelly also adds some much-needed comic relief as Derek.

It’s bittersweet to watch the series come to its inevitable end after all that it’s meant to so many over the years (my aforementioned kid once went as Dustin for Halloween one year at the top of its hype, and I cannot count the number of collectible items that have since been accumulated in our household). Watching the finale on the big screen with the family among a packed theater felt like the only way to say goodbye to this show that has meant so much to so many, truly felt like the only way to do so.

The show that once filled countless minds with so much wonder and had us all united in longing for a bygone era known as the 1980’s, is now a part of the history books itself. And what a ride it has been.

Rating: 4.5/5 Stars

Film Review: Silent Night, Deadly Night (Wonderwheel Entertainment/New Dimension/Rebel 6 Films/White Bear Films/StudioCanal)

By: Jesse Striewski

I was really hoping for yet another diamond in the rough horror film in the same vain of this year’s Black Phone 2. Unfortunately with this latest update to 1984’s Silent Night, Deadly Night, there’s more “rough” than anything else here.

First the pros; the visuals and atmosphere are fairly spot on, and even some of the eerie music from the original film (see, “Santa’s Watching”) is used, which brings a nice touch to the proceedings. And Rohan Campbell is actually pretty convincing as the disturbed drifter Billy, as is Ruby Modine as his love interest, Pam (for the most part, anyway).

Now the cons; it’s an-over-the top gorefest where any chance at actual art is pushed aside to make way for another stab at shock value. We’re expected to accept an unrealistic and exaggerated reality where anyone religious/bearing a cross is seemingly inherently evil in a fairly insulting manner. Even the gimmick of Billy hearing and responding to an inner voice named Charlie (voiced by Mark Acheson) quickly becomes fairly tiresome here.

Sure, the original film was far from perfect (I won’t even get into the various levels of its sequels right now, either) and you won’t ever hear me claim otherwise. But where part of Billy’s traumas were the result from the abuse he encountered from the head nun at the orphanage he was raised in, there was also the contrast from the younger, decent nun who wanted to actually help Billy and see him thrive in life. Here there’s nothing like that, just another dumbed-down excuse for excess violence.

What starts with a decent concept, quickly gets muddled by excess violence and a predictable ending. The potential was there, but the execution is simply not as clever as the filmmakers had hoped it would be here.

Rating: 2/5 Stars

Album Review: Stryper – The Greatest Gift Of All (Frontiers Music s.r.l.)

By: Jesse Striewski

With Christmas just days away, it felt like as good of a time as ever to finally sit down and give the all-new Stryper album dedicated to the season, which came out roughly one month ago now, a fair try.

The Greatest Gift of All gives longtime fans of The Yellow and Black Attack what they’ve always wanted; a full album of traditional and original Christmas numbers with a rocking edge at a time when the world can surely use them.

While I’ve never been too big of a “Little Drummer Boy” fan, tracks like “Go Tell It On The Mountain” and “Joy to the World” still hold up well, and the likes of “Still The Light” and “On This Holy Night” are hard not to like here.

Admittedly I may not be the prime example of a practicing Christian by any means, but I’m trying to do better in my older years now. And with all the evil lurking out there in the world these days, it’s not such a bad thing to get a little holy now and then.

Rating: 3/5 Stars

Film Review: A Merry Little Ex-Mas (Heartbreak Films/Netflix)

By: Jesse Striewski

I had initially planned on watching a very different kind of Christmas movie (the new Silent Night Deadly Night remake, to be specific) before I settled on watching a newer Netflix romantic family comedy (of course with my own family) the other night titled A Merry Little Ex-Mas, starring Alicia Silverstone and Oliver Hudson.

The plot is nothing all that original; recently divorced (or “uncoupled” as they prefer to call it) husband and wife Everett and Kate (Hudson and Silverstone) conflict as they try to co-parent their two adult children (and one child’s quirky Harry Potter-obsessed boyfriend, played by Timothy Innes) at Christmas with their own new significant others (played by Jameela Jamil and Pierson Fode).

Melissa Joan Hart of Sabrina the Teenage Witch fame and Geoffrey Owens from The Cosby Show also add to the ordeal, and for the most part things stay pretty harmless (albeit predictable) and the proceedings never get too over the top like other similar affairs have in the past (Lindsay Lohan’s Falling For Christmas in 2022 comes to mind). Far from perfect, but worth at least one watch this Christmas season.

Rating: 3/5 Stars

Film Review: Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 (Blumhouse Productions/Universal Pictures)

By: Jesse Striewski

It should come as no surprise to those who saw the first film that Five Night’s at Freddy’s 2 is not a straight forward horror/slasher movie, but there’s just something about creepy old arcades that keeps us coming back to them time and time again.

This time around, we get a little more backstory, and a new villain in the form of The Marionette, another feature of the fallen pizzeria possessed by a young girl named Charlotte (Audrey Lynn Maire) in the early ’80s, coincidentally once a friend of Vanessa’s (Elizabeth Lail) from the first film.

Aside from Lail, Josh Hutcherson, Piper Rubio, and Matthew Lillard all return from the original, with Skeet Ulrich and Wayne Knight adding some intrigue and/or fun to the proceedings. It’s much more fast-paced and straight-to-the-point, and much like the recent Black Phone 2, a step above its predecessor.

Look, I didn’t go into Street Fighter, the PG-13 video-game based film aimed at preteens back in the day, expecting to see Bloodsport, and no one should go into FNAF2 expecting the equivalent of a gore fest, either. It’s just scary enough for the smaller kids, while also keeping it safe enough for the whole family to enjoy, and aside from its abrupt ending, is an overall solid film.

Rating: 3/5

Book Review: Last Rites By Ozzy Osbourne with Chris Ayres (Grand Central Publishing)

By: Jesse Striewski

When heavy metal icon and all-around music legend Ozzy Osbourne left this world this past summer just days after performing his final concert ever, both as a solo artist and with Black Sabbath, it sent unprecedented shockwaves across the universe like few before him. So to have at least one more thing to be able to connect with him in some way, in this case in the form of his final memoir Last Rites (put together with author Chris Ayers), it almost goes without saying how welcomed it is.

Of course when Osbourne’s first memoir I Am Ozzy initially dropped back in 2009, I was all over that, too, though I actually found it to be a bit on the forced side, as if the powers that be were nudging him behind the scenes to be over the top to coincide along with his popular TV persona. Last Rites still doesn’t hold anything back either, but is presented with a much more open and honest voice than the former was.

Granted some stories from the older book are glossed over here again, but for the most part Osbourne doesn’t dwell on what’s already been said in the past, and instead paints a picture of many of the more recent moments untouched on up until his passing. There’s no real chronological order to things here as subjects are more or less bounced around like thoughts spoken aloud, but there’s deep insight given in many areas of his life, including many of the health issues he endured towards the end.

Indeed, it feels as though Osbourne was ripped away from us all far too soon. But one thing that will surely never die is his legacy, which Last Rites only helps to solidify here.

Rating: 4.5/5 Stars

Film Review: The Conjuring: Last Rites (Warner Bros. Pictures)

By: Jesse Striewski

The fourth (and tentatively final) chapter of The Conjuring series (not including spin-offs taking place within the same universe) finds Loraine and Ed Warren (once again played by Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson) assisting a Pennsylvanian family named the Smurls battle the unwanted demons invading their home circa 1986.

Turns out this specific demon came from the very same mirror The Warrens had also dealt with right around the time their now-adult daughter Judy (Mia Tomlinson) was born roughly two decades prior, and so the whole family (including Judy’s new fiance Tony, played by Ben Hardy) packs up their gear to go help out the Smurls.

I haven’t gone to see any of the films in this series since the original came out back in 2013, and the most of the aforementioned spin-offs have all been pretty hit or miss since then, though the two prior direct sequels that followed the first film were fairly solid, and this one is no exception. Far from perfect, but entertaining enough if you allow it to be.

Rating: 3/5 Stars

Film Review: Black Phone 2 (Blumhouse Productions/Crooked Highway/Universal Pictures)

By: Jesse Striewski

I’ve been very vocal as of late on the decline of modern horror films these days, but every once in awhile there’s a needle in a haystack that sticks out among the ever-growing lists of latest of low brow imitators (the likes of this year’s Clown in a Cornfield reached new lows of stupidity for sure).

2021’s The Black Phone was one such exception that gave us “The Grabber,” a serial child killer in the late ’70s menacingly played by Ethan Hawke, who is outsmarted by his final would-be victim, Finney (Mason Thames) who communicates with The Grabber’s past victims’ spirits via a telephone in the basement he is confined in (sounds a bit far-fetched on paper, I know).

Four years later in 1982, Finney’s kid sister Gwen (Madeline McGraw) is now experiencing visions and receiving messages from the grave, which eventually leads to the two of them, along with Finney’s friend Ernesto (the brother of one of the first film’s victims, played by Miguel Mora) heading to the nearby Alpine Lake Camp where Gwen and Finney’s late mother Hope (Anna Lore) worked once upon a time, to investigate these strange occurrences from beyond further.

Turns out that not only did their mom work there in the late ’50s, but so did The Grabber, who just so happened to also claim his first few victims there, and slowly but surely the trio begin putting the mysterious connections together along with the help of the camp’s current staff, lead by supervisor Armando (Demian Bichir), and realize The Grabber is very much there to enact his revenge on them.

Using similar techniques of isolation found in early ’80s horror classics such as 1980’s The Shining and 1982’s The Thing while combining it with the slasher surrealism of 1984’s A Nightmare on Elm Street (The Grabber is far more deserving now to be put alongside the likes of horror icon Freddy Kruger than say the modern Pennywise from It, at least in my book), the film instantly sets the tone with its eerie atmosphere and never quite lets up.

Aside from the occasional cringe-worthy dialogue and one or two cookie cutter characters, Black Phone 2 is indeed one of those few exceptions where the sequel truly outshines the original, and gives me a silver of hope in the horror movie world; I look forward to seeing where the series goes from here.

Rating: 4/5 Stars

The Romantics, John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band, and Minikiss at the Ocoee Music Fest on 11/14/25 By Jesse Striewski/Photos By Brooke Striewski

Way back in 2012 (and a few years before Rewind It Magazine), I took a chance to check out an ’80s show in Orlando with The Romantics, John Waite, and Modern English all on the same bill, and ended up having a blast that night. Fast forward a good decade plus, I heard The Romantics were coming back for another WMMO-sponsored event, this time at the Ocoee Music Fest with John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band, and the one and only Minikiss also on board, which more or less sealed the deal for me (and the wife and kid this time around, too).

Upon arrival this past Friday, November 14, Minikiss were already well into doing their thing (local musician Bre Hopkins had also played prior to them, though we were obviously unable to catch any of her set), and “Shout It Out Loud” could clearly be heard while walking over from the nearby parking lot, followed swiftly by the early-’80s Kiss classic “Lick it Up.” The band then went into “The Star Spangled Banner” in honor of Veteran’s Day, then teased the epic “Black Diamond” (one of my personal favorites) before seguing into the Black Sabbath classic “War Pigs” (and dedicating it to late frontman Ozzy Osbourne), and ultimately returning back to the 1974 classic they had previously started.

It was around the time of said track’s solo that I got a little teary-eyed thinking of Ace Frehley’s recent passing, and the fact he would never be around to play it himself again. It was also around this time that I noticed how few fellow KISS Army members were actually side-by-side with me that night, as so many (though not all) remained unmoved until the big “hits” started coming out.

Minikiss shouting it out loud at the Ocoee Music Fest in Ocoee, FL on Friday, November 14 (Photo by Brooke Striewski).

And the hits did come, with “I Was Made For Loving You,” “Love Gun,” and the timeless anthem “Rock n’ Roll All Nite” closing things out on a high note. As an avid Kiss fan who was able to see the band while still active (ironically also in 2012, the same year that I had caught The Romantics), as well as Frehley solo, I can say with all honesty that Minikiss are as close to the real thing one might get to seeing the band live these days (had I closed my eyes long enough, I might’ve actually believed it was them), and I think Kevin James’ Paul Blart just might agree (the band had cameo-ed in the 2015 sequel Mall Cop 2, for those unaware).

Next up was John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band. Not exactly an act I can say I’m a fan of per se, though their music has been here and there throughout my lifetime thanks to having songs included in such films as 1983’s Eddie and the Cruisers (and its 1989 sequel), and 1985’s Rocky IV.

The ensemble came out with I believe “Tough All Over” before getting right down to business with their massive 1983 hit, “On the Dark Side.” “Hearts on Fire,” “Blue Moonlight Drive,” and “C-I-T-Y” all kept the momentum going, likely winning over a new fan or two along the way (yours truly included).

John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band giving the crowd what they came for at the Ocoee Music Fest in Ocoee, FL on Friday, November 14 (Photo by Brooke Striewski).

And last but not least, The Romantics took the stage right around 9:15pm. The lineup had changed considerably since that last time I had caught them live in Orlando, most notably via original guitarist Mike Skill and bassist Rich Cole, whose simultaneous exits in 2022 left frontman Wally Palmer the sole original member now. However, the return of guitarist Coz Canler, who originally joined the band way back in 1981 but left in 2011, added some interest nonetheless.

That being said, the band’s sound has not missed a single beat, despite the changes. Opening strong with “Rock You Up,” the band followed it up with “In the Night Time,” “When I Look In Your Eyes,” “Gimme One More Chance,” and “Got Me Where You Want Me,” sung by current bassist Bruce Witken.

“One in a Million” has always been a personal favorite of mine, though sounded a bit on the weaker side this time around. “A Night Like This,” “Boom Boom Boom,” and “Bop” were each admirable efforts before the band pulled out the big guns with 1981’s “Talking in Your Sleep.”

The Romantics giving their everything to all those in attendance at the Ocoee Music Fest in Ocoee, FL this past Friday, November 14 (Photo by Brooke Striewski).

What could’ve been the perfect one-two punch ending was prolonged with a bit of overindulgence as the band continued with “Stone Pony” and “Little White Lies” before finally giving the crowd their first massive hit they had all came for, 1979’s “What I Like About You.” While it might not have been an entirely flawless affair from start to finish, it was no doubt a night filled with classic rock hits from the ’70s and ’80s, an era of great music worth holding onto for as long as possible indeed.

Album Review: Testament – Para Bellum (Nuclear Blast)

By: Jesse Striewski

I didn’t expect a new Testament album on my list for “Best of 2025,” but Para Bellum – the band’s first release with new drummer Chris Dovas – is easily within the top five.

From start to finish, Para Bellum is a relentless assault on the senses that never lets up. “For the Love of Pain” introduces the world to the band’s said latest member appropriately, while “Infanticide A.I.,” “Shadow People,” and “Witch Hunt” all keep the momentum going.

But there’s a couple stand outs here that need to be mentioned; “Havana Syndrome” is pure metal greatness, while “Meant to Be” is epic in all of its seven-plus minute glory. Metal fans rejoice, Testament are keeping the flames lit here indeed.

Rating: 4/5 Stars