Sony Pictures Releasing)

By: Jesse Striewski

I pretty much knew going into it what to expect from the new Evil Dead Burn; another run-of-the-mill gorefest that ups the ante each and every chance it gets. Unfortunately, this sixth entry of the long-standing Sam Raimi series does not provide much more justification for its very own existence other than just another excuse to inflict further carnage.

Right off the bat, we’re introduced to some of the most unlikable characters ever committed to screen, none of which I ever found myself sympathizing much with or caring about. Shortly after unknowingly causing an awakening of deadites at his late grandfather’s secluded lakehouse (who of course had been researching them in great detail before his death), Joseph (Hunter Doohan, one of the few recognizable faces here from Netflix’s Wednesday) and his girlfriend Thya (Luciane Buchanan) witness his brother Will (George Pullar) and wife Alice (Souheila Yacoub) bickering at their co-owned club prior to Will driving off in anger and ultimately crashing in a seemingly drunk driving incident, which of course was actually the work of a deadite (apparently Jessica from 2023’s Evil Dead Rise, played by Greta Van Den Brink – something I had to look up to even figure out.)

Fast forward to Will’s funeral, where Alice is the odd one out among her now-former, extremely miserable in-laws. Somehow no one hears as a morgue attendant is killed off and Will’s father Edgar (Erroll Shand) is attacked/infected by a resurrected Will right after the service, and they all retreat back to the lakehouse with Alice in tow as though it’s all suddenly hunky dory now. Of course all hell breaks loose here, and they each die off/become infected in their own gruesome ways. (I’ll just say the scene with the dog was an all new low point of the series in my book too.)

Every bit of cliche and predictability is thrown at the audience from then on out, with a sharp object conveniently always within arms reach to cause more damage. Aside from a jump scare or two, there’s narrowly a moment of true tension or suspense, all leading to an underwhelming climax that leaves one feeling as though they just wasted two hours of their life. (A fairly depressing experience to be honest). Every frame is filled with negativity, and I realize I may be of the minority among those in the theater with me at the time, but what’s become modern horror is not really my idea of a “good time” anymore.

I guess you could say I’ve become more conservative in my later years. But while I can still appreciate the earlier Bruce Campbell-led Evil Dead films for what they were, nowadays I prefer there to be at least some sort of real substance (Raimi’s 2009 effort Drag Me to Hell and last year’s Weapons each come to mind) behind the mayhem, not just brutal chaos for the sake of it. (Which I guess some people do enjoy.) Even the previous Rise entry felt as though it had some semblance of heart to it. (The brief cameo from Alyssa Sutherland as Ellie at the post credits was a bit of a nice touch, albeit a slightly confusing one.) The true problem with films like this though is there’s zero lasting power anymore. It serves its purpose while its here, then will quickly disappear in the void to be forgotten and not remembered for any sort of artistic value whatsoever – I know I certainly won’t feel a need to revisit this one anytime soon.

Rating: 1.5/5 Stars

Film Review: Masters of the Universe (Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer/Mattel Studios/Escape Artists/Amazon MGM Studios/Sony Pictures Releasing International)

By: Jesse Striewski

By all means, I should’ve known better (and perhaps I did but just didn’t want to believe it) to trust that Hollywood wouldn’t take yet another beloved childhood property and make an absolute mess with it. But of course, that’s what they almost always do, so why expect anything less with the new Masters of the Universe? I was really pulling for it too, and wanted to believe it could be done right this time.

It actually starts off promising enough; we’re introduced to the young Prince Adam of Eternos (a.k.a. He-Man, played by Artie Wilkinson-Hunt before Nicholas Galitzine takes over as the young adult version), struggling to earn respect from both his father the King Randor (James Purefoy) and peers while training to be a warrior under the guidance of the king’s general Duncan/Man-At-Arms, played by Idris Elba.

Things quickly go south once the evil Skeltor (Jared Leto) and his army attack and take over the Castle Grayskull, overthrowing the kingdom in the process. But with the help of the Sorceress (Morena Baccarin) Adam is able to escape safely to Earth with the Sword of Power.

And that is where the film lost me. From that point on, it went from what seemed like would be a straight epic action-adventure movie, to a painfully executed slapstick comedy that just tries so hard to throw in another cheap joke each and every chance it gets, effectively reducing its characters to walking one-liners rather than the feared warriors that they should have been portrayed as. (Just look at the embarrassing performance from Alison Brie as Evil-Lyn here.)

That’s not to say there are not a few bright spots; Camila Mendes of TV’s Riverdale is always fun to watch whenever on screen. And a cameo from Dolph Lundgren – He-Man from the original 1987 film (which admittedly had its own flaws but still works far better as an actual adventure film than this mess here) is of course warranted. But as much as I kept wanting the film to get back on track (there are moments of hope for it to do so), it just continues to go further off the rails each and every chance it gets, each bad joke and clunky over-the-top fight scene seemingly getting worse than the last.

I was reminded of the cringy feeling I got while watching the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles film from Michael Bay in 2014. It doesn’t care about or respect its audience in the slightest, but rather expects you to put up with any unnecessary nonsense it throws at you, all for the sake of those who are either completely new to the material, or have too short of attention spans to watch anything with actual substance. (I would’ve much rather seen something more akin to the recent animated Netflix series Revelation, which was much more faithful to the source material.) This is the perfect example of Hollywood getting it wrong again; judging by its box office intake so far, maybe they’ll actually listen to its core audience for once.

Rating: 2/5 Stars

Film Review: Spinal Tap II: The End Continues (Sony Pictures Releasing/Stage 6 Films/Bleecker Street)

By: Jesse Striewski

Typically when asked what my “favorite movie of all time” is, I struggle to give a definitive answer. But in the field of comedy films, for decades now my mind has almost instantly always gone to 1984’s This Is Spinal Tap, the rock mockumentary featuring the fictional band of the same name. So as soon as I heard the news about Spinal Tap II: The End Continues, I knew I would be there on opening night (or more accurately, an early IMAX screening of it on September 10).

The film itself follows the core of Spinal Tap, Nigel Tufnel (Christopher Guest), David St. Hubbins (Michael Mckean), and Derek Smalls (Harry Shearer) reuniting after a fifteen year gap for a comeback concert in New Orleans, all while being filmed again by Director Marty Di Bergi (Rob Reiner).

Inner band turmoil and the search for that ever elusive drummer all ensue, and there’s appearances by the likes of Paul McCartney and Elton John (among others). But the jokes unfortunately don’t always go to “11” this time around, despite how hard they may try to (although the pay off in the end is rather satisfying).

Flyer for the previously-mentioned early showing of Spinal Tap II the author attended on 9-10-25, although the Q&A advertised here was nowhere to be found, only a brief introduction from Director Rob Reiner prior to the film was present.

Can I recommend Spinal Tap II? Of course. But if you’re not as big of a fan of the first film as myself, you might find yourself lacking interest in the proceedings here. But still, we live in a world where Spinal Tap (the band) are still around to give us at the very least one more round; that alone can’t be all that bad.

Rating: 3/5 Stars

Film Review: 28 Years Later (Sony Pictures Releasing)

By: Shawn McKee

In the movie business, timing is everything. 28 Days Later (2002) delivered escapist entertainment not too far removed from the tension, anxieties, and darkness of a post-9/11 world.

The gritty, realistic, and highly influential post-apocalyptic horror film resonated with audiences to great success.It reinvigorated both the dormant horror genre and zombie sub-genre, paving the way for The Walking Dead series and countless zombie films since. Of course, the Rage Virus “infected” were not zombies, but the George A. Romero influences were clear.

28 Days Later was the result of director Danny Boyle and writer Alex Garland, two brilliantly creative minds at the top of their game. Boyle, the Oscar-winning director of Slumdog Millionaire (2008), honed his distinct visual style through a diverse body of work that includes Trainspotting (1996), The Beach (2000), Sunshine (2007), and 127 Hours (2010).

Alex Garland went on to write and direct 2014’s Ex Machina, easily one of the best science fiction films in recent times. 28 Days Later also launched Cillian Murphy into the mainstream long before his best Actor Oscar win for Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer (2023).

The film brought together all the right elements and delivered an intense, unnerving experience that was ultimately powerful and emotionally resonant, thanks to its compelling story and characters. More importantly, it felt fresh and original.

Shot on digital video, the grainy aesthetic added to its realism. Its visual flair was accompanied by a foreboding and atmospheric instrumental rock soundtrack expertly synchronized to each scene with the kinetic energy of a music video. As part of its target audience roughly twenty-three years ago, I can attest to the effect the movie had.

Boyle and Garland have since re-teamed to deliver 28 Years Later (2025), the first of three films continuing the franchise. Hearing the news, I was genuinely excited—more than I had been for any theatrical release in quite some time.

How does the latest installment measure up?For starters, it’s a definite improvement over the sequel, 28 Weeks Later (2007). The film delivers its share of striking moments—intense chase sequences, impressive cinematography, superb special effects, and bursts of heart-pounding horror.

Like the original, it pulls no punches. Yet, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off. At best, it’s a mixed bag.

The story centers around a survivor community living on a quarantined island 28 years after the initial outbreak.The Rage Virus has supposedly been eradicated throughout most of continental Europe save for the British Isles.

12-year-old Spike (Alfie Williams) lives with his scavenger father Jamie (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) and bed-ridden mother Isla (Jodie Comer), who struggles with an unknown disease. Jamie routinely travels beyond the fortified walls of their coastal community to forage for food and supplies. Infected roam the hillside and surrounding forest, deterred by the rising tide that leads to the camp.

Jamie brings his son to the mainland, exposing him to the dangers that exist. Both father and son carry bows and arrows (their community has no technology or modern weaponry). Jamie presses his son to take a shot at some of the infected, thus teaching him how to survive. Spike is hesitant at first but soon makes his first kill.

While it’s interesting to see things from the perspective of a child born into this world, things gradually falter to a sense of underwhelming disappointment.

The film introduces infected variants, including bloated worm-eating crawlers and a mutated breed of stronger, more intelligent infected. There are even pregnant infected who can give birth to perfectly healthy babies for some reason.

As his mother’s condition worsens, Spike takes her beyond the camp in search of a reclusive and mysterious doctor who resides somewhere on the island. Mother and son have several close calls along the way and even encounter a group of shipwrecked soldiers who, despite being heavily armed, are no match for the infected.

They eventually encounter Dr. Ian Kelson (Ralph Fiennes), whose painted body and rambling demeanor suggest he’s gone mad. He carries tranquilizer darts, has access to modern medicine, and lives among towering temples of human skulls. It’s one of the most impressive set pieces of the movie, enough to be featured on the poster. Naturally, Fiennes gives an excellent performance, and his brief presence is a highlight.

Spike’s journey unfolds through a series of close calls, as his resistance to the surrounding dangers steadily intensifies. The movie then abruptly ends with little to no resolution. I witnessed baffled groans from the audience, some angrily bolting for the doors.

Only later did I discover that 28 Years Later was shot back-to-back with another installment, The Bone Temple, to be released next year. It makes sense, but after all this time, I expected more world-building and an artful, emotional journey through unknown horrors.

Despite the talent involved and opportunities to take the story in any direction, the movie played out more like an extended Walking Dead spin off than anything else. Strange editing, confusing pacing, forced sentimentality, and a shockingly bad soundtrack all contribute to a step down from the original.

28 Years Later is not a total failure, but it is a strangely lackluster way to introduce a new trilogy. Opinions are divided, however, with rave reviews and many calling it a masterpiece. I hope the future movies will be better, that is, if I’m willing to take another chance.

Rating: 2.5/5 Stars

Film Review: Karate Kid: Legends (Sony Pictures Releasing)

By: Jesse Striewski

It says a lot about a franchise that stayed dormant as long as The Karate Kid to still be able to make a comeback as successful as it has, first with the revival series Cobra Kai, and now with this latest big screen addition, Karate Kid: Legends. I actually went back and re-watched some of the older films in preparation, and it is worlds above several of them (most notably 1994’s The Next Karate Kid).

The film starts out in typical fish-out-of-water fashion when young Li Fong (Ben Wang) is suddenly removed from Beijing and the kung fu training by his master/great-uncle, Mr. Han (Jackie Chan) after his mother (Ming-Na Wen) relocates them to New York City.

Things start off innocently enough for Li, who quickly befriends a local fellow new classmate, Mia (Sadie Stanley) after meeting in the pizza shop her father and former boxer Victor (Joshua Jackson) runs. Unfortunately for Li (now jokingly dubbed “Stuffed Crust”), Mia has a hot-headed ex-boyfriend and martial artist (Aramis Knight) with a chip on his shoulder, and the usual bullying ensues, ultimately leading to a showdown between the two at an annual tournament called The Five Boroughs.

Eventually not only does Mr. Han reemerge to train Li, he manages to recruit the former protege of his old friend Mr. Miyagi (the late Pat Morita, who also appears in archival footage), Daniel (Ralph Macchio in his first appearance on the big screen as the character since 1989’s The Karate Kid Part III).

There’s a definite modernized feel to this entry, similar to more recent Spider-Man or Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles films. But this one has something that so few of the Karate Kid sequels were truly able to capture…heart. There’s even a brief appearance of William Zabka as Johnny Lawrence that’s nothing short of brilliant (and hilarious).

For all the doubt or uncertainty going in to such long overdue sequels or remakes/reboots (or in this case I suppose, crossovers), Karate Kid: Legends helps restore faith in just how decent filmmaking can still be achieved these days.

Rating: 3.5/5 Stars