Sony Pictures Releasing)

By: Jesse Striewski

Many years ago back in 2002, I went to the drive-in (yes, there were still some around at that time) with some friends to see the very first Resident Evil film based on the popular video game on the big screen. It was a fun enough night out, but aside from Milla Jovovich running around in that skimpy red outfit, there was not all that much memorable about it, and I lost interest with each and every subsequent sequel and reboot released since.

So when I first heard there was to be a second reboot this year, I was less than ecstatic about it to say the least, as I’m sure many others were. Yet knowing the man behind last year’s Weapons, Zach Cregger, was set to write and direct this time around gave me some hope that it might finally be done right this time, and that instinct was proven right in the theater this past Friday night.

The film wastes no time, instantly jolting viewers into the fast-paced world of courier Bryan (Austin Abrams, also from Weapons) who agrees to take a last-minute, time sensitive package from one hospital to another at the end of his shift on a dark, snow-filled night up the mountains.

Things quickly go haywire once he encounters (and runs into) a strange, already injured woman on the road that eventually attacks him and a police officer. From that point on, its sheer chaos, following Bryan’s footsteps, running from “monsters” and seeking help from one destination to the next.

There’s some brief supporting roles from Zach Cherry, Paul Walter Hauser, and Kali Reis, but Abrams honestly holds the film on his own. There’s also enough tension and jump scares to keep viewers on the edge of their sets, and many of the special effects are reminiscent of such creature features of yesteryear as John Carpenter’s The Thing from 1982. (And thankfully, things never get too dumbed-down that it gets turned into a straight comedy movie, as is so often the case these days.)

Make no mistake about it, this is the type of horror film experience most audiences hope to have (and by all means should have) when going to the theater. It’s a definite breath of fresh air that indeed helped rid the nasty taste still leftover from the last horror film I recently endured (Evil Dead Burn), and every bit worth the price of admission.

Rating: 4/5 Stars

Film Review: Evil Dead Burn (New Line Cinema/Screen Gems/Ghost House Pictures/Warner Bros. Pictures/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: Weapons (New Line Cinema/Subconscious/Vertigo Entertainment/BoulderLight Pictures)

By: Jesse Striewski

Despite some slight interest at first glance, I was initially hesitant to see Weapons thanks to so many modern horror films bordering on the absurd (2024’s Longlegs and the X series comes to mind) or excessively violent these days. But similar to the likes of say, Sam Raimi’s Drag Me to Hell, Weapons is just unique enough to be an entertaining ride all of its own.

The film centers around the aftermath of a group of young students, all in the same elementary school class, who mysteriously vanish in the middle of the night at the exact same time without any explanation, and intertwines the stories of several individuals connected to the event.

Alex (newcomer Cary Christopher), the only student from the class unaffected by this, ultimately holds the secret via a very distant (and very sinister) aunt named Gladys (played with ease by Amy Madigan) who just came to stay with him and his parents.

The atmosphere is top notch, and high caliber acting from Josh Brolin, Julia Garner, Aiden Ehrenreich, Austin Abrams, and Benedict Wong, all contributes equally to the proceedings. There’s a realistic vibe to it all that makes it all that much more unsettling.

While not without the occasional flaw or two, Weapons still holds just enough interest and creepiness suitable for appropriate Halloween viewing this year; give it a whirl if you have not yet done so.

Rating: 3/5 Stars