Hey Everyone, Slick Dungeon here. 2024 had plenty of challenges for most of us, a lot of them not the fun kind. So I decided to bring back my book, movie, and TTRPG challenges. This year I invite you to challenge yourself!
For the next three days come back here to find out what the challenges are and download a copy for yourself.
When I started this blog I used to do a book, movie, and TTRPG challenge every year. That got to be a lot so I took a break but I’m bringing them back. When they are all out you can download not one, not two, but three absolutely free challenge checklists. Whether you love movies, books, tabletop role playing games, or all three, there is something for you.
Each list has 12 challenges. One per month should be doable but if you are an overachiever, feel free to knock these out in 12 days or less. If you do take up any of these challenges let me know how it went. And if you happen to post it on your social media, feel free to tag me so I can follow your progress.
Challenge yourself! The Rules
There are three separate challenges, one for books, one for movies and one for tabletop role playing games. I’ll tell you about each one and give suggestions for how I plan to meet the challenge.
Once I finish a challenge I will check it off and then post about it. This challenge is for you so feel free to post about it or just enjoy it on your own. If you do post somewhere, let’s compare notes!
These can be done in any order. I’m not judging you and there’s no grade here.
If you want to double dip on any of these feel free. I’m not going to do that but it’s your life, do what you want.
This is not a rule but these will be downloadable PDF’s so feel free to download and print them or pass them on to friends, relatives, neighbors, or office mates looking for something to do! Share, share, share!
How can I get these?
Just come back here tomorrow and you’ll see the movie challenge. The next day grab your book challenge. And on 1/5 get your TTRPG challenge. That’s it!
I hope you enjoy the challenges I made. Don’t forget to let me know if you plan to play along and how it goes if you do.
Challengingly yours,
Slick Dungeon
PS. Want to see my challenges from previous years? Check them out here and here.
The film classic Stand by Me stars Wil Wheaton, River Phoenix, Corey Feldman, and Jerry O’Connell
Hello horror fans! It’s me Slick Dungeon and I’m back with something a little different. While Stephen King is known for terrifying the living daylights out of us, he transcends beyond horror with flashes of absolute genius relatable to anyone. After watching so many fear inducing film adaptations of his, I thought I would take a breather and watch this time honored classic about four boys coming of age. It’s a brilliant film, still moving to this day, and it’s written by the same guy who made us all afraid of killer clowns in the sewers. I am, of course, talking about Stephen King’s Stand by Me. There will be spoilers below so if you haven’t seen the film, grab your three best friends, gather around the television, watch the movie and come on back here to read the review.
Stand by Me Background
Stand by Me is based on the Stephen King novella, The Body. The story is a precursor to some of the other genius writing we see in King’s work such as The Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile. While the story does involve four friends, on their last weekend before middle school, trying to find a dead body, this is not a genuine horror story. Instead, it’s a coming of age story about confronting fears, understanding the world we live in, and most of all, friendship.
The film is directed by Rob Reiner and has a top tier cast. It stars Wil Wheaton, River Phoenix, Corey Feldman, and Jerry O’Connell. Plus there are appearances by Keifer Sutherland and John Cusack. The film earned over $52 million at the box office, far exceeding the production cost of $8 million.
But not only was it popular, this film was critically recognized more than any other of King’s work prior to this film. It was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay and for two Golden Globes, one for Reiner as director, and one for best picture.
So what is it about a story about four boys trying to find a dead body that works so well and still stands the test of time? Let’s find out!
Remembering Old Times
The year is 1985. Gordie Lachance finds an article in the newspaper about the stabbing of a man named Chris Chambers. Chris was his childhood best friend. Richard Dreyfus, who plays the adult Gordie narrates us into the past. When Gordie was 12 years old he, Chris and his two other friends, Teddy Duchamp and Vern Tessio went to find a dead body. The dead boy was Ray Brower and he was the same age as these boys.
Gordie says he grew up in the town of Castle Rock, Oregon. If you’re a Stephen King fan, you know the problem with that statement. King’s fictional town of Castle Rock is in Maine, not Oregon. But that doesn’t make the film any worse for it.
In 1959 on Labor Day weekend Vern overhears his big brother talking about finding a body. Vern’s brother doesn’t want to tell the police about it because he and his friends recently stole a car. Vern tells his friends about the body and where to find it and the four of them agree to go out and find Ray’s body, thinking they will become celebrities.
Overcoming Tragedy
Gordie had an older brother named Denny who recently died. Gordie’s father paid attention to Denny but ignored Gordie. But Denny was kind to his younger brother and Gordie misses him. At the same time he struggles with his father’s lack of interest and the town knowing everything about his brother and nothing about him.
The boys set out for a two day walk. But first, Chris takes his father’s pistol in case there are bears. Chris and Gordie run into the local thugs, Ace Merrill and Chris’s older brother “Eyeball.” Ace takes Gordie’s Yankees hat, a gift from his older brother. These older boys are bullies and the villains of the film.
A Long Walk With Friends
The adventure starts and the boys insult each other in good fun along the way. They cut through a junkyard but make a lot of noise. This brings out Milo Pressman, the owner of the junkyard, along with his dog, Chopper. Milo crosses the line and calls Teddy’s father a “loony” which sends Teddy into a rage. The boys hold Teddy back but Milo does more psychological damage by saying Gordie is nothing like his brother.
The hike continues with more joking and insults. Chris tells Gordie to keep writing, even though his father doesn’t approve. None of them thought to bring any food for the trip. When they reach a railroad bridge the four of them have to cross quickly as a train comes. Gordie and Vern barely make it.
The boys do manage to get to a store to get something to eat and as they sit around the campfire, Gordie tells an absolutely disgusting story but it entertains the group.
Friends are There for EAch Other
While I could go into a lot more detail about the film, the main thing that happens is these boys start to grow up. They insult one another constantly but they are also there for each other. They support one another when it counts. Teddy is reassured by his friends when his father is called a “loony”, Gordie gets pep talks from Chris, Chris spills his heart out to Gordie about being perceived as a bad kid, and Vern is accepted for all his foibles.
The next day the boys walk across swamp water and end up with leeches all over them. When Gordie finds one in the most private of places, he faints. The boys consider going back but Gordie is determined to go on. He has a need to see Ray’s body.
The Body
The boys do come across the body of Ray Brower. Gordie loses it. He breaks down crying, asking his friends, and the universe why he had to die. When he says it, it is clear Gordie doesn’t mean Ray. He’s talking about his brother. Gordie still feels the loss and the unfairness of a kind person taken from him too soon. And Gordie asks Chris why his father hates him. Chris tells Gordie it’s just because Gordie’s dad doesn’t really know who he is. At that moment, Gordie realizes he doesn’t want the fame for finding the body.
Ace and his thugs show up to claim the body, wanting to be local heroes themselves. But Gordie pulls out the pistol Chris brought along and makes Ace back off. The thugs leave and the boys cover Ray up with a blanket. They go home and part ways, deciding to leave an anonymous tip.
The whole meaning of the story is summed up in the present day of 1985. Gordie, who is a writer, tells us what became of his friends. And he ends the story he is typing on his computer with, “I never had any friends later on like the ones I had when I was twelve. Jesus, does anyone?”
While the whole movie had lots of events happen, it’s this last line it was really about. Best friends who are twelve years old. And it makes the film a brilliant piece of work.
Stand By Me In Conclusion
Stand by Me is the type of film that appeals to anyone. It’s not a horror film, although there are gross moments and one dead body. It is cast so perfectly I can’t really convey it here. The twelve year old boys show true camaraderie and friendship onscreen and their performances hold up to this day. The directing here is spot on, no mistakes in the film, with the single exception of saying this takes place in Oregon.
If you like films about coming of age like The Outsiders or My Girl, are prepared to cry just a smidge, and want to see a movie that just works, this is one to watch.
The Enduring Legacy of Stand by Me
Over thirty years after this film came out, critics still praise it. Personally, I recently re-watched E.T. and soon after re-watched Stand by Me. I was struck by how both movies are nearly perfect. They are classics that simply endure.
Since this film came out, many other films have tried to emulate it. Some have done well with the same type of coming of age story but others struggle to find their footing. I think the secret of Stand by Me is that the goal of seeing Ray Brower’s body was never the point. It was capturing a moment in time in the lives of these children. Like lightning in a bottle, this film capture the same magic. And for that, it will forever be a classic.
Want More?
Want to see some of my other King reviews? Take a look here!
Jack Nicholson stars alongside Shelley Duvall in The Shining (1980)
Hello horror fans! Slick Dungeon here back to review another Stephen King adaptation. Out of all of the King films, The Shining (1980) might be the most famous. It is without doubt the most scrutinized. It’s a horror film classic made by a master film maker. One critic of the film is Stephen King himself as he hated this adaptation. Yet, it stands as film classic on its own and has an enduring legacy to this day. There will be spoilers in this review so if you have not watched it and that bothers you, check into a massive isolated hotel, ask for the key to room 237, ignore anything undead in the room, watch the movie, and then come on back here to read the review!
The Shining (1980) Background
While the movie is based on the novel, the screenplay was co-written by Stanley Kubrick and novelist Diane Johnson. Stephen King was not a fan of the tone this created. The film stars Jack Nicholson as Jack Torrance, Shelley Duvall as Wendy Torrance, and Danny Lloyd as Danny “Doc” Torrance. Most of the film was shot at EMI Elstree Studios, not on location. This allowed Kubrick to do tons of takes, basically to the point of exhausting the cast and crew. Shelley Duvall in particular had a legendarily horrible time on this film set.
This is considered an all time film classic now but even at the time, not everyone liked it. In fact, the first Razzies in 1981 nominated Kubrick for Worst Director and Duvall for Worst Actress. The latter has been taken back after the treatment of Duvall by Kubrick was made public.
Despite the mixed reviews at the time, this film has done nothing but endure. It’s studied in film schools, there are entire documentaries about a single room in the film, one of the most recognizable images in film is Jack Nicholson’s face peeking through the hole he’s just made in a door with his ax, and even now, this film is flat out scary as hell.
So how did a film with such mixed reactions, and outright hatred by the originator of the story endure for so long? Let’s take a look and find out.
Jack Gets a Job
Stephen King visited a huge hotel and became fascinated with the idea of it being closed and isolated in the winter. And he hit on a pretty damn good idea for a horror story. A haunted hotel. King set out to make a story about falling into a cycle of abuse, addiction, and madness, and pulling your way out of it. Kubrick was more interested in the idea of a psychopath let loose and encouraged by the haunted hotel. For Kubrick’s version, Jack Nicholson is perfectly cast.
The film starts with Jack Torrance interviewing for the position of caretaker at the Overlook hotel during the winter months. For the winter, Jack and his family would have free run of the enormous place. Jack would be expected to fix anything that needed fixing and to keep the hotel in good shape. Jack is excited by the prospect because this will give him a chance to write a novel he’s been working on. For him, so he believes, the isolation is good.
The only problem? One of the previous caretakers killed his wife and twin daughters with an ax. In other words, this job can make some people go mad. Jack isn’t bothered with these ghost stories and he’s accepted for the job.
There’s More to Danny
Back home in Boulder, Colorado, young Danny Torrance has a vision. His “invisible friend” Tony who Danny describes as a little boy who lives in the back of his mouth, doesn’t want to go to the hotel. Tony also knows already that Jack has accepted the job. Danny has a seizure and ends up with the doctor. The audience knows Danny is psychic at this point but Danny doesn’t exactly understand it and Wendy is pretty far from believing it. Jack has no idea about Danny’s abilities and wouldn’t believe it if he saw it right in front of him.
Danny’s mother Wendy tells the doctor a story about Jack being drunk and yanking Danny’s arm hard enough to dislocate it. This is the first hint we get that Jack might hurt his own kid.
Wendy defends Jack, telling the doctor it was ultimately a good thing since Jack hasn’t touched a drop of booze since. The whole seizure incident is chalked up to a bit of a strange episode that could happen to any kid and nothing to be too worried about.
Danny’s Not the only One
The family gets a tour of the hotel on the closing day. There’s a bustle of activity as they are shown around. More than enough food is provided for the winter, there is a fun hedge maze for Danny to play in, and Jack has plenty of room to spread out and write his novel. Wendy is expected to cook all the meals and take care of Danny during these months.
On this tour, the family meets Dick Hallorann, the head chef at the hotel. Hallorann is played by the late, great Scatman Crothers who knocks this role right out of the park. Dick is showing the family around when his voice is heard inside of Danny’s head. Turns out Hallorann has the same talent as Danny. And it’s from Hallorann we get the name of the film and book. He calls this psychic ability The Shining and says some people have it and others don’t. Not only that, some places have it and others don’t. Hallorann basically warns Danny to be careful in this place. And specifically warns him about avoiding room 237.
Things Get Bad
Time passes and strange things start happening. Danny sees twin girls in the hallway. Jack isolates himself to write but mostly seems to be annoyed he isn’t drinking. He gets angry and snaps at Wendy. He starts dreaming about killing his wife and son.
Throughout this time Kubrik lets the tension build. It feels slow at times and I’m not sure any other film maker could have pulled off the pacing we see here. Ultimately, the long, slow shots, of huge empty corridors and endless patterned rugs, create an atmosphere of menace about to strike.
Room 237
In this story, there is no doubt Room 237 is the bad room. It’s likely where Grady, the caretaker who snapped, killed his wife and girls. Twin girls, just like Danny saw. Danny ends up in room 237, just as the hotel wants. He is attacked and comes away with some angry bruises on his neck.
At first, Wendy confronts Jack because that’s the logical conclusion. Jack flies off the handle and really does nothing to dissuade anyone. But he does agree to check out room 237 after Wendy decides it was a crazy woman in the hotel who attacked Danny.
In the room, Jack sees a beautiful woman in the bathtub. And he starts kissing her. For a moment, let’s forget how bad of a husband that makes him. What happens next is horrifying. The beautiful woman turns old and decayed and Jack gets a glimpse of what she really looks like in the mirror.
Jack gets out of the room but when Wendy asks what he found, Jack says he didn’t find anything. And then, this dude has the nerve to say his own kid caused the bruise marks on himself. If you liked Jack at all before this, here is the point where you should realize he is an out and out sociopath.
A Hair of the Dog That Bit me
Jack is an alcoholic. There’s no question about this in either the book or movie. But, he’s even more tempted when he walks into the hotel bar and is served drinks by a man named Lloyd. Maybe Jack thinks this all is a hallucination but I suspect he doesn’t care. He’s got his alcohol and that’s what he wants. He’s only slightly disturbed when a man named Grady talks to him. Jack knows this is the caretaker who killed his family. Yet, with a drink in his hand, Jack is nothing but friendly to these guys.
More and more we see Jack slip into a kind of madness. He’s either obsessively typing, having drinks with ghosts, or yelling at his wife to leave him alone. At one point he does reassure Danny he would never hurt Danny. But it is anything but believable when he says it. I don’t think even Jack truly believes it, he’s just making excuses for his past behavior.
Finally, Jack complains to Lloyd about his wife and kid. And he says he never meant to hurt Danny in Boulder, it was just an accident because of, “physics.” He says Wendy will never let him forget the incident for the rest of his life. Grady tells Jack that Danny has been speaking with Hallorann. Jack doesn’t know this is because Danny thought of the man when he was in room 237. And this sent out a sort of signal to the fellow psychic. Grady tells Jack that Hallorann is on his way to check in on the snowed in family. Grady also tells Jack his wife and child must be, “corrected.” And by corrected, he means cut into pieces with an ax. Yep, two amazing fathers here.
All Work and No Play
Wendy ends up in Jack’s writing room. She takes a peek at the manuscript but all that is there are pages and pages and pages and pages, like seriously a ton of pages that say, “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.” For those of you who are not writers or not old enough to have learned to type anything on a typewriter, this is a warm up sentence used to help you learn to type and one that writers use until an idea comes to mind. But it is especially eerie here because the man writing the words is in fact named Jack and his head space is really not good.
This and a confrontation with Jack makes Wendy paranoid enough to grab a bat. Jack basically threatens to kill Wendy so she knocks him unconscious and locks him in the kitchen pantry.
Now is the chance for Wendy and Danny to make their escape.
RedRum
Wendy goes to grab Danny but Jack has sabotaged the two-way radio they use to communicate with the outside world. The only vehicle that can get the two of them out of there is the snowcat but Jack has sabotaged that as well. In the hotel room, Danny goes into his “Tony” voice and repeats the word redrum over and over. Danny writes the word on the bathroom door in red lipstick. Wendy is confused by this until she sees it in the bathroom mirror. It’s the word murder spelled backwards. And it’s one of the most memorable moments in both the book and film.
We’re Running for Our Lives
Essentially, from here on out the film becomes a chase sequence. Grady unlocks Jack from the pantry. Jack grabs an ax. He chases Wendy and Danny all around the hotel. At one point Dick Hallorann does show up and he’s able to distract Jack momentarily but Jack kills Dick.
Danny escapes his father because he can make it through the hedge maze in the snow. As Wendy runs through the hotel looking for Danny she encounters all of the ghostly phenomena Danny did. Including an elevator that opens to buckets of blood filling the hall.
In the hedge maze, Danny covers some of his footprints in the snow and misleads Jack. Wendy finds Danny and they make it to Hallorann’s snowcat. This time they are in luck and make it out.
As the camera pans out, it’s clear Jack has frozen to death in the maze.
The final shot of the film is Jack in a photograph of the hotel hallway from July 4th, 1921. Jack has joined the Overlook hotel staff. Permanently.
In Conclusion
If you are the right age, and watched this film as a kid, like I did, it made an impression. As a kid I could imagine myself zooming down the hallways of a huge, empty hotel, only to be confronted with malicious visions. It was terrifying.
As far as films go today, the movie still holds up. It has a unique look and feel to it. The directing is amazing, although Kubrick pretty much bordered on abuse to get this made. And Shelley Duvall actually has a great performance here, despite what critics said at the time. The soundtrack is fantastic and the cinematography is unforgettable.
But, whenever he is on screen, the only thing you can look at is Jack Nicholson. There is a reason this is one of his most iconic roles. It’s an intense performance in an already intense film.
While I will always prefer the book to the film, this is one I would re-watch any time.
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Like Stephen King books and movies? Let me know which one is your favorite in the comments below!
Happy October internet people! Slick Dungeon here and it’s my favorite time of year because this gives me an excuse to watch and talk about horror movies. This year I thought I would do a deep dive into some of the most iconic adaptations from the master of horror himself, Stephen King. And if you’re going to review Stephen King adaptations, there’s really only one place to start. Carrie (1976). If you’re reading this there is a good chance you’ve seen the film. But for those of you who have not, there will be major spoilers in this review. If you haven’t watched it and don’t want spoilers, take the time to get away from the high school bullies, caring but misguided teachers, and your overbearing mother to go out and see the film. Then come on back here to read the blood drenched review!
Background for Carrie (1976)
It can’t be overstated how close horror fans were to never seeing this story in print or on film. Stephen King intended to write a short story about a female character. He wrote three pages and tossed them in the garbage. Luckily, his wife Tabitha found the pages in the trash, read them, and convinced Stephen to keep writing the story. This turned into the novel Carrie. If you’re a creator of any kind, I hope you have a Tabitha in your life because losing something like Carrie to the trash bin would be a shame.
With the pages rescued, the novel was a smash hit. Brian De Palma read the book and convinced the movie studio to let him direct the film. Sissy Spacek stars as the titular character. We owe that performance to her husband convincing her she should audition.
While the novel was well received, the film was an absolute juggernaut. The movie had a budget of $1.8 million but earned a whopping $33.8 million. It also garnered an Oscar nomination for Spacek and one for Piper Laurie who plays Carrie’s mother, Margaret.
There are some issues with the film but this is the best adaptation of the book. And it’s a horror classic. The movie makes any top 100 horror film list. I’d say it’s one of the top 10 films you have to watch if you want to understand modern horror cinema.
There are break out performances, utterly iconic scenes, and an antagonist who is impossible to forget. People still consistently cosplay as Carrie at conventions and on Halloween for good reason. So, let’s take a closer look and see why this is such an enduring classic.
What is Carrie (1976) About?
At its core, Carrie is about the struggle to fit in. It’s about growing up while leading a sheltered life. It also touches on themes of bullying, child abuse, religious zealotry, and violence. There are different ways the film can be interpreted but the basic plot is a sheltered girl with telekinetic powers is driven too far by those who are cruel to her.
This leads to major consequences for not only Carrie but everyone around her. By the end it’s an out and out horror story but just who the monster is can be a little less obvious if you’ve only seen the film posters.
A Cruel Start
From the first scene we know Carrie struggles to fit in. She’s a high school girl in gym class playing volleyball. The opposing team decides to direct the ball at Carrie, figuring she won’t hit it back. Carrie’s own teammates warn her not to blow it.
Anyone who is not athletic and has struggled in gym class can relate to what happens next. Carrie cowers from the ball and her team loses the game. The girls head to the showers.
The shower scene is where there are some issue with the film. Girls are getting showered and dressed to head back to their other classes and let’s just say there is more gratuitous nudity than necessary, especially considering these are supposed to be high school aged girls.
However, the scene is key to the film. As Carrie showers, she starts menstruating. For her, this is the first time this has happened. Due to her extremely fundamentalist mother, Carrie does not know what is happening and thinks she’s having a medical emergency.
Carrie begs for help but the girls in the locker room shout at her and throw tampons at her as they shout, “Plug it up!” It’s high school bullying at its most vindictive. Eventually a teach comes in and settles the situation down. But even as she is trying to get control of the situation, the teacher slaps Carrie. Soon a light in the shower bursts. This is the first sign we see of Carrie’s telekinesis.
The Cruelty Continues
After going to the principal, Carrie is allowed to head home for the day after the trauma she just endured. But even in this scene, the principal keeps calling her Cassie Wright instead of Carrie White. And the gym teacher even confides to the principal she was annoyed with Carrie.
It’s obvious school is no picnic for Carrie but her home life is so much worse. On the way home a little kid shouts “Creepy Carrie” at her. Carrie looks in the direction of the kid’s bike and he topples over. This is just a hint of where Carrie might go if pushed far enough.
The first glimpse of Carrie’s mother is when she tries to pass on Christian religious materials to her neighbor. Margaret doesn’t take a gentle hint, or a polite no. She’s offered a donation and takes it. But she doesn’t leave without an aggressive, “I pray you find Jesus.” in her neighbor’s face.
It turns out the daughter of this neighbor is Sue Snell who is the closest thing Carrie has to a friend.
Anything But Mother of the Year
At home, Margaret gets a call from the school. You can see on her face that Carrie is terrified. Carrie asks her mother why she didn’t tell her about what happened to her in school. Margaret, being the worst parent imaginable, slaps her kid and forces her to recite passages from her religious tract condemning intercourse. Carrie continues to protest that she should have been told. But Margaret is convinced Carrie has sinned. She locks Carrie in a tiny closet. Margaret’s treatment of her child is vicious.
All Carrie has to keep her company is a carved statue of a crucified Jesus. The positioning of the statue foreshadows a later scene. But suffice to say the carving is bloody and disturbing. If this is just a glimpse into her home life, we know Carrie is living through hell.
After going to bed, Carrie looks in her mirror and it shatters. This isn’t something Carrie can control. And it gets worse when she’s emotional.
Not Everyone in This Town is Horrible
The next day, Carrie is in English class. The teacher reads a poem written by one of the students, Tommy. The teacher asks for criticisms to which Carrie states, “It’s beautiful.” Then the teacher makes fun of Carrie in front of the whole class. While Tommy may not like Carrie any more than anyone else does, he hates the teacher’s attitude. Under his breath he says, “You suck.” But he covers it up enough to not get in trouble.
The gym teacher gathers the girls who made fun of Carrie and rips right into them. She tells these girls she wants to suspend them and take away their prom tickets. But, the office thinks one week’s detention with the gym teacher is enough. We also learn Sue Snell is going to prom with Tommy Ross, the boy from English class. And side note, Tommy is played by William Katt so he was heroic before becoming The Greatest American Hero.
The girls are warned if they don’t make it to detention, the three day suspension and loss of prom is the consequence. The gym teacher has it out for Chris Hargenson who is the main ringleader in bullying Carrie. The teacher even slaps Chris when she refuses to continue exercising.
This teacher thinks slapping is the answer to deescalating conflict. This is not going to work out well for her. And again, these are high school girls so this teacher should be fired, no question. At least she knows what those girls did to Carrie was inexcusable.
Chris tries to get all the girls to walk out but Sue tells her to shut up. Chris, however, is out of the prom. This will set things in motion for the most iconic scene in the film.
A Kind Act followed by a Cruel One
Sue asks Tommy to take Carrie White to the prom. Sue knows how rough Carrie has it and realizes if Tommy takes Carrie to prom, people at school will ease up. It’s the one truly selfless thing that happens in this film. While Sue was involved in the shower scene, she regrets it. And she sees an opportunity to make up for it. She gives up what most girls her age want to do just to make someone’s life a little better.
The next scene is Chris with her boyfriend Billy Nolan who is played by John Travolta. Billy is drinking and driving and barely eludes a run in with the cops. Billy slaps Chris and they argue. By the end of the scene they’ve made up and Chris tells Billy how much she hates Carrie.
In the school library the next day, Tommy does ask Carrie to the prom. At first, she says no. But then the gym teacher sees Carrie is off in a corner by herself. She asks Carrie what is wrong and she tells the teacher she thinks Tommy is trying to trick her. The teacher gives Carrie a bit of a pep talk and some beauty tips.
The teacher doesn’t miss a beat though as she corners Sue and Tommy to find out if they really are trying to trick Carrie. Tommy goes to Carrie’s house to ask again. She agrees once Tommy says he wants to take her because she liked his poem.
Meanwhile, Chris, Billy and their buddies find a pig and kill it.
MOTHER DEAREST And Terrible STudents
Carrie is at dinner with her mother when she tells her about the prom invitation. Her mother’s response? She tosses coffee on her face and tells Carrie to go to her closet and pray. She shouts in Carrie’s face until Carrie uses her telekinesis to shut the windows and says she is going. Her mother calls her a witch and tells her this power is from Satan.
Meanwhile, Billy, Chris and her friends are rigging some kind of trap at the prom. All we know for sure is that they have killed a pig and there is a bucket involved.
Sue has to justify letting Tommy go to the prom with Carrie to some her friends while Chris is determined to be at the prom, whether she is allowed to or not.
We also get a bit of a scene of everyone getting ready for prom. Carrie even buys a pink dress and lipstick. Tommy gives her a carnation to match.
Carrie’s mother continues to be just the worst as she tells Carrie, “Everyone can see your dirty pillows.” Carrie shoots back they are called breasts and everyone has them. Her mother then tries to convince Carrie that Tommy isn’t coming and says everyone will laugh at Carrie. Carrie uses her telekinesis to force her mother to sit down.
As she is leaving her mother says, “Though shalt not suffer a witch to live.” Seriously, this woman is contemplating murdering her own daughter. Tough to be a worse mother than that.
The Prom
Hoo boy. This is a prom for the ages. it starts normal enough. Kids are dancing, the band is playing, and others are hanging out with friends. Ms. Collins, the gym teacher says hello to Carrie. Tommy asks Carrie to dance but she declines. Eventually, Tommy invites Carrie to a little get together after prom and she does agree to go.
Tommy takes Carrie onto the dance floor and teaches her to slow dance. Up to this point, it is as sweet as can be and it seems like Carrie’s fate is finally about to change. She’s on the edge of acceptance at her high school and inches away from coming out of her shell and joining society. Tommy kisses her on the dance floor in what is undoubtedly her first kiss.
Carrie asks Tommy why she is at the prom with him. Tommy says it’s because she liked his poem, but he also admits he didn’t write it. He tells Carrie he likes being there with her.
I can’t stress enough, Sue and Tommy are being kind to Carrie. That is there motivation here and what happens next is not their fault.
King and Queen
Against all odds, Carrie and Tommy are up for Prom King and Queen. Tommy convinces Carrie they should vote for themselves.
At home, Carries mom is getting even more worked up and chops carrots in what can only be described as a violent manner.
At the prom, Chris tells Billy she’s basically rigged the vote to ensure Carrie and Tommy win. And what happens when someone wins? They are called onstage to be crowned. Right under a bucket full of pig blood.
In a dreamlike sequence Carrie walks up there with Tommy as the crowd cheers her. There is no doubt this would be the best and most memorable moment of her young life. If the film stopped here, this story is nothing but hopeful and uplifting.
But we’re not stopping here. This is a horror flick. As Carrie is standing in her perfect dress with her perfect date on her perfect night, Chris lets go of the rope holding the bucket of blood. Ms. Collins watches as Carrie has her picture taken. Sue sees what is about to happen and tries to rush beneath the stage to save Carrie but she’s just too late to get there in time. Ms. Collins assumes Sue is about to do something bad and rushes at Sue and pulls her back. The blood falls. The dream is over and the nightmare begins.
A literal Bloodbath
As teenagers do, they laugh at Carrie. All her fears are realized. Tommy can be seen mouthing, “What the hell?” in anger. Then the bucket falls on his head and knocks him out.
All of the traumatizing events rush through Carrie’s head as she stands there covered in pig blood and full of anguish. She uses her telekinesis to lock all the doors, turns on the sprinklers and the room turns as red as the blood on Carrie’s dress. With the water everywhere, the electricity to the mic stand electrocutes the band. Carrie sets fire to everything and walks out of the building. It’s not clear how many people at this prom will die but there is no doubt it is a lot.
Walking home, Carrie sees Chris and Billy driving home in their truck. They had managed to escape just in time. But Carrie uses her mind to flip over and explode the car and Chris and Billy are no more.
Goodbye Mother
Drenched in blood, Carrie walks through the door of her own home. There are prayer candles everywhere. And I mean, everywhere in this house. This is anything but normal behavior. Carrie takes a bath to wash the blood off and cry. Her mother is in her nightgown and has Carrie sit down. Carrie asks for her mother to hold her. Instead of being a normal person, this woman says to Carrie, “I shoulda killed myself when he put it in me.” And we here a whole monologue about how sin never dies. And she tells Carrie, “I shoulda given you to God when you were born.” She tells Carrie they are going to pray, “For the last time.”
She stabs Carrie in the back with a knife while they pray. Look, there are a lot of memorable movie villains and many of them have a claim to be the worst. But Carrie’s mother takes the cake in this movie. She is literally the worst. The same is true in the book.
But Carrie defends herself with her telekinesis. Her mother ends up stabbed with multiple knives in the same position as the crucified Jesus from the closet she locks Carrie in.
The House Comes Tumblin’ Down
Carrie is overwhelmed with guilt and brings the whole house down on herself and her dead mother. Thus ends the tragic tale of Carrie White who was unjustly abused and bullied, had the briefest of moments to shine, and had reality crash in on her once again.
Out of everyone at the prom the only one we know who lived is Sue Snell. And she has constant nightmares.
The most iconic image from the film is Carrie covered entirely in blood. But, the second most iconic image is what happens in Sue’s dream. Sue is at Carrie’s grave laying flowers. The dream sequence has the same soundtrack and soft lighting as Carrie’s beautiful moment before the blood falls on her.
At the grave, we see the crucifix is a For Sale sign. Written over it are the words Carrie White Burns in Hell. From the soft soil, out of nowhere, Carrie’s blood covered hand reaches out and grabs Sue. She wakes up screaming and the film ends.
In Conclusion Carrie (1976) endures
There are multiple remakes of this film but Carrie (1976) stands head and shoulders above those. Why? First, the book Carrie, feels like something set in the 1970s because that is when it was written. Since this film was made in the same decade, it will feel the most at home in the time period. Second, while Brian De Palma makes a few mistakes, the directing is just about as perfect as you can get. Lastly, themes of bullying, social acceptance and isolation are all still as relevant today as they were when the film came out.
The movie introduced much of the world to Stephen King. Several themes you see over the years in his books are displayed here. There is the religious fundamentalism, the telekinesis, and a horror story set in an unexpected location. While there were plenty of horror stories before Carrie, it was rare to find one set in modern day in a setting as mundane as a high school. Also, despite Carrie doing some horrific things, she’s not the monster. She’s more complex than that and thus more relatable.
Some say the whole story is a metaphor for adolescence, for trauma, or for breaking away from parents. Others will tell you this is nothing but a horror story plain and simple. I’m not going to make an argument in favor of one or the other, except to say, if this was just a horror story, I do not think it would truly resonate with audiences for as long as it has.
More King to Come!
While this was an instant classic (and now an actual classic) it’s just a hint of what we will see from Stephen King in the future. The man has been terrifying and entertaining us for over five decades. I’m going to review a good amount of his movies this month but there is no way I will get through all of them.
Like Stephen King books and movies? Let me know which one is your favorite in the comments below!
Hello horror fans, Slick Dungeon here! I’m back to review the third film in the X horror series by Ti West. Once again this stars the living legend scream queen Mia Goth. This is her third turn in the series. While you don’t have to watch both of the other films to enjoy this one, it helps if you have at least seen X. If you want to get caught up quickly, check out my posts for X and Pearl. Do be warned there will be spoilers for all three films in this review. If that’s not your thing, pack up your bags, head out to Hollywood, make it as a star, screen the film in your huge living room, and then come on back here to read the review.
MaXXXine – The Chronology
Things are a little confusing with this series because of how they released. X is the first in the series to be released, but chronologically it comes second. Pearl is a prequel to X but it came out after X and before MaXXXine. While you don’t need to watch these in order, it does help to have seen the other two prior to watching MaXXXine.
In X we watched an aspiring actress named Maxine who wanted to be a sex symbol to the world. Unfortunately for her, there was a mass murder and huge debacle when she and her friends went to make their first adult film. This mass murder was committed by an elderly woman named Pearl and her elderly husband.
Pearl takes us back in time to see the origins of this deadly woman. MaXXXine catches us up to 1985 and focuses once again on Maxine.
Hooray for Hollywood
The film follows the story of Maxine Minx as she attempts to transition from adult film star to legitimate movie star. For her to do this, she has to land a part in a horror film. The film in the film is called The Puritan II and sure enough, Maxine is cast for the movie.
But her past is not far behind. There’s a private investigator, played by Kevin Bacon, named John Labat who knows what happened in Texas and has tracked Maxine down.
While this is happening, the Night Stalker killer is roaming free and has been murdering women in Los Angeles. Maxine and all her friends are in danger. Thankfully, Maxine knows how to take care of herself.
And speaking of Hollywood, this film is jam packed with references to other films, has loads of stars, and absolutely perfects the look of a film made in 1985.
We get shots of Maxine looking at and hiding in the Psycho house while on the the movie set. This echoes the call backs to Psycho we saw in X.
Kevin Bacon looks just like Jack Nicholson in Chinatown, bandaged nose and all. And there are even split screen shots recalling the work of Brian De Palma.
If you love film and film history, you’ll spot a call back in this movie for sure.
Satanic Panic
In the background of the movie we see signs of the so called Satanic Panic. This is when parents, the media, and religious groups all had a collective freak out, finding signs of satanism in everything from movies to music to Dungeons & Dragons.
Add to that the real fear people had of being killed by someone like the Night Stalker, things are boiling over in Hollywood at the time.
The actual news footage played in the film adds not only to the look and feel of MaXXXine but it effectively ratchets the tension up to an intense degree.
And, of course, Maxine is in a horror film which is already being accused of being satanic. She’s getting hatred from Hollywood itself, the people outside of it, and keeps turning up connected to dead bodies.
While all of this does get tied together in the end, I found myself having to guess more than once, which thread here was actually coming for Maxine. It’s a film that keeps you guessing, although, in the end the reveal is nothing earth shattering.
MaXXXine the Survivor
In X, Maxine went through some major trauma. She’s no lost and clueless actress here. She’s a full on badass who has learned to detach herself when necessary. And she’s willing to fight anyone who tries to mess with her.
It’s refreshing to see a character in a horror movie who takes no nonsense from anyone. And it’s a little disturbing to see how far Maxine is willing to go to protect herself, damn the consequences.
Maxine is in a tough world be she’s more than up to the challenge.
You’re a F*cking MOvie Star
I can’t finish out this review without mentioning Mia Goth and her unbelievably good performance. In X she plays a somewhat naive woman who’s looking for fame the best way she knows how. In Pearl she played a woman who was willing to fight the world, even though it was against her at every turn. But in MaXXXine, she plays a woman who will not back down, ever, for anyone. And she’s going to get what she wants.
Mia Goth is surrounded by huge stars. Michelle Monaghan and Bobby Cannavale play detectives in the film. Halsey plays Maxine’s friend and fellow adult film star. Giancarlo Esposito plays Maxine’s agent. And as mentioned above, 80’s icon and legendary actor Kevin Bacon plays the private investigator looking for Maxine.
While Kevin Bacon has some of his best acting in this film in years, no matter who is on screen with her, it’s Mia Goth who draws the eye. She puts in an incredible performance here and shows enormous range with these three films.
In Conclusion
If you’re a horror fan, you need to see this film. I know there are other, bigger budget films out to watch this weekend but as far as horror goes, this one knocks it out of the park.
MaXXXine is a fascinating portrayal, an excellent follow up, and the rare third part of a trilogy that may be the best one.
If you don’t like gore, do be cautioned there is a bit of that here but there are absolutely gorier films out there.
While this one has a different feel and quality from the previous two in the series, this strikes just the right tone and is a nearly perfect follow up.
Kevin Costner stars in and directs Horizon: An American Saga
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4.5 out of 5.
Hello out there film fans! It’s Slick Dungeon and I’m back to review yet another movie. This time we’re heading out west to talk about Kevin Costner’s highly ambitious project Horizon: An American Saga Chapter One. There will be some spoilers in this review so if that’s not your thing, head out into the sunset, watch the movie, and come on back here to read up. Got it? Okay good, then saddle up and let’s get riding into the review!
Manifest Destiny
I’ll admit I am not a huge fan of westerns. There’s only a few I really enjoy so I was skeptical about Horizon: An American Saga. Add to that, this is a film with a three hour run time and it’s part one, so I wasn’t sure what I was getting here. Before I go into the details of the movie, I will give a warning that this film is not for everyone.
If you don’t enjoy sweeping epics with a large cast of characters this film is not for you. Absolutely hate westerns? This is also not for you. Need a film to come to a complete conclusion at the end? This movie is not for you. And if you can’t handle a three hour run time, this will not be for you.
But, if you have the patience to sit through three hours, understand you are only seeing the first chapter, and can enjoy a western, this is for you.
As someone who enjoys really long fantasy films like The Lord of the Rings, I had no problem with the run time. Or following along with the cast and plot. I didn’t feel the need for it to complete since there are at least two more films coming.
There are plenty of reasons to see the film, even if you wouldn’t normally do so. This movie is not a sequel, prequel, remake, or even based on an existing property. If we want to encourage Hollywood to make more films that are original, you’d be wise to support this film.
Due to the sweeping cast, it can be hard to keep track of all the characters. There are at least three story threads going on at the same time. And all of those threads have a huge cast of characters. There are only a few main ones you need to focus on, and it’s easy enough to keep track if you don’t get wrapped up in trying to remember all their names.
At its core, the film is about the idea of westward expansion and manifest destiny. Back when there was a ton of wide open spaces in America and there was a fight going on between the Native American population and the pioneers who wanted to settle the land.
the storylines of HOrizon: An American Saga
The film starts quietly with three surveyors in the San Pedro Valley. They lay a foundation for houses or maybe a town. While they do this, they are being watched by two young Apaches. A war party approaches. In the next scene a traveling missionary arrives and looks out at the horizon. He has a flyer with him. At the top of the flyer is one word. Horizon. It promises a new place to settle and be free. The missionary is told he went past the town at the river and he needs to turn back. When he goes back, he finds the bodies of the three surveyors. He decides to bury the bodies and creates makeshift crosses to mark the graves. The missionary goes back across the river and begins his settlment.
This marks the end of the implied violence in the film. For the rest of the movie any time a fight or gunshots break out, we see all of it. This happens four years later as the Apache decimate the settlers who are not expecting an attack. Only a few survive and the rest of the film mostly ties into these people. We also follow a contingent of Union soldiers who are there to keep the peace.
Threads in different locations
We get a second storyline which starts in Montana. Here a woman shoots a man and grabs a baby. The payoff takes a while to arrive but it does set up the main villains of the film. And those villains are memorable. We have the unhinged Caleb Sykes played by Jamie Campbell Bower and the mountain of a man Ben Sykes played by Jon Beavers. Both of these guys give great performances and I wanted more screen time from the two of them.
Our third storyline is a wagon train moving along the Santa Fe trail towards Horizon. This focuses on the leader of the wagon train played by Luke Wilson. It’s a little hard to see him as a cowboy but ultimately he serves the film well.
Costner makes his appearance
If you’re wondering where Kevin Costner is in all this, other than behind the scenes, he does show up. But it’s surprisingly late in the film. He plays the most stereotypical kind of western hero here. He’s gruff but seems to have a good heart. And he’s mostly silent. When he takes action it happens fast and it’s lethal. His story is wrapped up in the Montana storyline but his role in it is not entirely clear. At least not in this film.
I won’t give away where all these storylines go but I will say, I can’t wait to see how exactly they tie together in the next chapters.
Directing and Cinematography
You might expect a film with the name Horizon to have a lot of shots of, well, the horizon. Yep, there’s plenty of that. But I will say the cinematography is more than that. The action sequences and the smooth transitions from storyline to storyline keep the viewer engaged. While this is good directing without question, I can’t say it is the best directing I have ever seen. Costner does a fine job laying out the story and he’s judicious enough not to put too much of himself in front of the camera. But there are times when there seem like there may be missed opportunities.
There are some scenes involving the Apaches which give us a deeper look into what is happening there but Costner could have focused more on them in my opinion. I’m hoping we’ll see more of that in further installments.
There are clearly huge set pieces and there is no question everything here was built for the film. There’s not really any CGI to be found which is refreshing. Things just look better when they are real. And in a western, that’s vital.
Score and Sound
The score is great and the sound does the job well here. I could see the potential for an Oscar nod for either of those. The sound is especially complex in the action scenes. Music here is ever prevalent but never distracting, even when we see empty landscapes. But I won’t go as far as saying the score is as good as anything John Williams might come up with.
Acting
There are some fantastic performances here. I enjoyed Michael Rooker more than I expected to. And Sam Worthington does a fine job in his role. While Kevin Costner does a good job, it still feels like vanity to see him be the hero in his own film. We’ll have to see if that keeps up in the next two films.
There were times I felt it a little hard to buy Luke Wilson. But I got over that after a few scenes of him dealing with the others in the wagon train. To me, the standout performances were with the villains. And with Abbey Lee who plays a town prostitute named Marigold.
I’m not sure there is any Oscar worthy performance here but the acting is good overall. I enjoyed the performances well enough to want more.
The biggest problem with Horizon: An American Saga
The one spot to criticize here is the end. The last three minutes is basically a trailer for the further installments. But it’s not played after the credits. This makes things confusing. There could have been a more definitive ending rather than a lead in to a next installment. A few places would have worked to cut off. If Costner had done that, audiences would want more. That’s only a small gripe though. The film is engaging, entertaining and worth the watch.
In conclusion
This is a great film. Lots of people disagree with me and that’s fine. I wasn’t expecting to like it but I did. I also think there is too much backlash against it. People keep comparing it to a TV miniseries. That’s a fair comparison. But people also love TV miniseries. I don’t have a problem with one being played out on the big screen. It’s an original film. It is ambitious. Costner should be lauded for having a vision. Most movie studios are not brave enough to do that anymore. The only way to get that back is to encourage films like this. Even if this isn’t your favorite, I suspect you’ll enjoy the experience if you give it a chance.
The box office has been poor but I suspect this will do much better on streaming as people actually see it. I know this is not for everyone but I also don’t think it deserves as low of a rating as it has on Rotten Tomatoes. I’m refreshed by the vision here and I want to know what happens next.
Hello film fans, Slick Dungeon here! I’ve got a great movie to recommend to all of you horror fans. This will be very light on spoilers because it’s the kind of film that is way more effective if you don’t know the premise going in.
Blood Red Sky is a 2021 British-German action horror film. It starts off with a tense plane landing in a heavily armed Scottish air base. The movie then goes back in time to explain what happened on the flight. Giving much more away will spoil too much here. I don’t even recommend reading the description on Netflix if you want to fully enjoy the film.
From start to finish the movie is intense and the pressure just keeps building. What seems like a simple hijacking evolves into something full of intense horror as things take a surprising turn.
If you are the type of viewer who is averse to blood and gore, this one is probably not for you. However, it’s not nearly the bloodiest thing I’ve seen on film.
There are a few key characters we come to care about on the flight and the film is well acted. The cinematography may not be anything special but it gets the job done. There are definitely some scares in here but overall the film finds its best moments of fear by ratcheting up the intensity over and over again.
Knowing the basic premise will lower the effect of what happens here so I’m not going to go into much more. But I can say, if you are a horror film fan, and you like fast paced intense thrillers, and don’t mind a fair amount of gore, this one is worth watching.
Hello film fans and happy Oscar day! It’s Slick Dungeon and I am back to review the last of the films nominated for the Best Picture Oscar this year. I am talking about The Zone of Interest which was nominated for five of the prestigious awards. There will be spoilers in this review so if you have not seen it make sure you do so before reading the review. Also, content warning here for the film and the review, this film deals with the Holocaust so the subject matter is very heavy and if that sort of thing bothers you, stay away from both the movie and the review.
What’s it about?
The year is 1943 and the film opens with a dark screen and loud background noises. We shift to an idyllic countryside scene where a family of five are laughing, swimming and having a picnic in the local river. We soon find out this family is lead by Rudolf Höss, the Commandant of Auschwitz.
From the outside the family almost seems normal. The siblings fight amongst one another, the mother gardens, the father is constantly working. But, in the background are repeated sounds of gunshots and hints of smoke from both trains and gas chambers.
With cold, emotionless efficiency, a team of engineers meets with Höss to talk about a new crematorium that will be able to keep a much faster pace of killing people.
In the house, there are camp prisoners forced to work to serve the family. They are all doing things in the background and ignored or abused by the family by turns. The horror in the film is snuck in quietly as we see things happen like the young boys looking at gold teeth they have collected, the wife giving away clothing from the camp to her servants while keeping a fur coat for herself, and the husband going through phone calls and paperwork to make it all happen.
Eventually, Höss is ordered to move near Berlin to improve efficiency in all the camps. His family remains behind in their spacious house and grounds. Höss is tasked with transporting 700,000 Hungarian Jews so they can be killed or used for labor. The majority are likely to be killed and the rest will be used to do work that helps the German war effort.
Höss attends a party in Berlin where all he can think about is how he would gas the entire room if he needed to. At the end of the party he heads down the stairs and retches into the corridor repeatedly.
Suddenly, we cut to modern day where a group of janitors clean the Auschwitz–Birkenau State Museum. There are piles of shoes, luggage, crutches and other personal belongings on display. We see the uniforms the prisoners were forced to wear and we see a long hallway with the photos of hundreds of people who were at the camp. It’s the strongest visual hint we get of what happened at these camps and the sheer scale of it is enough turn anyone’s stomach.
The movie then cuts back to Höss where he finishes going down the staircase and the film ends.
The movie makes some interesting choices. By having the violence and horror be implied and in the background, it emphasizes how normalized all of this was. It’s clear just how horrible a person Höss was even as we see him riding his horse with his son and pointing out things in nature. This was a person who had no trouble approving and engineering the deaths of literally millions of people. The pace of the film is also cold and methodical, much like Höss himself, and at times were it not dealing with the subject matter it did, might feel like a film where the biggest conflict was a father having to move away from his children for a time. But the horrors in the undercurrent here can’t be ignored or dismissed so this cold efficiency just emphasizes the horrific nature of it all.
Whether or not we needed a film from the perspective, or at least looking at Höss, is not clear to me but it is an effective film in what it is trying to achieve.
The Awards
The Zone of Interest is up for several awards and has a stronger chance in some categories than others.
Directing
The film is directed by Jonathan Glazer. He does a fine technical job, and there are a few sequences that seem almost surreal in a way. There are bold choices as far as sound and visuals but the majority of it is directed in a way you would direct any competent film. His competition is quite notable with Justine Triet for Anatomy of a Fall, Martin Scorsese for Killers of the Flower Moon, Yorgos Lanthimos for Poor Things, and Christopher Nolan for Oppenheimer. Even with these notable directors and films, I still am betting on Christopher Nolan to take home the award.
International Feature Film
This category is not entirely fair for me to judge because I have only had a chance to watch two of the films in this category. (I tried to review as many of the Oscar nominated films as I could and I got through a lot but I couldn’t do them all) However, of the two I have seen, The Zone of Interest is the better film and I imagine is the most likely to win. I’ll still try to get around to reviewing the others when I can but it won’t be until after the Oscars are over.
Best Picture
I have now seen all of the Best Picture nominees and as good and strong as many of them are, Oppenheimer is still the best one. That was an incredible film and I just can’t imagine any of the rest of the entries winning, including The Zone of Interest.
Sound
This is a tough category to win. The competitors to The Zone of Interest are The Creator, Maestro, Mission Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One, and Oppenheimer. The Creator has great sound, as does Mission Impossible but Oppenheimer has a particular sequence where the sound conveys so much of the storytelling that it’s clear how vital the sound actually is. The Zone of Interest similarly plays with sound at times but I don’t think it does so quite as effectively. While typically sci-fi and fantasy films tend to take home the award in this category, I think Oppenheimer is actually going to win here because of that sequence.
Writing (Adapted Screenplay)
The writing here is excellent and if The Zone of Interest were to win, it would be deserving. But there is also really strong competition in this category. The Zone of Interest is up against American Fiction, Barbie, Poor Things, and Oppenheimer. I think this one is going to go to American Fiction or The Zone of Interest but honestly any of these winning would make complete sense.
In Conclusion
The Zone of Interest is an intriguing film and uses normality to allow us to think about the horrors in the background. There is good reason it was nominated for so many awards but at times it can be difficult to tell if this is coming at things from the right perspective. It does have quite the impact at the end but there are spots it could improve. I would recommend for people to watch this if they can handle films that deal with the Holocaust but I wouldn’t say it is the best of that type of film either.
Hello film fans! Slick Dungeon here back to review yet another Oscar nominated film. This time we’re talking about the film written and directed by Cord Jefferson, starring Jeffrey Wright and Sterling K. Brown, American Fiction. It’s up for five Oscars this year. There will be spoilers for the film so if you don’t like that sort of thing, find your nearest theater, go watch the film, and come on back here to read the review.
What’s it About?
Dr. Thelonious “Monk” Ellison (Jeffrey Wright) is an author and college professor. He has written several books which are well respected but not overly popular. In class one day, Monk gets in trouble because he tries to have a frank conversation about literature but teaches about a title in class that has an offensive word in it. A student feels she is uncomfortable with the word and this leads to a complaint that causes the college to put Monk on a leave of absence.
Meanwhile, Monk can’t get his next book published because his agent says publishers think it is not, “black” enough. Monk points out that he is black and he wrote the book so by definition it is a black book. This doesn’t help him sell it to anyone though.
While visiting his family, Monk has to confront his mother’s increasing Alzheimers and reunites with his sister who he has not seen in a long time. Unfortunately for the family, his sister Lisa (Tracee Ellis Ross) suffers a heart attack and dies while he is there. Monk’s brother Cliff (Sterling K. Brown) comes to pay his respects but is not willing to pay for his mother’s care. Cliff is also gay and has recently come out and as a result his wife divorced him and took his children with her.
As things become more desperate for Monk financially, he decides to write a book that panders to black stereotypes and sends it to his agent as a joke. To Monk’s chagrin, this book is picked up swiftly and enthusiastically by publishers unlike his other books. The amount of money he earns from selling it is enough to help get the care his mother needs, but Monk has to pretend to be someone he is not in order to keep the publishers happy.
The remainder of the movie has Monk dealing with crisis after crisis as he has to navigate a dual identity to his publishers and the media, all while still firmly believing the other types of books he writes have more value. He struggles with his girlfriend, he ends up having to judge his own work in a literary award contest, and his mother continues to get worse.
The film touches on ideas of duality, themes of loss, grief, joy, race and academia. It doesn’t hold back on any of these issues and asks complex questions without giving the audience an easy answer. After watching the film, many of the questions the viewers have will remain and you’ll find yourself thinking about this film long afterwards, including wondering if there are times this film actually falls into some of the categories it criticizes. It’s a multilayered portrayal of complex issues and is quite well made. It is one of the more entertaining of the Oscar picks this year and there is good reason it was up for so many awards.
The Awards
Speaking of awards, let’s take a look at each category this one is up for.
Best Actor
There are several great actors up for this award. Colman Domingo had a great turn as Bayard Rustin in Rustin, Bradley Cooper is up for Maestro, Paul Giamati who is no stranger to the Oscars is up for The Holdovers, and Cillian Murphy is up for Oppenheimer. Jeffrey Wright has a phenomenal and nuanced performance here playing a character that never quite opens himself up entirely to the world, all the while complaining that things are not the way they should be. As good a performance as this is, Cillian Murphy is almost certain to win in this category.
Best Supporting Actor
This category is also filled with big name actors and for me, it’s a tougher call than Best Actor. Sterling K. Brown is up for American Fiction. He has a memorable role as Cliff who is struggling with how the world perceives him but all in all he doesn’t have a huge amount of screen time here. There are several actors who could end up with the award here besides Brown. Robert De Niro is up for yet another Oscar for Killers of the Flower Moon, Ryan Gosling has lots of buzz for his role as Ken in Barbie, Robert Downey Jr. is up for Oppenheimer, and Mark Ruffalo is up for Poor Things. I think De Niro has a really strong shot but Gosling may just sneak his way into a win here.
Music (Orignal Score)
The score is fine in this film but I simply don’t see it winning. There are too many other films with more notable music in them. I think Killers of the Flower Moon has a much better shot here. The other movies in question here are Oppenheimer, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, and Poor Things.
Best Picture
American Fiction is an excellent film and despite being one of the Oscar nominees, I suspect not enough people have watched it who should. It’s rather entertaining and has some really good humor that makes you uncomfortable in the best way. But, this will not win Best Picture. That is still going to Oppenheimer in my mind. I have one more film to see in this category so unless The Zone of Interest is so incredible it has to change my mind, I don’t think any other film has a shot.
Writing (Adapted Screenplay)
There are so many well written movies this year. American Fiction is able to tell a nuanced story with complex matter while confronting things head on. It’s also about writers which can often help a movie win in the writing category. American Fiction is up against Oppenheimer, Barbie, Poor Things, and The Zone of Interest. I think this one is going to go to American Fiction or The Zone of Interest but honestly any of these winning would make complete sense.
In Conclusion
American Fiction is a great film with great performances and confronts issues that need to be confronted. It doesn’t tend to insult the audience (except maybe for a little bit at the end) and it will remain in your mind long after you see it. It’s an excellent watch and well deserving of being one of the most nominated films of the year. It’s up against major competition that may outshine it, however.
Hey film fans it’s Slick Dungeon! I’m back to review the Oscar nominated Live Action Short films for this year. This is a category where I wish all of the films could win because for each and every one of them there was great effort put in. For that reason, I am going to keep the spoilers as mild as possible here because you should all go and watch them. Still, to talk about them all there will have to be a little bit of spoilage so if you want to go into these blind, watch them first and then come back to read the review. I’ll also give you my prediction for the winner.
the After
This film is hard to describe without spoiling but let’s just say an unexpected incident occurs early on and the rest of the film deals with what happens after. It is heart wrenching and surprisingly emotional. It’s a fantastic little film and absolutely worth watching.
Invincible
This is the only film in this category based on a true story. I can spoil a little more of it than some of the others without giving anything away. This is about a troubled youth in Canada who lives in a youth detention center. It gives us a portrayal of the young man and the lengths he will go to in order to change his circumstances. Another film that is heartbreaking here and quite well made.
Knight of Fortune
This is a drama with a bit of graveyard humor in it. It tells the story of Karl who has come to the morgue to identify and say goodbye to his late wife. There are awkward and hilarious moments all wrapped into one here and it leads us to some unexpected places while still being grounded. In the end it’s a sweet film and fun to watch despite dealing with death.
Red, White and Blue
This is a film that leads us in one direction and wallops us into another direction in a jaw dropping manner. I can’t say much more than that other than to say this is a very American film dealing with a very current American problem and is just utterly excellent. If I could give out the awards, this is the one I would give it to, but it’s probably not going to be the winner.
The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar
The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar is a short film based on a short story written by Roald Dahl. It has major stars in it, including Benedict Cumberbatch, Ralph Fiennes, Dev Patel, Ben Kingsley and Richard Ayoade. It is directed by Wes Anderson. It’s as wild as you can get when it comes to the imagination of Roald Dahl, and while I am not typically a Wes Anderson fan, his style really does work well here. Because it is so chocked full of big names and has such production value, this is almost guaranteed to win. It’s a fun watch for sure but it still wasn’t my favorite out of all of these. Definitely worth watching though.
In Conclusion
While I would love for any of these films to win, I’m convinced The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar is the only prediction that makes sense here. I urge all of you to go out and watch these and judge for yourself. Short films don’t get the attention they deserve and audiences should watch more of them when they are accessible.
