We need to talk about the Scream sequels. Fundamentally, they don't work. Though two and four are fun enough films that have some independent thrills, direct continuation of Scream is a fool's endeavour. Apart from being just a kickass slasher, Scream works because it was new and because it was deconstructive. Sequels, direct sequels that … Continue reading Scream (2022) (Review)
Tag: reboot
Candyman (2021) (Review)
A good horror movie gravitates around a strong central metaphor. With the original Candyman, the premise leads to a lot of wider symbolic opportunity: an evergreen centre that can be applied in multiple ways and in different contexts. Nia DaCosta's reboot, and semi-sequel, takes full advantage of this. In fact, it gets lost in taking … Continue reading Candyman (2021) (Review)
Cruella (Review)
Though a step up from the atrocious Mulan, Cruella is another poor live-action outing from Disney. This time, they've taken a slight step towards originality, moving away from adapting their animations and instead making prequels to them. An interesting choice, especially when the films never needed prequels in the first place. Rather than letting Cruella … Continue reading Cruella (Review)
The Invisible Man (2020) (Review)
The opening act of Blumhouse's Invisible Man reboot is excellent. It begins with a brilliant credits sequence and segues into a nail-bitingly tense escape scene in a clifftop house (an architectural marvel that lends an austere beauty to the film). For a third of the running time, the film's identity is very clear: it is … Continue reading The Invisible Man (2020) (Review)
The Lion King (Review)
Despite being a great technical achievement, it would be fair to categorise Disney's Lion King reboot as an artistic failure. Even if you don't wish to go this far - as the technical skill on display is its own kind of artistry - it is at least pointless: an irrelevant update to a classic in … Continue reading The Lion King (Review)
Assorted Opinions 