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THIS. IS. CINEMA. 10/5 STARS.

CAPTAIN AMERICA: BRAVE NEW WORLD has some minor villain/FX/editing issues, but i had a lotta fun. It's at its best when tapping the Black-Ops/Manchurian Candidate well, with Sam doing his own thing instead of retreading Steve's story, bringing his own style & skills to the table. It has poignant character moments, an unexpected surprise or two & i like that the film touches on facing one's demons & defying everyone's preconceptions: "None of us have to be defined by our past." In that regard, i think it succeeds. (4/5 Stars).

Wow. THE SUBSTANCE is a modern horror film that wholly lives up to it's promise and its premise. It's beautifully grotesque in all the right ways, with such bold artistic confidence on display that feels as if its creators had full control of this project - a singular, focused vision. This is a film i wager many will love for its sheer audacity, and just as many will reject like a rotting chicken drumstick, as it is definitely an acquired taste, but i feel it's destined to become a cult horror classic. Demi Moore, Margaret Qualley & Dennis Quaid deliver astounding performances alongside an impeccable supporting cast & cast of extras, each committing entirely to every moment they are on screen in this dark, twisted, human, cruel, beautiful, violent, absurdist, satirical tale about fame, hunger, greed, the ageing process and so much more, set firmly in an industry always in search of fresh meat for the masses - executed with surgical precision by a team that fired on all cylinders. A stellar cast, a brilliant writer and director, sublime cinematography, aggressive compositions and sound design, exquisite set designs, costumes & make-up effects, and a world-class horror FX team all put in the work to make something greater than the sum of their parts, and it shows in every frame from beginning to end. They knew what they were cooking and let nothing go to waste. waist? This film wears its inspirations on its sleeve with zero repentance, giving sly nods to classics like The Fly, Carrie, Inland Empire, Dorian Grey & The Elephant Man, even a little of the old-school Troma films finds a place on Hollywood Boulevard in THE SUBSTANCE, without ever feeling like writer/director Coralie Fargeat was simply emulating or regurgitating ideas from other films, rather these threads feel like inspirations or prompts for her to launch into her own wild, unique story while honouring the genre and writers that have come before her - quite fittingly, i might add, given one of the many themes of the film itself. It's a fable-turned-horror story that manages to shock, amaze, disgust and enrapture in equal measure, with unflinching writing & characterizations that are sharp, witty, heartbreaking, sinister, enraging, vile, absurd and outrageous without ever taking things too far - while also knowing just when to take everything so much further. But one example of the latter - the "paper mask" scene had the potential to be utterly ludicrous, threatening to derail the tone and momentum of the entire film's trajectory, but the alchemy of the visual lunacy and the anguish of the moment underneath strikes the balance of fever dream and nightmare fuel, wordlessly breaking the fourth wall like nothing else - and this film is packed with unexpected moments & expectations flipped, so much so, the two-hours-plus running-time flew by because i was simply transfixed to the screen. The increasing pace of twists and turns in the second and third act will surprise and delight fans of classic horror stories and allegories from the minds of artists like Cronenberg, Lynch, Kubrick, Oscar Wilde, Stephen King & Clive Barker - and you can now add Coralie Fargeat to that pantheon of rarified air - she has more than earned it with THE SUBSTANCE.

Finally got to see it last night! as someone who loves the 80's cartoon & the original comic run, The Last Ronin and the 1990 film, i absolutely adore this film. It definitely has that old-school MTV 'Liquid Television' vibe about it, while being a breath of fresh air for young folks today with the turtles and April all being played by actors who are also in their youth. Each of them do an amazing job bringing their characters to life, while the animation is beautifully energetic, the sound design & music are equally frenetic & the needle drops are perfectly timed. The characters & story are comprised of the core elements of what i feel has made TMNT so special across so many generations now, and crafted that into something new and fun for kids of today while having the heart and storytelling that made older folks love these characters back when they were kids as well. Mutant Mayhem was a wonderful surprise - bring on part 2!

it's not my favourite Star Wars project, but imo it is better than the majority of the internet "discourse" is letting on. i have suspicions much of the criticism is from people who haven't watched much, or any Star Wars at all, perhaps have only seen the movies, and then there's the ones who've been conditioned over the last decade to dogpile anything and everything, making legitimate critique harder to find online. quite the in-sidious move, that one. people seem especially upset with episode 3 for "reasons" that seem ill-informed, not to mention fake reviews detailing episodes that have yet to air as of today. 4 episodes have aired, not 6 or 7. curious. [general plot spoilers below] the Jedi being tools of the Republic with questionable motives or beliefs is nothnig new, especially during the Clone Wars era; Witches in Star Wars is nothing new if you know the comics, books and animated shows; differing ideas of what the Force is, "miraculous" births, moral choices and clashing ideologies have always been a part of Star Wars going all the way back to A New Hope. nowhere does this show say one idea of The Force or the Jedi and only one idea is the correct one, it merely shows different people across the galaxy have their own beliefs that vary, much like religion here on planet Earth, and everything positive and negative that comes with it. it may come off a little ham-fisted at times, but i like that it's exploring themes more deeply than the mainline films ever had a chance to, much like Andor did with it's examination of the machinations of the Republic war machine. there's some good in this show to be found, if you actually have an open mind rather than going in with a pre-formed fear-based mindset that clouds the judgment. the show has its faults, like pacing, plot holes/plot armour, some on the nose dialogue, great acting immediately followed by bad in some scenes and so on, but most of the loudest criticisms i've seen so far are misguided, or led by certain influencers in the online space who make a lot of money riling up their fanbase to farm their outrage for a paycheck, or from people who genuinely and innocently are ignorant to the wider galaxy of Star Wars outside the nine main films & the Mandalorian. overall, four episodes in, i'd give it a 7 out of 10, or a 4 out of 5. it's enjoyable enough, has some interesting idea threads, i like some of the characters, the visual language, creatures, droids & environments look wonderful and add to the pre-Clone Wars era much like the books and comics, and it also has room to improve as it progresses, and i hope it does. time will tell. as for the relentless noise from certain online arenas, Star Wars has always been for everyone, and it's always tackled real-world issues of the time in a science-fantasy setting. if one project is not for you, move along. another will be for you, and nothing you already have and cherish has been replaced. Star Wars has always had many demographics, proven by all the different ages, races, nationalities, genders, worldviews of people who love the stories, create their own fan art and films, save up their money to attend Celebration and Comic Con, and share their own stories - the very ethos that led to the amazing Star Wars Visions animated series. Star Wars has the power to show people a greater galaxy exists, and to bring people together, and this show is at least trying to expand the galaxy far, far away in new and interesting ways, while tapping into the expanded lore of the books, games, comics, animates shows, etc. rather than relying solely on nostalgia and repeating the past. i hope it finds its success.