Sean Crawford

I have seen M3GAN 3 times (only seems appropriate), and my initial impression has been upheld through repeat viewing. The movie is, or more specifically, will become, one of the rare cinematic joys known as the cult film. Just the right amount of camp, with more than a touch of humor, a little bit of violence, and a whole lotta signing, what's there not to like! But besides the amazing entertainment value, M3GAN manages to do something most more "serious" films fail to do, which is make you believe. The technological world of the not to distant future (or alternate present) the characters inhabit is wonderfully chaotic, not because of machines run amok, but because of humans complete inability to comprehend what they have created. This modern day "Frankenstein" is worth the time.

M. Night Shyamalan does two kinds of movies, brilliant ones, such as The Village, The Visit, and Split, and dumb ones, such as Lady in the Water, The Happening, and sadly, Knock at the Cabin. To be fair, the source material is a novel, which I have not read, so this adaptation may very well be a brilliant portrayal of a terrible book, but I doubt it. The acting is stilted, the sets dreary, unfocused and boring, and the story drags on without much urgency, revealing little to nothing by the end. M Night had the chance to play with the theme of white, upper middle class hubris and its' consequences, but trades it for sappy melodrama. What could have been a dark examination of societal choices is instead a doomsday downer, which is exactly the direction my thumb is pointing!

I saw Bones and All last night and was impressed! However, having lived through the 1980's as an adolescent, I have a slightly different take on it. This is a horror film, no doubt, but the cannibal theme only serves as a metaphor for the cautionary messages of inherited addiction, familial cycles of abuse and rampant Reagan era consumerism (no pun intended). The cannibalistic characters, although somewhat relatable and wonderfully portrayed, simply would not behave in this manner if they were strictly human. It's the lack of an explanation as to their behavior (after all, they're not zombies) that makes the movie so unsettling and yet so unbelievable within the world it builds. The "eaters" never seem to get full or gain any weight from their binges, nor do they have a problem digesting that much protein in one sitting, making the irony of a holiday season release obvious. Yet, on it's face, Bones and All is an entertaining melodrama, mixed with an (un)believable love story (we eat people, take that Bonnie and Clyde and Mickey and Mallory!) and plenty of gore. Thumbs up, or should I say thumbs off...