Strange Darling (2024)

This was a fucking delight from beginning to end. I hesitate to even say more, because it's the kind of film that benefits from keeping its audience completely in the dark, knowing nothing but the curious title. It unfolds in a non-linear, almost Tarantino-esque fashion. True to its name, it's a weird little indie that will keep you guessing. These are the kinds of experiences that I absolutely cherish in the movie theater because there is no precedent for it.

4 Snuffleupaguses (Snuffleupagi?) out of 5

Cuckoo (2024)

Pouring one out for my homies...

Logline: American teenager relocates to the Bavarian Alps with her family and encounters some kooky goings-ons.

I enjoyed this one mostly because I had no idea what the fuck was going on most of the time. It's rare these days that the trailer doesn't give away all its secrets. I still don't understand a lot of it, but I dug the unsettling atmosphere and disorienting way it all plays out. To say any more would be a disservice to the surprises it contains, and the odd directions it takes.

3½ cuckoo calls out of 5

Trap (2024)

Here is an example of the premise of a movie out-performing the actual execution. Josh Hartnett stars as a father who takes his daughter to a pop concert while the police are surrounding the venue and setting up a "trap" to capture a serial killer. The initial twist of this movie was ruined in all the trailers, but do yourself a favor and go into it as blind as possible. If you're not a fan of M. Night Shyamalan, this probably won't convert you, but it's fun in that batshit "trainwreck" sort of way where you can't look away. The first half of this movie is much more successful than the back half, but it's still clever enough to recommend.

3 VIP backstage passes out of 5

Blink Twice (2024)

Two women are invited by a charming billionaire to his private resort for a holiday in debauchery. Strange, unexplainable occurrences take place around them as one of the women disappears and none of the other tenants can recall her presence. Zoë Kravitz's directorial debut is a slick mystery-thriller with an all-star cast and more than a few tricks up its sleeve. Unfortunately, my screening of the film contained a trigger warning at the very beginning which gave away certain plot details that effectively spoiled the twist and undercut its themes. I cannot for the life of me understand why we have to be so sheltered, even in mass-produced, mainstream Hollywood entertainment, but here we are.

In all honesty, it's not a bad flick, but it loses a ½ rating for the patronizing TW.

2½ red rabbits out of 5

The Crow (2024)

I'll be honest, I haven't seen the original in awhile. It might be sacrilegious, but I didn't really mind this remake all that much. It's completely unnecessary, yes, and doesn't quite follow the comic book source material very closely, but it's entertaining enough when isolated on its own terms. Bill Skarsgård excels at playing these types of offbeat characters, along with his roles in Boy Kills World, It (Pennywise) and the forthcoming Nosferatu reboot.

It may not be a total success, but there is a sweet romantic thread and a decent amount of violence and gory kills, if nothing else. I like Bill's take on Eric Draven, but he's still not as cool as Brandon Lee.

2 uses of Enya's Boadicea out of 5

Twisters (2024)

30 years later, nostalgia is everything, but I definitely wasn't counting on this particular chestnut coming back again. Basically accomplishing the exact same task as its predecessor, two storm chasers are out...y'know...chasing storms and stuff. One happens to be a gritty, determined female and the other a brash, cocky male, so you know how that works out. This ain't rocket science, folks! If you've seen the original, there's nothing new for you here, but it's entertaining enough in that brain-dead popcorn way that audiences seem to eat up.

2½ foreboding cumulus clouds out of 5

Twister (1996)

I wasn't particularly a fan of this disaster flick when it was released 30 years ago, but it's only increased in '90s kitsch value for me. A meteorologist takes her soon-to-be ex-husband out on an inadvertent tornado hunt, as she attempts to deploy a new-fangled device within its vortex to further her scientific research. If you're a fan of seeing wind blowing shit, this'll be right up your alley. It's charming specifically because of the chemistry between Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton (R.I.P.), who bicker and argue all the way up to its very predictable conclusion. Don't think about it too hard and you'll find something to enjoy in it.

3 displaced flying cows out of 5

Dune: Part Two (2024)

Picking up more or less where the first entry left off, we're treated to...more fucking sand. Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya make great decorative scenery against the bleak, unforgiving landscape, but the real highlight of this episode is the epic sandworm taming scene. I honestly found the majority of this film boring, and—surprise, surprise—we're left with yet another cliffhanger at the end of a three-hour snooze fest. Will they even make a Dune Messiah at this point? Who knows...it takes so long for them to come out with these movies, I doubt I'll even care by then. Sorry, it just wasn't for me. 

2½ sandworm goatses out of 5

Dune (2021)

People love these movies, but I can't stand them. I find them pretentious as fuck. Still, the VFX are nice and the direction is accomplished beautifully by Denis Villeneuve. Maybe what annoys me the most is how long they are. Do we really need to devote 2½ hours to approximately one half of a novel? It travels at a leisurely snail's pace, but maybe that's the point. And there's sand, sand everywhere. It's like Tatooine: The Movie. Personally, I thought the 1984 version was superior, because at least it told a "complete" story. I'm being generous here with my rating because I don't want the fanboys to come after me.

3 stillsuits circulating your own urine out of 5

Borderlands (2024)

Soulless cash grab. The cast is stacked, but you can just see how empty everyone looks behind the eyes. They took a beloved video game franchise and watered it down for the kiddies. Almost like Guardians of the Galaxy, if you stripped all the memorable charm, humor and wit out of it. This is an example of how pandering to the general crowd pleases nobody and fails to engage its core audience. Compare that with the audacity of Deadpool & Wolverine, which embraced its vulgar comic book origins with irreverent glee, despite the potential of limiting its bottom line. You can see how well that turned out for both.

I struggle to find anything redeeming to say about it, other than when it finally ended. 

1 complete waste of everyone's time out of 5

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (2024)

Nearly a decade of development hell later, director George Miller returns to the 45-year-old franchise he created in this spin-off/prequel leading up to the events of Mad Max: Fury Road. This time 'round, Anya Taylor-Joy capably takes up the mantle as the titular character (previously portrayed by Charlize Theron) in an origin story that traces her ascent from child slave to burgeoning warrior.

This movie is essentially a shut-your-brain-off, balls-to-the-wall action spectacle. Chris Hemsworth (unrecognizable here) has a blast hamming it up as the villainous Dementus. If you enjoyed the previous entry, you'll find plenty to like here, although at 148 minutes, it will push you to the limits of your patience (and bladder capacity).

3 War-Rig prototypes out of 5

Alien: Romulus (2024)

Set between the events of Alien and Aliens (yet made 40 years after the fact), this loose "inter-quel" shouldn't work as well as it does. But behind the skilled direction of Fede Álvarez (Evil Dead, Don't Breathe), he manages to pull it off with enough finesse to make Ridley Scott proud. It retains that lo-fi look that makes you feel like it was shot back in the '80s (with one glaring exception which I won't spoil). You've got all your classic staples here; androids, cocoons, ovomorphs, face-huggers, chestbursters, full-on xenomorph and...well, I'll let you discover for yourself. 

There are not too many surprises to be found here if you are familiar with the Alien franchise, but it's done so competently, you don't really mind. It's nostalgia bait for sure, but it's a good one.

3 wait...what is that? out of 5

Deadpool & Wolverine (2024)

In 2019, Disney acquired Fox, and with it, their entire catalogue of Marvel/X-Men characters from 1998-2017. This movie is a love letter to that era. Ryan Reynolds somehow convinced Marvel to create a dirty, uber-violent, hard-R rated movie under the Disney banner (the first of its kind), while introducing Deadpool to the MCU. And it's as delightfully irreverent as you can possibly imagine. Part of the enjoyment comes from the knowledge that the Mouse House is letting them get away with this filth at their expense, simultaneously poking fun and biting the hand that feeds them. It finally reunites Reynolds with Hugh Jackman in a plot that doesn't really matter as much as the relationship that is forged between the characters (#FriendshipGoals), as well as enough clever in-jokes and cameos to keep a shit-eating grin on your face throughout. It pays off even more if you've been investing in these movies as long as I have. Bravo to all involved for pulling off this feat. And it paid off in spades at the box office. There's a lesson to be learned here...take chances and throw caution to the wind!

Good lord, it's been far too long since I've seen a movie this gleefully profane. Above all, these movies are just plain fun. Shut off your brain and enjoy the weird places it takes you. It'll be impossible to separate Wolverine and Madonna from here on out.

4½ buttery nuts all up in my mama out of 5

Deadpool 2 (2018)

The Merc with the Mouth returns in this demented step-brother to the X-Men franchise. What happens when someone who can't die loses the will to live? This installment introduces the time-traveling Cable who arrives from the future in order to murder a kid who will eventually grow up to be a villain. Can he be redeemed? Also in tow is the entire X-Force team, including Domino (whose superpower is "luck") and Peter. Yep. Just Peter.

This sequel is not quite as iconic as the original, but still above-average comic book fare that is better than it has any right to be. I like to think of these movies more as parodies of the genre because they're chock full of hilarious sight-gags and subversive meta humor. It also manages to pull off that rare balancing act of being side-splittingly funny while tugging at the heartstrings in unexpected ways. Watch it all the way through for some very satisfying credit scenes that are essential to the plot (and the future of the franchise).

3½ grotesque baby legs out of 5

Note: A (bleeped) PG-13 version of this movie was released called Once Upon a Deadpool, which features a brand new wraparound story with Fred Savage, spoofing his role in The Princess Bride, that's well worth your time. An extended unrated cut was also released, with 15 additional minutes, which is the preferred edition to seek out—although all three versions contain alternate takes/jokes, so you can roll the dice.

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (2024)

The Juice is loose...all over the front of my pants.

36 years later, everyone's favorite trickster demon is back! And this time, he's NOT going Hawaiian (?). One of the most anticipated releases of my inner child, it feels appropriate to nut this one after the franchise had been dormant for so long. The results are mixed, to be sure, but enough of it works if you hold your memories of the original in high regard. If nostalgia is more your speed, this will stoke your childhood delights. Keaton, as in the original, is the highlight and major draw here, but Winona Ryder, Catherine O'Hara, Monica Bellucci and Jenna Ortega all bring something to the table. Beetlejuice remains a lovable miscreant as ever, and best yet, it doesn't tarnish the legacy of the original. One only hopes it won't be so many years before the whole gang gets back together once again.

3 cakes left out in the rain out of 5

Out of the frying pan, into the fire...

Hey all. Bud here. You may remember me from...well, a long time ago. Can you believe it's been 13 long years since Doc and cuckoo created In a Nutshell? I've always loved this blog and it's held a special place in my nether regions for all this time. I know I've been MIA for a decade or more, but now I'm back to exact my revenge! My reign begins anew! Bwa ha ha ha ha! Err...I'm probably just talking to myself at this point, aren't I?

In honor of the 13th anniversary of In a Nutshell (and 4 years since the last new post), what better way to commemorate this momentous occasion than with a revival series of reviews? I've got a backlog of material in my back pocket, and my nuts have been backed up for quite some time, so I'm ready to explode it up into the rafters and unto the world. Tissues optional.

We'll see how long this goes. Consider it a figurative 'passing of the nuts' from Doc to bud. Maybe one day we can wrangle back the rest of the crew and have a merry old shindig reminiscing over past, better days. For now, sit back and enjoy the ride! Here's to ushering in a new era of Nutty goodness. Long live our hairy, twisted, gnarled, malformed nuts!