The Jester 2, on Shudder

It seems like stupid horror movie characters never manage to overcome the monsters stalking them. Fifteen-year-old Max is a notable exception. She stymies her supernatural slasher within the first act. However, she faces even greater horrors as a result. That might not sound fair, but Satanic deals really aren’t known for being equitable. The titular character continues to do what he does best in director-screenwriter Colin Krawchuk’s The Jester 2, which premieres today on Shudder.

Poor Max’s mother doesn’t allow her to trick-or-treat anymore and her high school classmates belittle her for her passion for magic. They shouldn’t have scoffed, because she immediately recognizes the card trick the Jester tries to show her. It turns outs the Jester can’t kill her, because he didn’t “trick” her first. That is a big problem for him, because he must trick and kill four sacrifices everyone Halloween night or the Devil will take him back to Hell for an uncomfortably nasty eternity.

Awkwardly, this becomes a big problem for Max too, because she essentially inherits oversight responsibility for the Jester’s Faustian contract. Of course, the Jester is happy to sacrifice any old anyone, but Max insists they should be more selective. Nevertheless, she quickly realizes even her worst bullies do not deserve the Jester’s treatment.

Krawchuk’s sequel is considerably better than the Terrifier rip-off that fans might assume, based on the Jester’s clown-like makeup. Krawchuk creates some intriguing lore for his signature bogeyman. Yet, the film’s greatest asset would be Max’s resourcefulness. Having already bested the Jester once, viewers can reasonably root for her to do it again.

Hadik, on Klassiki

Field Marshal Andras Hadik is a Hungarian national hero, who loyally served Maria Theresa, the Queen of Hungary. She also happened to be the Habsburg Holy Roman Empress. That could make things complicated, especially when he was expected to fight alongside Saxons, whom his honorable Hussars essentially considered scurvy dogs. They could agree on fighting Prussians, which is exactly what they did when the Field Marshal led a daring raid on Berlin, dramatized in Janos Szikora’s Hadik, which premieres today on Klassiki.

Hadik was so competent and successful, nearly the entire court and war council was aligned against him. The only exception was Maria Theresa, because he was talented. After an ignoble defeat Hadik nearly averted, jealous generals tried to scapegoat the famous Hussar, but Maria Theresa would not have that for long. Soon, she recalls Hadik to service, because she knows he is the only officer who can accomplish her daring mission.

Having received intel regarding Prussian troop movements, Maria Theresa realizes Frederick the Great left Berlin dangerously under-defended. Ransoming Berlin would be a huge coup, but all the court dandies are too timid to grasp the moment. Hadik gets it—and hatches plans to accomplish it.

Hadik will lead his Hussars and the Saxons Maria Theresa forces him to take, for political reasons, over the mountains, sort of like Hannibal. They cannot carry artillery, so they will plunder cannons from Frederick’s munitions factory along the way. It is a huge gamble, but Hadik’s Hussars will follow him anywhere. However, Saxon Colonel Ried constantly demands their pay.

Szikora’s approach is definitely traditional, but that is generally refreshing. Mark Kis-Szabo’s screenplay is certainly patriotic, but there is sufficient intrigue swirling around Maria Theresa so that it never feels like jingoistic propaganda for Orban’s authoritarian ambitions. If anything, it encourages skepticism of royals and nobility.

That said, Hadik is certainly presented as a paragon, but Zsolt Trill largely humanizes the Field Marshal by emphasizing his love for his family and desire to retire to a quieter life. We also see his ardent loyalty to his comrades-in-arms, particularly crusty old Farkas and their protégé, roguishly dashing Gvadanyi. Indeed, one of the best aspects of the film is the way Trill, Tamas Szalma, and Aron Molnar capture the three Hussars’ comradery.

Nightsleeper, on BritBox

In America, more people probably watch thrillers set on trains than actually ride them. Of course, that is not necessarily true along the Northeast Corridor and certainly not in the UK, where this series was produced. Regardless, everyone watches to literally see if the train in question eventually runs “off the rails.” In this latest example, an overnight express train is about to get hacked and the only officials with any hope of fixing it must waste time on turf battles and conference calls in creator Nick Leather’s six-episode Nightsleeper, which starts streaming this Friday on BritBox.

Joe Roag rather heroically recovered a woman’s purse before “The Heart of Britain” left Glasgow station on its regularly scheduled overnight run to London. (There you go. According to the BBC, Scotland is truly part of Britain.) Unfortunately, the woman was in on the plan, which allowed a mysterious co-conspirator to install a hacking device in the train’s computer system. The hackers take control and jam nearly all communications. They just did not anticipate a blokey oil rig worker would be onboard with his sat-phone.

Soon, Roag is talking to GCHQ’s National Cyber Security Centre. Acting Technical Director Abby Aysgarth wasn’t even supposed to be there. She was seconds away from leaving on vacation, but her intuition told her Saj Sidhu’s FYI of unusual activity was in fact part of a massively dangerous systemic issue. Her instincts are pretty well confirmed when the arrival boards at Victoria Station are hacked to display a ransom demand.

Aysgarth trusts Roag, even though she quickly determines the disgraced cop had fled a corruption charge (to clear his name, of course). Unfortunately, the passengers are an unruly and unhelpful lot, including Liz Draycott, who really ought to know better, considering she is the scandal-tarred transportation minister. As the hackers divert the train and increase its velocity to dangerous levels, GCHQ Director Nicola Miller allows Aysgarth to temporarily bring back her predecessor, grouchy Paul Peveril, who was dismissed for whistle-blowing leaks.

Just about everyone in Nightsleeper makes such stupid decisions, they will have viewers pulling their hair out in frustration. Yet, they will keep on pulling, because the execution is so grabby. Despite all the poor judgement, the tension starts high and steadily escalates—and every episode duly concludes with a new shocking revelation.

Joe Cole specializes in intense antiheroes, so the deeply flawed Roag is solidly in his wheelhouse. He also develops nice phone-buddy chemistry Alexandra Roach, who nicely shows how the mousy Aysgarth starts to assert herself, for the sake of the hack-jacked train.

As usual, James Cosmo is entertainingly crusty Fraser Warren, a retired train engineer, who happened to be onboard. David Threlfall is similarly colorful and cranky as Peveril, but frankly, most viewers would also fire anyone from a sensitive national security position who looked like such a bleary-eyed Deadhead.

Submitted by Korea: No Other Choice

Yoo Man-su might just become known as the most iconic paper industry executive in cinema history. Of course, there aren’t many movies about the paper industry. It also helps that Yoo is literally killing his competition. Amongst job-seekers, Yoo becomes unusually proactive in Park Chan-wook’s No Other Choice, Korea’s shortlisted International Oscar submission, which opens Christmas Day in New York.

Yoo worked his way up to become a highly paid executive at his paper company, only to be laid off when it is bought out by an American firm. Unfortunately, there has been a lot of this going around, so whenever a paper exec job comes up, he must compete with an army of applicants.

Although he sometimes takes demeaning temp work, Yoo is on the verge of losing his family’s home. The prospect is particularly painful to Yoo, because he grew up there as a child and worked diligently to renovate into his own private paradise. Plus, he suspects his dental hygienist wife’s boss might take advantage of his humiliation to seduce her.

However, Yoo refuses to take his situation laying down. Placing fake recruitment ads, Yoo determines which possible candidates for future openings would have the most competitive qualifications compared to himself. Then, he starts stalking and killing them. However, that is a decidedly messy undertaking for a middle-aged paper exec like Yoo.

Based on Donald E. Westlake’s novel The Ax, which was previously adapted for film by Costa-Gavras, Park’s No Other Choice, reflects the attitudes and underlying ideologies of recent Korean productions like Parasite and Squid Game. It makes similarly bitterly caustic points regarding economic uncertainty and social insecurity. However, those comparable works maintain a vice-like hold on viewers.

In contrast, Park and co-screenwriters Lee Kyoung-mi and Don McKellar too often allow the message to overwhelm the storytelling. For long stretches, Park belabors his takeaways, very definitely at the expense of tension and suspense. (Perhaps tellingly, the ideologically-charged Gavras family supported the production of Park’s adaptation as producers.)

Vatican City, Graphic Novel

Consecrated ground doesn’t get much more consecrated than Vatican City. It is also highly fortified. For a few hundred survivors, it is the only remaining sanctuary after the vampire apocalypse. The Holy See houses relics that are more precious than ever and plenty of firearms, but it also holds the secret behind the siege that unfolds in Mark Millar’s Vatican City (collecting issues 1-3). Illustrated by Per Berg, Millar’s recently released bind-up is now available for your holiday shopping convenience.

Mysteriously, all the Swiss Guards no-show on the day of Swiss Air Force veteran Guido Cavelti’s interview—probably because most of them are dead. Consequently, Cavelti leads the Vatican’s defense, despite his lack of official standing. Since the Pope is touring Africa, most Vatican personnel are absent. However, the venerable old Monsignor never strays far, because he knows why the sun-shielded vampires have assembled outside the Vatican’s walls.

It turns out all the history you know is bunk. There was a time vampires ruled the world. Somehow, mankind killed their queen, who was subsequently entombed under the Vatican. Of course, anyone who has watched enough Dracula movies know that vampires are never too dead that they can’t be brought back to undead life.

Even though the horror comes from vampires, Millar’s concept holds massive appeal for horror fans who grew up with the heroic priests of William Peter Blatty’s exorcism novels and films. This is an unadulterated good versus evil story, especially considering the ruthless cruelty of Karl, the leader of the vampire army.

However, it is massively depressing that the vampires utterly destroy America and most of Europe, but largely leave Russia and China untouched. It would make sense if it were a form of professional courtesy, from one form of evil to another. However, Millar has yet to even suggest such a point. Frustratingly, Millar also breaks the siege way too soon. If Netflix eventually adapts Vatican City as a series, it should spend several seasons exploring the mysterious secret corners and crannies of the Vatican.

Indeed, Netflix would have the option, since Millar wrote and commissioned Berg’s art for Vatican City under his Netflix development deal. There is no guarantee of a future series, but the streamer gets a co-creator credit. (FYI, Netflix is not currently available in China.)

Chill Out, Scooby-Doo, on Cartoon Network

You might think Casey Kasem was from Shangra-La, considering the voice-over artist dubbed that “meddling kid,” Shaggy Rogers well into his eighties. Unfortunately, time catches up to even the eternally youthful. Although Kasem once again performed as Shaggy in this feature, it was animation legend Josph Barbera’s final Scooby project. It was also dedicated to the memory of late Disney and Hanna-Barbera animator Iwao Takamoto, a longtime contributor to the Scooby franchise. Scooby and Shaggy have outlived them all, presumably thanks to diet and exercise (all that running from monsters). They get another workout (this time at high altitude) in Joe Sichta’s Chill Out, Scooby Doo, which airs on the Cartoon Network.

Fred, Daphne, and Velma thought they were meeting Scooby and Shaggy in Paris for a well-earned vacation. Instead, Rogers and our favorite Great Dane are lured to the Himalayas by cryptid-hunter Alphonse LeFleur, by the promise of an all-you-can-eat flight. He intends to use the duo as bait for the Yeti.

Fortunately, Scooby and Shaggy quickly ditch LaFleur, reconnecting with an old friend, cryptozoologist Del Chillman, who now happens to be the local DJ, even though he only has one regular listener, Minga, the sister of Pemba the sherpa. Unfortunately, Pemba’s latest client is clearly up to no good. Professor Jeffries hopes to plunder the crystals of Shangra-La, right under the nose of the High Lama. There is also the Yeti, who clearly enjoys chasing Scooby and Shaggy. In fact, he pursues them right into Shangra-La.

As straight-to-DVD features go, Chill Out really plays like an extended episode of the various Mystery Incorporated series. Even by the franchise standards, the humor is shamelessly goofy and logic immediately goes out the window. For instance, the rest of the meddling kids manage to drive their van from Paris to Himalayas, within the first act.

10Dance, in Cinema Daily US

Netflix’s live-action adaptation of Satoh Inoue’s “BL” manga is not for every otaku, but it certainly captures the elegance of ballroom dance and the passion of dancers who compete on the floor. However, it plays out more like a pilot episode than a feature film. CINEMA DAILY US review up here.

The Death and Love of Claude Lanzmann

Compared to Claude Lanzmann’s Shoah, Gone with the Wind and Cleopatra (starring Liz Taylor) were relatively short and painless productions. Lanzmann’s monumental nine-and-a-half-hour documentary took twelve years to complete, including one month spent in hospital as the filmmaker recovered from an assault perpetrated by thugs loyal to a former SS officer. Lanzmann discusses that failed interview, as well as other challenges he faced documenting the Holocaust in Adam Benzine’s The Death and Love of Claude Lanzmann, an expanded director’s cut of Benzine’s Oscar-nominated short documentary, Claude Lanzmann: Spectres of the Shoah, which is now available on VOD platforms.

The original 39-minute film left admirers wanting more, so Benzine incorporated 20-minutes of additional footage, including outtakes from Shoah restored by the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. It isn’t just about Shoah. Lanzmann also discusses his relationship with his former lover Simone de Beauvoir and their mutual friend, Jean-Paul Sartre, but his towering cinematic achievement clearly altered the course of his life (and arguably film history).

Regardless, Benzine’s film is dominated by two extraordinarily powerful sections. On focuses on the techniques and strategies Lanzmann employed to interview a surviving Sonderkommando, a Jewish slave laborer tasked with cleaning out the gas chamber after every mass execution. It is hard to watch the barber breaking down from the weight of Lanzmann’s questions, but the filmmaker convinces him to carry on, for his own sake.

The second unforgettably chilling passage focuses on the aborted interview of SS-Obersturmfuhrer Heinz Schubert, whose family deduced Lanzmann and his assistant Corinna Coulmas were secretly recording the convicted war criminal. It was their associates who severely beat Lanzmann and Coulmas.

Him, on Peacock

The popular acronym G.O.A.T. is a perfect example of how our language has been dumbed down and junked up. In sports terms, the “goat” used to be the scapegoat who took the blame for a loss. Now it supposedly means “greatest of all time,” but it obviously doesn’t. If Jordan was the GOAT, then that necessarily excludes Kobi Bryant, Steph Curry, or whoever from GOAT status. The term ought to be O.O.G.O.A.W. for one of the greatest of all this week. Regardless, the football world identifies Cameron Cade as the next potential GOAT and he just might be—but explaining why would be spoilery in Justin Tipping’s Him, produced by Jordan Peele, which premieres Friday on Peacock.

The San Antonio Saviors sound like the American football cousins of Sao Paulo’s Corinthians, except they are not very Portuguese. They are also quite ironically named. However, Cade does not know that as he grows up rooting for the Saviors. It would be his dream to play for them, but his pro aspirations nearly end when a mysterious assailant brutally attacks him after a practice. Frankly, this is probably the scariest scene of the film.

Given his head trauma, Cade must back out of the pre-draft combine. Yet, his pro dreams suddenly revive when the Saviors invite him to a private workout with their star quarterback, Isaiah White, who is rumored to be retiring next season. (Obviously, there is a strong case to be made for Whitee’s greatness, considering he is still starting professionally, even though he is portrayed by a Gen X actor. ) Cade could be his anointed successor, if he impresses. Yet rather ominously, the bizarre tryout sessions are much more grueling than he expected, physically and especially emotionally. Soon, Cade starts to both doubt his sanity and suspect the team trainers of deliberate malice and cruelty. Yet, whenever White dangles the prospect of superstardom, he comes back for more.

Arguably, Tipping hides his big secrets too effectively, because the truth of the Saviors is quite intriguing horror movie fodder, but Him only skims the surface of what could have been some darkly sinister lore. Disappointingly, the film rarely capitalizes on the sort of terrors typically associated with the Saviors’ true nature. Instead, most of menacing sequences play out more on a psychological level, as possible dreams, visions, or hallucinations. Consequently, it is hard for Tipping to sustain the tension, when each trippy set piece ends with Cade waking up from a fever dream, drenched in sweat. After a while, viewers become conditioned not invest in the images Tipping presents, no matter how intense they might be.

David, from Angel Studios

His heroism and humanity inspired diverse artists and creators, including Michelangelo, Donatello, Caravaggio, Madeleine L’Engle, Joseph Heller, Darius Mihaud, and Lionel Hampton. He was also Jewish. In fact, he was King of Israel long before the notion of Palestine existed. Some consider him a national origin myth, like King Arthur, but the idea of King David dated back to Biblical times. Yet, according to history/legend, King David wasn’t just common-born. The young shepherd has become the ultimate symbol for all ultra-longshot underdog victories. Of course, it required faith, as is fittingly emphasized in Phil Cunningham & Brent Dawes’ animated feature David, released by Angel Studios, which opens Friday in theaters.

As the young shepherd protects his flock from a lion, David’s story almost ends before it begins. Yet, his faith preserves him. That is quite “providential,” because when David returns home, he finds the Prophet Samuel waiting to anoint him the successor to King Saul. Rather ominously, Saul is not inclined to willingly relinquish power—quite the contrary. Consequently, David’s parents fear the worst when Saul’s soldiers escort David to the palace.

However, David’s presence was “requested” to sing and play lyre as one of the terrified musicians summoned to calm the King’s tempestuous spirit. Once again, the underdog prevails, endearing himself somewhat to the King and forming a close bond with the presumed royal heir, Jonathan. Young David’s resulting proximity to power allows him to volunteer to face the giant Goliath. While others fear the colossal Philistine, David has faith that the Almighty will protect his chosen people (and if not, death will probably be preferable to life as slaves to the imperialistic Philistines).

Hopefully, even Ivy League heathens know how that battle ended. However, there is still the awkward business of Samuel’s prophecy. The Philistines won’t give up their dreams of conquest either. Plus, the Amalekites always lurk in the shadows.

This is a banner year for Biblical animation, because the previously released The King of Kings (also from Angel Studios) and Book of Joshua: The Walls of Jericho were both quite good. The 3D-CGI character design for David sometimes looks a little clunky but the backgrounds and architectural renderings often capture an appropriate sense of grandeur. This will very much resemble the Holy Land of many viewers’ imaginations.

Cunningham and Dawes nicely express young David’s youthful exuberance without overwhelming the film with silly slapstick. They also maintain a brisk pace covering the David’s childhood up through the encounter at Ein Gedi quite thoroughly, but use considerable license to abbreviate subsequent events. Still, this animated David is much more theologically sound than the ill-fated Richard Gere movie.

Omniscient Reader: The Prophecy

Real fans often wish they could re-write the endings for their favorite franchises, especially since Disney has acquired so many big-name properties (to promptly ruin). However, Kim Dok-ja can’t blame the Mouse House. They would never touch IP like his favorite web-novel, because its readership had diminished to a single follower: Kim. That certainly gives him the right to complain. When he sends angry feedback, the mysterious author challenges him to write his own ending. However, he must do so IRL, when reality starts to parallel the opening of the web-novel in Kim Byung-woo’s Omniscient Reader: The Prophecy, based on Sing Shong’s Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint web-novel, which releases today on VOD in the UK.

In Kim’s longtime favorite web-novel Three Ways to Survive the Apocalypse, an impish dokkaebi announces to the hero’s subway car, the Constellations are angry with humanity, so they decided to plunge Earth into planet-wide survival game to punish our wickedness. To survive the first challenge, everyone must take a life.

Knowing the secret behind each game, Kim devises a workaround killing ants in a boy’s ant farm. Of course, some of his commuters would rather earn their points the “honest way.” Nevertheless, many survivors quickly recognize Kim’s strategic advantage in the game, including his former work colleague, Yoo Sang-ah. Kim also tries to save several of his favorite characters, whom he believed died too soon in the web-novel, including righteous but guilt-ridden soldier Lee Hyun-sung, and Jung Hee-won, who was driven to punish predators who took advantage of the game’s chaos for their own sadistic pleasure.

The source web-novel ran for five multi-chapter volumes plus an extended epilogue that sounds like a separate volume in its own right, so not surprisingly, the first film never gets close to explaining why real-life is suddenly paralleling the apocalyptic events Kim Dok-ja already read about.

The concept is intriguing, but the quality of the CGI effects varies drastically. Yet, ironically, viewers unfamiliar with the source material might best enjoy the high campiness of the film’s cheesier indulgences. Kim Byung-woo takes big swings—that’s for sure.

Lone Samurai, in Cinema Daily US

LONE SAMURAI features some spectacular Chanbara action, choreographed and performed by the [Iko] Uwais Team, but the first, more meditative half also reflects the discipline and sacrifice demanded by the Bushido Code. CINEMA DAILY US review up here.

Thieves Highway: Modern Day Cattle Rustling

The Wild West still gets pretty wild in the same ways it always did. “Old West”-style crimes like cattle rustling might sound archaic and quaint, but they still happen quite a bit. In fact, cattle rustling often devastates small ranchers and raises the price of beef for everyone (through contracted supply and increased insurance premiums). Unfortunately, the victims are usually red state residents and red meat eaters, so the press doesn’t care. However, Frank Bennett cares and not just because it is his job in Jesse V. Johnson’s Thieves Highway, which is now playing in theaters (and releases Tuesday on digital).

Bennett carries a badge and a gun, but he works for the Department of Agriculture. He will need that gun, judging from the savage attack on his colleague during the prologue. His partner Bill will also transfer to a desk job next week, for the sake of his pregnant wife. That always tempts the movie fates. Sure enough, they are nearly run off the road by three tractor trailers loaded with rustled cattle.

Being out-manned and out-gunned, Bennett will need the help of Aksel, a crotchety old-timer with serious libertarian inclinations. He might take some convincing, but at least he is comfortable handling firearms.

There is a common prejudice that only “serious” “art” films or “truth-telling” documentaries can raise awareness for an important issue. However, working-class action movie like Thieves Highway can arguably do so much more effectively. Frankly, after watching Johnson’s latest, viewers will be convinced one of the most effective things the Federal government could do to lower beef prices would be an increased effort to prevent and prosecute rustling. (Just google “modern cattle rustling.” It’s a thing and it’s a problem.)

The screenwriter Travis Mills’ narrative is pretty simple, but it is definitely evokes the beats of traditional westerns. Aaron Eckhart has the right dignified swagger and the appropriate brooding strength to be the Will Kane of cattle. The bad guys are also colorfully villainous, including Devon Sawa as the stone-cold ringleader, Jones. However, he is overshadowed midway through by the gang’s flamboyantly fierce “surprise” collaborator. Plus, rapper Tracy “The D.O.C.” Curry is entertainingly grizzled and grouchy as old Aksel.

Submitted by Indonesia: Sore, Wife from the Future

Jonathan Riady is single, but he is romancing a married woman. Yet, she is not being unfaithful, thanks to the paradox of time-travel. The titular Sore wants to reform all her future husband’s bad habits that contributed to his early demise. However, she eventually realizes the drinking and smoking were only symptoms of a deeper issue. Ironically, considering she is a time-looping time-traveler, Sore might be running out of time to help the once-and-future love-of-her-life heal himself in director-screenwriter Yandy Laurens’ Sore: Wife from the Future, Indonesia’s official best international feature submission.

When Sore arrives, Riady is an Indonesian expat in Croatia, engaged to the very wrong Elsa. He has not yet met Sore, so he is understandably surprised to wake up next to her. Blowing up his relationship with Elsa is always the first and easiest thing he does. Then she picks the right pictures out of his archive for a proposal that jumps starts his career as a fine art photographer. However, getting him to stop drinking and smoking are always trickier.

Unfortunately, each loop inevitably reaches a point when Sore realizes she has failed once again to “save” Riady. At that stage, her nose starts to bleed, she passes out, and wakes up back at the start of the loop again. At least that is how it always seems to work. The future Ms. Riady doesn’t really know the rules and principles of time travel any better than we do. This is definitely more of a magical realism time travel, in the tradition of Somewhere in Time, which is also a good tonal comparison. However, Laurens’ cleverly makes a connection to the North Pole, which has no time zone.

Wife from the Future was a big hit domestically, maybe because local audiences were familiar with Laurens’ web series that his film was adapted from. While Dion Wiyoko reprised his original role of Riady, Sheila Dara Aisha replaced another thesp as his time-traveling wife. That is bad luck for the previous Sore, but there is no denying Aisha has a heck of a screen presence throughout the film. It is a quiet performance, but she definitely conveys both passion and angst.

The Christmas King: A Garden Cartoon Movie, on Angel

This is a not a winter festival or a family reunion. We are here to celebrate Christmas and Butch Hartman’s creation take it extremely seriously. They should, because he created the Garden Cartoon franchise with the intention of incorporating Christin themes. Hopefully, we all understand the symbolic significance of Lenny the Lion and Lucy the Lamb, who are the greatest of friends. However, they always understand there are things greater than themselves in Hartman’s The Christmas King: A Garden Cartoon Movie, “co-directed” by Nick Kalmar and Stephen Picher, which just premiered on the Angel app.

Hartman’s credits include creating franchises like Danny Phantom and The Fairly OddParents so he has extensive experience within the animation medium. Nevertheless, the visual style is fairly (so to speak) simplistic even by Nickelodeon standards, but the target demo, roughly first through fifth graders, aren’t likely to care. Hartman still incorporates a lot of slapstick humor, like when Lenny straps himself to a giant catapult. However, Hartman and company also always manage to find meaning in it all.

As it happens, the first snowflake of Christmas has landed, so Lenny and Lucy wish to take it up Christmas Mountain to the Christmas King, which is a traditional practice in the world of “The Garden.” However, they are running out of time for their pilgrimage, because “The Boss” keeps them other tasks. It is frustrating. Yet, he assures them he would never give them more than they can handle. Yes, the Boss (the remarkably resonant voice of Brian Stivale, who also did voiceover work for the upcoming David) is essentially who he sounds like. Also, many of his jobs turn out to be cool and rewarding, like dressing a colony of penguins for a penguin wedding.

There is no getting around the Christian content. Hartman and co-screenwriters Holly Housen, Raul Menza, Keith Nance, and Allen Rhodes even incorporate short, well-known passages of scripture into each lesson imparted. Of course, when you really think about it, it seems odd to complain about Christian content in a Christmas special. Seriously, where do you think the holiday came from? Also, this is a very upbeat and positive Christianity that embraces and promotes virtues like faith, friendship, fellowship, empathy, and forgiveness.

The President's Cake in The Epoch Times

Iraq's International Oscar submission THE PRESIDENT'S CAKE presents Saddam's cult of personality through the eyes of an innocent child. It is an emotionally devastating coming-of-age story and a stinging rebuke of Iraqi society under the dictator. EPOCH TIMES review up here.

Bryan Fuller’s Dust Bunny

The really good movie hitmen always turn out to be just as talented volunteering as bodyguards. Like Leon the Professional or the “Pawnbroker” in The Man from Nowhere, young Aurora’s “Intriguing Neighbor” protects her from underworld killers. He can handle the mean streets and hardboiled thugs, but Aurora’s guardian angel might also have to face a monster who would be more at home in Sendak’s Where the Wild Things Are. Of course, he does not believe in giant furry monsters, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they aren’t real in Bryan Fuller’s Dust Bunny, which opens tomorrow in theaters.

Aurora is convinced there is a monster under her bed that will “get” her if she steps foot on her floor. Her latest foster parents give her condescending assurances (less so her foster father), but then they suddenly disappear. Having grown fascinated with her neighbor across the hall, Aurora has (more-or-less rightly) deduced he is some sort of hitman, so she hires him to kill the monster under her bed.

Reasonably, her mystery neighbor assumes Aurora has created her monster story as a psychological coping device. He ruefully admits the evidence does not look good for her fosters, but he believes they were mistakenly murdered by gangsters with a score to settle with him. His enemies and competitors are indeed poking around their building, but there might just be something to what Aurora claims.

Sometimes, Fuller’s style is a little too affected, but in general, Dust Bunny is a refreshingly original urban fantasy. The colorful visuals and richly-detailed design work are often quite arresting. There is also a strain of wry, dry humor that serves as an antidote to sentimentalism.

Free Planet, Volume 1, Graphic Novel

The rebels in Robert Heinlein’s The Moon is a Harsh Mistress knew TANSTAAFL, “there’s no such thing as a for lunch.” Unfortunately, it is unclear whether the new revolutionary government on planet ‘Aides understands that principle, or if they ever will. Consequently, the new political system will be decidedly unstable on ‘Aides—make that Lutheria. Frankly, they get confused themselves. At least they still have their champions, redubbed the Freedom Guard, to fight off intergalactic threats in Aubrey Sitterson’s Free Planet Volume 1, illustrated by Jed Dougherty,  which went on-sale this week.

‘Aides, as it was once known, was a remote backwater, but it was “blessed” with rich deposits of a rare non-earth mineral coveted by the empire. It was also a safe space to sequester scientific facilities, especially those that might engage in dangerous experiments. Consequently, the planet had a large working-class population and a small but highly educated middle class that ultimately joined together to declare independence from the Empire.

Whatever you call the planet, they also benefited from an extremely charismatic military commander, Oliver Gracchon. However, instead of leading the planet through their early days of sovereignty, he retires like Cincinnatus, placing his trust and the people’s fate in the hands of the Freedom Guard. And then he gets himself kidnapped—presumably at the Empire’s behest.

Right now, you’re probably wondering about the planet’s annual GDP and trade deficit numbers. If so, Sitterson has you covered. To his credit, he takes world-building seriously. Nevertheless, the regular data-dumps and detailed ethnographic extracts often represent way too much of a good thing.

Sitterson still has identifiable characters, which is a blessing. However, their personas ae often defined by their demographic. For instance, there are two “machinist” clerics of the Teomekhean faith, orthodox and reformed, whose primary role is illustrating religious schisms. There is also the mixed human-robot relationship, which is awkwardly strained, because Commander Gloria Sunandez is ashamed to be publicly associated with Talun, in a romantic context.

Visions, Starring Diane Kruger

Honestly, it would be better if this long-haul airline captain had been boozing in the cockpit. Binge-drinking would be less distracting and less self-destructive than her unhealthy sexual obsession. Not surprisingly, her marriage might be at greater risk than her career, even though—or especially because—she suspects the object of her obsession might have been murdered in Yann Gozlan’s Visions, which releases Friday in theaters and on VOD.

Estelle Vasseur seems to have it all. When she isn’t up in the air, Vasseur lives by the beach in the south of France, with her doctor husband Guillaume. Then one day, her ex, hipster artist Ana Dale moves into the ultra-modernist beach house across the cove from her. Of course, Dale wants to rekindle things, even though their last fling ended badly, especially from Vasseur’s perspective.

At first their reunion is passionate, but it is soon evident—at least to viewers—that Dale was simply toying with her. And then she disappears. Frankly, her absence sends Vasseur further down the rabbit hole. Flashes of memory come in drips and drabs, but the realization a voyeur was watching them is understandably disturbing—assuming it really happened.

Gozlan invests heavily in the sex, presumably to fully support the subsequent obsession. However, the utter recklessness of Vasseur’s behavior stretches credibility. It is also super-uncomfortable to watch. Frankly, as thrillers go, Visions is more about exploring fractured psyches, in a Polanski kind of way, then serving up Hitchcockian suspense. Still, it should be noted, Philippe Rombi’s score so slavishly “pays homage” to Bernard Hermann, the late composer’s estate should demand royalties.

Visions represents Gozlan’s second aviation-themed thriller, following the superior Black Box. Yet, the way he depicts Vasseur’s cloistered isolation, gliding through airport priority lines, walking across tarmacs, and sealed inside secure cockpits and training simulators, really is the most distinctive aspect of Visions.

F1: The Movie, on Apple TV+

It must have been bizarrely ironic for Lewis Hamilton to see the Sphere emblazoned with the likeness of Brad Pitt in the Formula 1 racing film he produced and appeared in, as he sped through the course of the Las Vegas Grand Prix, unable to advance past the first qualifier. His Hollywood foray should have been the cherry atop the 2025 season, but instead it was the only real highlight of a frustrating year. Fortunately, everybody likes a comeback story, like that of Pitt’s character, Sonny Hayes. His first Formula 1 stint ended poorly. Since then, Hayes raced anything with four wheels, often with great success. The world of Formula 1 is less than thrilled to have him back, but for the APXGP team owner, desperate times call for desperate measures, and hiring Hayes definitely qualifies as that in Josph Krosinski’s F1: The Movie, which premieres Friday on Apple TV+.

To be fair, Hayes just helped his team win the 24 Hours of Daytona. Frankly, he wins quite regularly, but not in Formula 1. However, at this point, that is good enough for his old crony, APXGP team owner Reuben Cervantes. If his drivers do not start scoring some points, his board will shutter the operation.

Of course, Kate McKenna, the team’s technical guru is skeptical. She also resents Hayes smug confidence, so obviously we know they’re eventually getting together. That skepticism goes double for Joshua Pearce, the team’s entitled rookie, who rightly considers his position threatened by a driver who might be even older than Gen X. Nevertheless, he still looks good, as McKenna might grudgingly admit.

The next few races will be rocky, but Hayes will be Hayes. He will even scratch out some points through guile and sheer audacity. As a result, McKenna starts taking his feedback under serious consideration. Unfortunately, snake-in-the-grass board member Peter Banning sabotages their efforts, to assume control of the team.

Reportedly, Tom Cruise commenced development on a Days of Thunder sequel, but it is hard to understand why he would bother after the release of F1. Basically, Kosinski (the director of Top Gun: Maverick) just served up Brad Pitt as the Maverick of race-car drivers. Frankly, the sound and visuals are comparable to that of the Top Gun sequel—and at this point in their careers, Pitt has the greater screen charisma.

Manor of Darkness

Time loops are always scary, but the ones in horror movies are always the worst. That is because the people looping usually need to be brutally murdered to restart the cycle. This one is one of those. Unfortunately, lucky Laura is the only one who remembers she and her companions are looping in director-screenwriter Blake Ridder’s Manor of Darkness, which releases today on digital VOD.

Laura is the responsible sibling caring for her ailing mother, while her negligent brother Chris has been shirking his duties. The last time she helped Chris pull off a job, it cratered into disaster, but she needs the money, so here she is. He also recruits his girlfriend Lisa, who everyone else can tell is pregnant and Andy, whose pickpocketing and hustling skills caught his eye in the bar.

According to vague rumors, there is some great treasure hidden in Lucas’s manor house. Supposedly, Chris conned him into thinking they are a documentary crew, so they can search for the loot, but instead it was Lucas who lured them to the manor house. He claimed he intended to warn them of the loop, but Laura had already opened the evil pandora’s box, letting loose whatever the evil entity might be. As a result, only she remembers each time Lucas stabs them to death for a restart. He also tries to give them helpful advice for dealing with the loop—so yes, you could describe their relationship as complicated and stormy.

Despite Ridder’s obvious budget constraints, he managed to serve up a relatively fresh take on the horror movie time loop that does not feel like a transparent rip-off of either Happy Death Day or Until Dawn. The rewinding gamesmanship works pretty well, especially since the 82-minute film does not have time for many go-rounds.

Beast of War, on DVD/BluRay

The sinking of the HMAS Armidale was a lot like the tragedy of the U.S.S.Indianapolis. It was bad enough when both were sunk by the Imperial Japanese. Yet, for the survivors, fending off sharks in the water was even more horrifying. Everyone knows Quint’s monologue about the Indianapolis in Jaws. This is Armidale’s story, with a few dramatic liberties taken, in director-screenwriter Kiah Roache-Turner’s Beast of War, which releases tomorrow on DVD/BluRay.

Will seems ill-prepared for war, but he makes a good mate in Leo, an Aboriginal recruit who is probably the fittest for service, assuming he survives some of the racists also going through boot camp. Unfortunately, they will see little of the “proper” war, because they ship out on the Armidale, which is way too lightly armed and armored for the enemy-infested waters it set out to traverse. Their ill-fate led to a thorough review of such procedures, but that would mean little to Leo and Will as they watch a giant female great white circle their makeshift raft.

Of course, they are also stranded with Des Kelly, the worst racist of their unit, along Thompson, whose grave head wound makes his judgement dangerously unsound. It will be uncomfortably tight on that life-raft, but having a comrade to rely on, unconditionally, like Leo and Will, makes a big difference in their odds for survival. Indeed, that truly is the film’s takeaway.

Roache-Turner stays true to his genre roots by conceiving Beast of War as essentially a historically based sharksploitation horror movie. That is somewhat risky, considering many brave Australian servicemen died aboard the Armidale. It also shortchanges some of the heroes who fought and died valiantly, but it also forces viewers to confront the terrors they endured. Frankly, this is the sort of film that makes Quint look reasonable and justified.

Mark Coles Smith is also terrific as Leo. He seethes with anger, but also conveys a passion for life. Will is a much quieter, more passive character, but Joel Nankervis develops convincing and compelling comradery with Smith’s Leo, so viewers will enthusiastically root for them both to survive.

Becoming Hitchcock: The Legacy of Blackmail, on TCM

At this point, is there anything left to say about Alfred Hithcock? Hopefully yes, because filmmakers and publishers keep releasing new documentaries and books about him—and we keep buying them (or reviewing them). In a relatively recent book Henry K. Miller analyzed The Lodger, which Hitchcock himself dubbed “the first true Hitchcock.” However, director-screenwriter Laurent Bouzereau and the narrator, film critic Elvis Mitchell (who presumably agrees with him), make a compelling case for Blackmail, which released two years (and seven films) later. Whether they agree or not, any Hitchcock fan will have a jolly time watching the clips they use to illustrate their argument in Becoming Hitchcock: The Legacy of Blackmail, which airs late-night Wednesday (early Thursday morning) on TCM.

In 1929, Blackmail represented only the second legit thriller Hitchcock helmed, following The Lodger. It is also significant as the director’s first soundie (in fact, Blackmail was the very first British soundie, according to the studio marketing). It didn’t start out that way, but the production was converted to sound midway through (while a silent version was still produced and eventually released). Consequently, there is a good deal of fascinating behind-the-scenes details.

Regardless, Hitchcock arguably grasped the potential dramatic aspects of sound quicker than most filmmakers. Yet, what really makes Bouzereau’s analysis so entertaining are the echoes of Blackmail he identifies in subsequent Hitchcocks. For instance, the central character played by Anny Ondra stabs her would-be assailant in much the same manner as Grace Kelly in Dial M for Murder. Meals and paintings are important motifs that reappear in subsequent films, such as Rope and Vertigo, respectively. Yes, Ondra also launched the tradition of Hitchcock’s “classic blonde” heroines.

Submitted by Mongolia: Silent City Driver

This is about as gritty and noir as Buddhist cinema gets. There is plenty of bad karma, but little enlightenment in Ulaanbaatar, at least as far as ex-con Myagmar sees. He is not exactly a people person, so his work as a hearse driver isn’t such a bad fit. However, the rest of society is still a problem for him in Janchivdorj Sengedorj’s Silent City Driver, which Mongolia officially submitted for best international feature Oscar consideration.

The circumstances are never entirely explained, but Myagmar served several years in prison for murder. His release might be related to health issues often requiring transfusions. Unfortunately, his emotional condition is far worse. Until the funeral home hires him, Myagmar only interacts with the stay dogs he adopted. However, thanks to his work, he starts to almost befriend Sodoo, a young Buddhist monk (recently returned from Tibet), who often rides shotgun in Myagmar’s hearse.

Myagmar also develops a fascination with Saruul, the wild and worldly daughter of the funeral home’s blind coffin carver. She initially assumes it is a case of sexual obsession, but the audience will doubt whether Myagmar can still relate to women in such a way. Regardless, through his asexual stalking, Myagmar figures out Saruul has fallen victim to underworld elements that target young women like her.

In some ways, Sengedorj’s narrative (co-written with Nomuunzul Turmunkh) could play out in any major world city. However, the Buddhists themes that emerge through Myagmar’s conversations with Sodoo give the bracing conclusion even more bite. Calling the film a “slow builder” might overstate Sengedorj’s pacing, but the payoff is brutally powerful. Everything aspect of the film is very deliberately intentional.

Indeed, this is not a film you can just shake off and forget. Consequently, if Academy members take the bother of screening it, Silent City Driver could emerge as a surprise contender, even though it really isn’t currently on the awards radar. Frankly, this is also a good year for dark horses, because there are not as many heavy favorites, like (hopefully) Jafar Panahi’s It was Just an Accident (which deserves not just a nomination, but an Oscar victory).

Five Nights at Freddy's 2, in Cinema Daily US

The Henson Shop's gleefully nutty practical animatronics and the richly detailed design work are still the stars of FIVE NIGHTS AT FREDDY'S 2, but the execution and editing arenot as snappy as they were in the original FNAF. CINEMA DAILY US reviiew up here.

Come Closer: Israel’s International Submission to Last Year’s Oscars

This film’s emotional dynamics are similar to that of Just Between Friends (1986), in which Mary Tyler Moore befriends Christine Lahti, even though she was having an affair with her late husband, Ted Danson. However, one of the big, glaring differences in this case is Eden happened to be the late Nati’s sister. Technically, there was nothing shocking or scandalous about their relationship. Yet, they shared such an intimate trust, Eden’s discovery of his romance with Maya leads to feelings of jealousy, betrayal, and obsession in director-screenwriter Tom Nesher’s Come Closer, which opens today in New York.

Nati was supposed to meet Maya for a date, but instead, Eden and their hard-partying friends kidnapped him, to celebrate his birthday on the beach. He tried to sneak back to Maya once everyone else crashed, but he was fatally struck down crossing the highway. Consequently, both women will have justification for blaming the other during the heated moments to come.

When Maya and her mother attend the funeral, nobody knows who they are. Driven by unhealthy curiosity, Eden figures out who she is and what she was to her brother. Soon, Eden reluctantly accepts that their relationship was real, so she tries to befriend Maya, to better understand the secret side of Nati.

Even under ordinary circumstances, it is probably difficult befriending Eden, because she is more than a little crazy. As a result, their friendship spawns very different forms of co-dependency, while ambiguously veering into lesbian attraction. Some of the obsessive behavior rings uncomfortably true, while the sexual overtones often feel forced and exploitative.

Tom Nesher is indeed the daughter of acclaimed Israeli filmmaker Avi Nesher (who helmed Image of Victory, The Matchmaker, and The Secrets), but she has extensive experience working as a journalist for Israeli network television, so it is unfair to dismiss her as a “nepo baby.” It would also be downright mean-spirited, considering Nesher’s screenplay was inspired by her own experiences after the untimely death of her brother.

The Wailing: Spanish and Argentine Horror

You could call Andrea the child of globalization. Her French birth mother was a French expat in Argentina, who gave Andrea up for adaption, stipulating a new home for her in Spain. However, the style and atmosphere of her resulting story is very much like what expect and appreciate from Spanish horror movies. Unfortunately, a mysterious evil force show no respect for borders in director-co-screenwriter Pedro Martin-Calero’s The Wailing, which releases today on VOD.

Like most teenagers, Andrea resents her parents. She also resents Marie Montand, the woman who gave birth to her, mostly for dying before she could find her. Awkwardly, her parents only revealed her origin recently, which turned out to be way too late. Yet, rather ominously, Montand did not just surrender her daughter. She also committed suicide, after doing time for murdering a teenaged girl roughly her age. That is a lot for Andrea to unpack.

Her exchange student boyfriend Pau suggests she take time off, so she can visit him in Australia. By the way, he also asks, who is the person standing behind you in the video she sent? What person? Yes, indeed, there is a strange old man standing behind her, off to the side and in the shadows, hidden in just about all her recent videos and selfies. Slowly, Andrea starts to suspect the mystery involves an eerie old building in Madrid that looks exactly like the one Montand once inhabited in Buenos Aires.

Rewinding twenty years, Martin-Calero switches his focus to Camile, a film student, who develops a borderline obsession with Montand, an expat party girl. Briefly, she manages to bridge the gap between stalker and potential lover (don’t try this in real-life kids). However, in the process, she generates a lot of film and photos, all of which reveal a sinister figure observing Montand in the background.

By horror standards, there is very little blood and gore in The Wailing. However, it is rich in foreboding and dread. Martin-Calero builds the tension slowly but steadily. While the bifurcated structure is initially jarring, it is ultimately quite effective.

Jane Austen: Rise of a Genius, on BritBox

Watching this 3-part series, you might assume Jane Austen either committed murder or escaped from a serial killer. That is because it utilizes many techniques associated with true crime documentaries, especially the dialogue-free “dramatic” re-enactments, accompanied by breathless voice-overs. For Gen-Z’ers out there, Austen was actually a novelist. Academics, writers, and thesps associated with her work analyze her life and legacy in director-co-writer Ali Naushahi’s Jane Austen: Rise of a Genius, which premieres Friday on BritBox.

Like all great writers, Austen wrote about what she knew. Like many of her heroines, her family was upper-class, but just barely—and very definitely cash-poor. She should have been married off, but somehow it never quite worked out.

From a young age, Austen’s rector father encouraged her talent for writing, which was quite progressive of him, particularly for the time. Eventually, Austen’s fiction came to represent the family’s best hope for financial survival, especially for the unmarried or widowed women.

Naushahi and company do a great job covering the particulars of Austen’s dealings with her publishers, especially her shrewd power moves that ultimately made Emma a blockbuster. They also make a strong case for Austen as one of the first great innovators of the novel as a means of literary expression. However, they arguably inflate her status as a trailblazing woman writer. The truth is she had considerable predecessors, like Anne Radcliffe, Sarah Fielding, and Mary Wollstone. Plus, she was a contemporary of Mary Wollstonecraft Shelly, whose work might even be more influential than Austen’s.

There is a concerted effort throughout Rise of a Genius to use its subject to score as many identity politics points as it possibly can. Yet, it hardly seems worth the effort. If you cannot pick up on Austen’s social criticism from her novels, there is nothing any academic can say that would convince you. Indeed, the  quality of the assembled talking heads’ commentary varies widely. Ironically, some of the most insightful observations come from actors like Greg Wise (Sense & Sensibility), Samuel West (Persuasion), and Greta Scacchi (Emma).

Emoke Zsigmond certainly looks Austenian when portraying the author in the dramatic recreations, but since she never speaks, Naushashi largely just uses her as a prop—in much the same way Jane Austen criticized Georgian society for its objectification of women.