Displaying items by tag: Reginal Hall

SCARY MOVIE

US, 2026, 96 minutes, Colour.

Marlon Wayans, Shawn Wayans, Anna Farris, Regina Hall, Tatiana Taylor, Kenan Thompson, Dave Sheridan, Lochlyn Munro, Carmen Electra, Cheri Oteri, Chris Elliott.

Directed by Michael Tiddes.

Unsubtlety personified!  Thumbnail review – or, perhaps, Inanity personified.

Not that the filmmakers intended the film to be subtle or whatever is the opposite of inanity.

It is 20+ years since the series began and this is number six. In those early days, audiences enjoyed the references to the horror films, the parodies, and some scary moments. But, in 2026, everything is played for laughs rather than scares. And, if the audience is unsubtlety-tolerant, they will enjoy some references to horror films of recent years, the Clown, the Terrifier, but it is all mainly variations on the Scream franchise’s Ghostface, lots of Ghostfaces. Lots of Ghostface situations and menace – and slashings. Some of the veterans from the previous films appear again with references to the past and their performances and status.

At the end of the credits, there is a statement from Keenan Ivory Wayans stating that he lays all responsibility for this film on Marlon Wayans, co-writer and playing a number of roles throughout. Actually, looking at the number of times the name Wayans appears, the film seems to be a family enterprise!

Absolutely-tolerant fans only.

ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER

US, 2025, 161 minutes, Colour.

Leonardo DiCaprio, Sean Penn, Benicia del Toro, Teyana Taylor, Regina Hall, Chase Infiniti, Tony Goldwyn, James Downey, John Hoogenakkerr, Kevin Tighe, D.W.Moffat.

Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson.

An American movie with quite some frightening impact – even though there are many, many comic moments throughout. It has been written and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson who has had a significant 30 year career, many feature films and great number of music videos. For this reviewer, Magnolia and The Master stand out as well as the menacing There Will be Blood.

Anderson has said that he was interested in Thomas Pynchon’s 1984 novel for many years, seeing it as something of a futuristic vision of a disturbed United States, revolutionaries, status quo, clashes and violence… He has taken the novel as a starting point for a 21^st-century futuristic look at this kind of United States. Filming was completed by 2024 but by its release in mid 2025, it does not seem futuristic so much as a satiric imagination of Donald Trump’s America, no longer futuristic, the present. (And it will be interesting to look back on this film when the second Trump presidency ends.)

The opening is quite disturbing, intense revolutionaries, of the left, protests and sabotage down at the Mexican border, the freeing of imprisoned migrants and refugees. More than topical. And then there is the military, the revolutionaries battling the soldiers. The key revolutionary is Perfidia, played by an intense Teyana Taylor. And her comrade is explosives manager, Pat, Leonardo DiCaprio. There is an intense power and sexual struggle between Perfidia and the symbolically named soldier Lockjaw, one of Sean Penn’s best performances. The revolutionaries are shown in a collage of all kinds of explosive protests but, no spoilers, they are dramatically taken down – with unforeseen circumstances and consequences.

However, the action suddenly moves on 16 years, Pat is living with perfidious daughter, Willa, Chase Infiniti, popular at school, Pat changing his name to Bob, tough with his daughter but the consequences of drink and drugs hovering. Long story short, his daughter is taken by the military for interrogation, and Bob has to go on the run, making contact (in an exaggeratedly funny sequence where the bureaucratic revolutionary on the other end of the phone won’t accept that Bob over the years has forgotten aspects of the recognition code), making contact with Willa’s martial arts teacher, Benicia del Toro, and all kinds of action adventures on the way to the hippy convent where she has taken refuge.

Colonel Lockjaw has come up through the ranks and is being offered the opportunity to join one of those secret societies of ageing white men, the Christmas Adventurers!. A lot of satire as we sit in on meetings of the committee. But, they have the power, influence the politicians, pride themselves on racial purity… And Col lockjaw suddenly presents a problem because of his past association with Perfidia.

So, definitely one battle after another, and abuild up to quite an exciting climax with cars speeding along the highway, Willa, Bob, pursued by the elite club hitman, an extraordinary photography of highways through the desert which continuously undulate almost like a rollercoaster ride mounting to a literally smashing finale.

Somebody has noted that Steven Spielberg has seen the film several times – which does indicate that for those who found it impressive on first viewing, it would probably be even more impact the second or the third time round.

1. This film in the career of Paul Thomas Anderson? Critical acclaim? Popular response?
2. The inspiration from the novel, Vineyard, by Thomas Pynchon? The novel from 1984, Anderson developing ideas with the novel as a starting point, for the 21^st-century?
3. The scope of the film, revolutionary groups in the United States, race issues, the Mexican border, sheltering of refugees and migrants? The authorities, the role of the military and the police, increasing authoritarianism? Background of wealthy white older men and secrecy and conspiracies, elitism? Characters within this society?
4. The locations, the range of locations in California, from the forests and woods of the North, to the coastlines of the desert scenery of the South, urban El Paso?
5. The range of music, different moods, the range of songs included, lyrics? And the climactic music of road chase and the undulating terrain and tarmac, rollercoaster-like?
6. The strong cast and performances?
7. The impact of the first part of the film, France 75 and the revolutionary code and behaviour, the introduction to Perfidia, walking along the road, arrogant, in charge, Pat and his explosives, the other members of the group, the American-Mexican border, the infiltration, overcoming the troops, the confrontation with Lockjaw, her taunting him, sexually, overcoming him? The migrants and refugees, the achievement of the mission? Explosions and mayhem?
8. The members of the group, Deandra being more sympathetic, the other women? The collage of the various raids and the spectacular success, explosions, robbing banks…?
9. Perfidia, planting the bomb, Lockjaw and his intelligence, tracking her down, the confrontation, the sexual encounter, his letting her go? His threats, imprisonment, his persuading her to give names and locations, tracking down the various members, action, flights, arrests? Her escape from Lockjaw, but considered a rat by the revolutionaries?
10. Perfidia, pregnant, still acting independently, shooting ranges, going out, giving birth, the relationship with Pat, becoming the father, tending the child, the disappearance?
11. 16 years later, the child, Charlene, now called Willa, cared for by Pat, his name now Bob? At home, the style of the house, his background of drugs, the codes, the machines, his being apprehensive? Her character, independent, going to school, the martial arts classes, Sergio, the dance, the friends coming to the house, the transitional student, pronouns, they? Bob and his reaction, his treatment of Bluto and the others, her defiance? Going to the dance, the visuals of the dance?
12. Leonardo DiCaprio as Bob, addict, protective, the crisis, his friend arrested, his having to flee, trying to contact Willar, getting the help of Sergio, his shop, his contacts, the refugees, the safe house, getting them out of the house, Bob trying to make contact, not remembering the date with the code, the exasperation with the official at the end of the phone, talking to his friend, persuading him to reprimand the contact and his apology? Bob, escaping, leaping over the roofs, falling, tasered, arrested, interrogated, the contacts with the revolutionaries, his escape?
13. Lockjaw, Sean Penn’s intense impersonation of the rigid military man, Perfidia seeing him, overcome by Perfidia, the sexual taunting, his humiliation, his finding her, the sexual encounter, the birth of the child, his tracking her down, arresting her, the interrogation, her giving him the names, the disappearance to Mexico, his rising through the ranks?
14. 16 years later, his quest for his daughter, the invitation to join the Christmas Adventurers’ club, various members of the club, white, older, middle-aged, power, their meetings, discussions, the invitation to Lockjaw, the sudden discovery of the documents, summoning Tim as their action man, to eliminate Lockjaw?
15. Lockjaw, getting the help of the bounty hunter, getting the military, information about the revolutionaries, raiding the dance, taking Willa, the issue of her having a phone or not, the machines to detect her presence? The interrogations, the treatment, her reactions?
16. Deandra, her character, revolutionary, rescuing Willa, taking her to the convent, the eccentricity of the nuns, revolutionaries, marijuana? Lockjaw and his troops arriving, the interrogation of Willa’s friends and their treatment? And his DNA test?
17. Bob, in the car with Sergio, the pursuit, Sergio pushing him from the car for his escape? Bob wiring another car, going to the convent, trying to shoot Lockjaw?
18. The final showdown, the undulating roads, the hills, the rollercoaster effect, the music? And the bounty hunter, his change of heart, taking her to the hardened group, the shootout, her escape, driving? Smith and his mission to get rid of Lockjaw and Willa? His shooting Lockjaw, the crash of the car? The three cars, Willa, Smith, Bob, up and down the undulating roads? Willa and her plan, Smith crashing into her, the testing him with the codes, her shooting him? Bob, finding her, her agitation, the codes, reunited with Bob?
19. Lockjaw, surviving, scarred, coming to the club, being welcomed, his own office, seated in the office, locked in, the gas, his death, carried out?
20. Willa and Bob, mellowing a little, her going to a protest in Oakland?
21. The inspiration from Thomas Pynchon in the past, filmed during the Joe Biden presidency, released during the first year of the second Trump administration, the crises of 2020 file, refugees, power, the Trump cabinet, money and corruption…? And the future of the US?