Musings of a Wandering Writer

2023 has been an interesting year for films. I wouldn't say it's been a bad year, but I also struggle to point to anything that's particularly blown me away with maybe the exception of The Sound of Freedom . When I heard about this film, I was immediately excited as I wondered if this would be 2023's under-appreciated dark horse like 2016's The Nice Guys or 2018's Bad Times at the El Royale . Sadly, I don't think this film will join those champions of cinema, but this one still gave me plenty to think about. 1 Where You Can Find It: This film is exclusively available on Netflix. General Information  The Killer is a crime thriller film, which was first released on 27 October 2023 to select theaters before a 10 November 2023 VoD release. It was directed by David Fincher and its screenplay was written by Andrew Kevin Walker. Erik Messerschmidt provided the cinematography for this film, and its scoring was done by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross. It was produced...

I'll never forget when one of my friends pushed Willy's Wonderland on me that I was hesitant to give that ill-fated movie a try as I believed that it was essentially just a cheap knock-off of what this would become. As someone with a super-charged ego, I must formally put into writing that I was wrong to expect so much and now look back on Nicolas Cage's thrashing of ghoulish puppets with what one might almost classify as nostalgia. To be clear: that movie wasn't all that good, which says something when I look at what this film managed to pull off. 1 Where You Can Find It: I saw this in theaters, where it's currently available. It is also available for streaming on Peacock . General Information  Five Nights at Freddy's is a horror film that was released on 27 October 2023. It was directed and co-written by Emma Tammi. The film is based on the popular horror video game franchise of the same name, which was created by Scott Cawthon, who also co-wrote the screenp...

This franchise continues to amaze me as it seemingly succeeds despite a substantial lack of consumer enthusiasm. Having seen the original film, I have yet to meet anyone that believed it was anything special beyond simply looking very pretty. With that said, I was curious to see this newest iteration primarily because it wasn't a super hero movie and I generally believe James Cameron is an amazing film maker. A lot has changed since Avatar first released in 2009, and yet this film tells us that much remains the same still too. 1 Where You Can Find It: I saw this in theaters, but it will eventually release to Disney+ subscribers at some point in the winter of 2023. General Information  Avatar: The Way of Water is a science fiction film that was released on 16 December 2022. It was directed, co-written, co-produced, and edited by James Cameron and is the sequel to Cameron's Avatar . Simon Franglen provided the scoring for this film, while cinematography was handled by Russell...

I think it's fair to say that we've all been victims of marketing campaigns before. Whether it's food, hotels, or entertainment, the negatives are frequently left out with the hope that the end-consumer will be willing to give something a try. I am ashamed to say that I fell prey to the advertisements for this particular abomination. Perhaps it was Neil Marshall's name being attached to it or the interesting plot. In any case, I guess I can attest that at least I have found a movie that's managed to make me more frustrated and angry than Resident Evil: Retribution . 1 Where You Can Find It: I saw this via Amazon Video where it is available for rent/purchase, but it is primarily available via Shudder subscribers. General Information  The Lair is a science fiction horror film that was released on 28 October 2022. It was directed and co-written by Neil Marshall with Charlotte Kirk also co-writing and starring in the film. Cinematography was done by Luke Bryant and it...

As much as I enjoyed season one of The Terror , I can't help but feel as though it's difficult to find genuinely good horror TV. Part of this, I imagine, is that scary things tend to become less scary as time goes on. This is essentially why horror films are king in the scares department as viewers are given just enough time to see what's spooky before hitting the credits. With that said, I had heard good things about this one and it looks like my curiosity paid off. 1 W here to Find It: I saw this one on Amazon Video where it is available for rental/purchase, however it is primarily available for streaming via Epix. General Information  From is a science fiction horror series that originally premiered on 20 February 2022. It was created and (primarily) written by John Griffin with Jack Bender having directed the majority of the episodes. It was primarily produced and distributed via Epix, although it looks like viewers outside of the U.S. can see this show on Netflix (luc...

There are certain things out there that may not seem all that significant to everyone but yet hold a special meaning to us due to a connection to some other event or circumstance. Many of us may recall the meal they had when they went on a first date or perhaps what was playing on the radio when they heard wonderful or horrible news. To me, I will always remember this film as it was one of the last movies I saw in theaters before the COVID-19 Pandemic ran roughshod through all of America. It's hard to believe, but it's now been nearly three years since then, so I decided I'd retake the plunge and see how it holds up. 1 Where You Can Find It: I re-watched this via Amazon Video where it is available for rent/purchase, but it is also available for Hulu subscribers. General Information  Underwater is a science fiction horror film that was released on 10 January 2020. It was directed by William Eubank and written by Brian Duffield with cinematography by Bojan Bazelli. Additi...