<p>From what I can gather, this is the last of the three-picture deal that star Lindsay Lohan made with Netflix. I think it could be argued that she's saved the best for last, whether coincidentally or on purpose. I think it could also be argued that Miss Lohan may well be interested in making some new deal with the streaming service, considering how well it seems to have worked for both parties.</p><p>This film starts with Avery (Lohan) and Logan (Ian Harding) going through a difficult patch in their relationship. It might be okay though, as long as someone doesn't attempt a very public and ill-judged proposal. Oh dear. We then move forward through the years, via a bizarre collage of pop culture moments that seem to remind you of other Netflix successes every so often. Avery and Logan haven't seen each other in a long time. Avery is now in a relationship with Cameron (Jon Rudnitsky), and Logan is in a relationship with Cassie (Katie Baker). Cameron and Cassie are brother and sister, which makes things very awkward when both couples arrive at the family home they're visiting for Christmas. Hoping to avoid any unnecessary drama, Avery and Logan agree to keep their shared history secret. Logan even agrees to help Avery win over the matriarch of the house (Erica, played by Kristin Chenoweth). Unfortunately, circumstances seem to conspire against that happening.</p><p>If I listed the first few films from director Stephen Herek then you might be surprised to find him at the helm of this. Writer Hailey DeDominicis, on the other hand, only has this one credit to her name, so far. But the main thing is that both seem to work well together, with DeDominicis writing a fun bit of fluff that Herek treats well. There are a number of decent set-pieces, a few decent attempts to surprise viewers on the way to the predictable ending, and a great cast all doing their bit to help things move along nicely.</p><p>Lohan still feels as if she is finding her feet as an actress returning to leading roles, but this allows her to get that little bit closer to the likeable presence she conveyed throughout her biggest hits. She's helped enormously by the fact that she's paired up with Harding, who does a fantastic job of being quite funny and appealing without being as painfully bland as male leads in this kind of film so often are. Rudnitsky and Baker do fine, both playing the characters that viewers know must be somehow pushed out of the way before the whole thing ends, Jake Brennan is fun as the third sibling who hopes to profit from the whole situation, and there's time for some fun with the likes of Dan Bucatinsky, Tim Meadows, Judy Reyes, Chris Parnell, and Henry Czerny. Chenoweth is the other main star player though, given a lot of screentime and plenty of opportunity to revel in her ability to strike fear into the hearts of those who don't do things the way that she likes them done. She's a suitably tricky problem for Lohan to try and work around, and the difficulty of staying on her good side helps Lohan and Harding to reconnect as they work together on their secret plan.</p><p>The strange opening credit sequence aside, this generally works better than many other Christmas rom-coms I have watched this year. A lot of that is to do with the cast, particularly Lohan and Harding making such a good pairing to root for, but it's also the screenplay and direction. It avoids feeling too cheap, often getting very close to looking and feeling like *gasp* a proper movie at times, and fans of the main cast members should find plenty to keep them entertained. It's not a "proper" movie though, not really, and there are still moments interspersed throughout the runtime that serve as a strong reminder of that. <br/></p><p>6/10</p><p>If you have enjoyed this, or any other, review on the blog then do consider the following ways to show your appreciation. 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<p>Australian writer-director Alice Maio Mackay (working here once again with co-writer Benjamin Pahl Robinson) is a ridiculously young and prolific film-maker. She's also transgender, which helps to inform and layer her filmography. It's just a shame that her talent doesn't yet equal her enthusiasm, BUT <b>Carnage For Christmas</b> shows how far she has come since her debut feature, <b><a href="https://foritismansnumber.blogspot.com/2022/09/shudder-saturday-so-vam-2022.html">So Vam</a></b>. There continues to be something to be said, however, in favour of the past times when young aspiring film-makers would have more time to learn the craft as they struggled and hustled to find the funds and resources to get their films made. The worst elements of <b>Carnage For Christmas</b> are the ones that feel as if Mackay took the quickest and cheapest option when a bit of time and care might have reaped greater reward.</p><p>Jeremy Moinea plays Lola, a true-crime podcaster who heads home for the Christmas holiday. Heading home at that time of year can be stressful, even more so when you're a trans woman, and things get worse when someone starts a killing spree, endangering those in the present, many of them also being aware of similar killings that happened some time in the past.</p><p>It's very frustrating to see how Mackay seems content to churn out features that don't feel properly finished. The acting, the special effects, and even the plotting and dialogue all feel wildly varying in quality and half-assed. She has improved in a number of ways, mainly in the strength of the main ideas being explored, but has remained disappointingly stuck in other ways. </p><p>Moineau is a decent lead, which helps the movie immensely. She's not the best at the actual acting, but her presence and attitude more than makes up for that, and she's someone worth rooting for as she wades into increasingly dangerous waters. Dominique Booth isn't bad, playing Lola's sister, Zarif does enough to make his few scenes work, and Tumelo Nthupi and Joe Romeo manage to stand out from a surprisingly crowded supporting cast.</p><p>It's a shame that there isn't a bit more done here to comment on the very popular true-crime podcasting bubble, although other films have already made good headway through that fertile ground, but at least Mackay uses some of the brief runtime (this clocks in at just about 70 minutes) to explore another side of the trans experience. I won't detail any more here, I don't want to spoil anything that majorly contributes to the plotting, but Mackay feels like a stronger voice when depicting specific issues that surely come from a place of personal experience.</p><p>I still have a few other features helmed by Mackay to watch, but I'm not optimistic about any of them feeling fully-formed and fully worth my time. The slight upward trajectory of her abilities have helped me become just a little bit more enthusiastic though. I'll keep supporting her for a while yet, and I'll be absolutely delighted if she one day realises that she can help herself immensely by learning to walk more steadily before trying to run.<br/></p><p>4/10</p><p>If you have enjoyed this, or any other, review on the blog then do consider the following ways to show your appreciation. A subscription/follow costs nothing, and ALL of the links you need are here - <a href="https://linktr.ee/raidersofthepodcast">https://linktr.ee/raidersofthepodcast</a><br/>Or you may have a couple of quid to throw at me, in Ko-fi form - <a href="https://ko-fi.com/kevinmatthews">https://ko-fi.com/kevinmatthews</a><br/>Or Amazon is nice at this time of year - <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/hz/wishlist/ls/Y1ZUCB13HLJD?ref_=wl_share">https://www.amazon.co.uk/hz/wishlist/ls/Y1ZUCB13HLJD?ref_=wl_share</a></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMyW8R9bgQOTwMjz4v0dRcDPe6tgIm0JeCvBbJP4JhvknjGmqtb6a3HxlZ3HkFtnLiB_fMsJNpxn1vY3XDcrmq1bUo_9CnYA6Xw9lruuiFJp-aeExvvilP1XNQrn2YNv-jTGg9ElpvIf-50qXnks9tXXq1Cr9sRL5yqbrSASeptfdnySCzQKaWekDhje1k/s974/Screenshot%202024-12-14%20at%2022.10.19.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="974" data-original-width="866" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMyW8R9bgQOTwMjz4v0dRcDPe6tgIm0JeCvBbJP4JhvknjGmqtb6a3HxlZ3HkFtnLiB_fMsJNpxn1vY3XDcrmq1bUo_9CnYA6Xw9lruuiFJp-aeExvvilP1XNQrn2YNv-jTGg9ElpvIf-50qXnks9tXXq1Cr9sRL5yqbrSASeptfdnySCzQKaWekDhje1k/w356-h400/Screenshot%202024-12-14%20at%2022.10.19.png" width="356"/></a></div><p></p> <div style="clear: both;"></div>

<p>I've seen two films this year that deliver a premise of Christmas potentially being ruined by an unruly group of siblings. The first one was <b><a href="https://foritismansnumber.blogspot.com/2024/12/nutcrackers-2024.html">Nutcrackers</a></b>. The second one is this, based on a novel by Barbara Robinson that was previously adapted into a TV movie back in the early 1980s. This is the better of the two films, but it's a surprisingly close call, considering how the third act almost undoes the goodwill earned throughout the first two acts.</p><p>Judy Greer plays Grace, a woman who ends up inadvertently in charge of her town's Christmas pageant. It's kind of a big deal, and looks to be thrown into chaos when the Herdmans decide they want to participate this year. The Herdmans are a group of brothers and sisters who have a reputation for causing mischief and mayhem wherever they go. They bully other kids and sneer at most adults. But maybe having them be part of the pageant will help others in the town remember the real meaning of Christmas. Or maybe it will just provide extra stress for Grace, her husband (Bob, played by Pete Holmes), their daughter (Beth, played by Molly Belle Wright as a youngster, and Lauren Graham when older/in her capacity as narrator), and their son (Charlie, played by Sebastian Billingsley-Rodriguez).</p><p>Now that I have browsed through the filmographies of writers Ryan Swanson, Platte F. Clarke, and Darin McDaniel, as well as that of director Dallas Jenkins, it's easier to see why <b>The Best Christmas Pageant Ever</b> is how it is. What could have been an entertaining mix of comedy, emotional manipulation, and Christmas cheer ends up eventually locking in on the messaging, to either preach to the converted or try to win others over. You still get some emotional manipulation, as expected, but the early promise of laughs being mixed in to sugar-coat the religious pill is discarded for most of the second half of the movie.</p><p>The real shame here is how the cast seem to be wasted, especially when they have so much fun with the scenes setting things up in the first half of the movie. Greer and Holmes work very well as the parents, both Wright and Billingsley-Rodriguez are fantastic as the kids initially overwhelmed by, and afraid of, the Herdmans, and Beatrice Schneider is fantastic as the young girl, Imogene, playing mother hen to her chaotic cluster of siblings. The fact that these main cast members all do so well throughout, as does the rest of the supporting cast (special mention for Kyle Heiman being great as young Gladys), is part of the reason why the film still works well enough, but it's a real shame that they end up feeling rather subdued as the message of the movie starts to overshadow the performances.</p><p>Some will enjoy this a lot more than I did, and I'm well aware of the fact that me wishing the movie was something a bit different won't seem fair to those who wish for something Christmassy that, well, remembers to put the Christ back in Christmas (for want of a better phrase). It still needed a bit more though, and Jenkins isn't a good enough director to distract viewers from the times in which the movie grinds to a halt to hammer home the main point. There's still plenty to enjoy here, but a lot of people might feel as if they've been forced to attend a sermon as the end credits roll. Which wouldn't be entirely incorrect.<br/></p><p>6/10</p><p>If you have enjoyed this, or any other, review on the blog then do consider the following ways to show your appreciation. A subscription/follow costs nothing, and ALL of the links you need are here - <a href="https://linktr.ee/raidersofthepodcast">https://linktr.ee/raidersofthepodcast</a><br/>Or you may have a couple of quid to throw at me, in Ko-fi form - <a href="https://ko-fi.com/kevinmatthews">https://ko-fi.com/kevinmatthews</a><br/>Or Amazon is nice at this time of year - <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/hz/wishlist/ls/Y1ZUCB13HLJD?ref_=wl_share">https://www.amazon.co.uk/hz/wishlist/ls/Y1ZUCB13HLJD?ref_=wl_share</a></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz6SqnEZKCE6kJlj6K3DFQnCt0X8lix2Q6u09UF-lJWep4gDZftjNNb4KGevoZPMGOIXXyhAmgmeGE5Y2in2XSfedAR8MHZVpXLj9Pk0YjTDa1Tsx05PhuEOVO0lb4PfHzmoMrRZUGAHWmYMivzn7HFyVHq-is8qnRAtKf6V94hFDo7uD2gOWeuD67cwvU/s846/Screenshot%202024-12-14%20at%2022.33.25.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="846" data-original-width="782" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz6SqnEZKCE6kJlj6K3DFQnCt0X8lix2Q6u09UF-lJWep4gDZftjNNb4KGevoZPMGOIXXyhAmgmeGE5Y2in2XSfedAR8MHZVpXLj9Pk0YjTDa1Tsx05PhuEOVO0lb4PfHzmoMrRZUGAHWmYMivzn7HFyVHq-is8qnRAtKf6V94hFDo7uD2gOWeuD67cwvU/w370-h400/Screenshot%202024-12-14%20at%2022.33.25.png" width="370"/></a></div><p></p> <div style="clear: both;"></div>

<p>I cannot fully convey to everyone just how excited I was when I heard that we were getting another feature-length Wallace &amp; Gromit adventure. Not just another outing for the pair, but a feature. I have loved this animated duo ever since watching them have <a href="https://letterboxd.com/kevin_matthews/film/a-grand-day-out/">a little trip to the moon</a>, and <a href="http://foritismansnumber.blogspot.com/2014/05/ani-may-tion-month-wallace-and-gromit.html">their last feature remains a favourite of mine</a>. The fact that <b><a href="https://letterboxd.com/kevin_matthews/film/the-wrong-trousers/">The Wrong Trousers</a></b> has some gags that never fail to make me chuckle also increased my enthusiasm for this, considering that it continues a story started in that near-perfect short.</p><p>Life has settled into a fairly content and settled pattern for our two main characters. Yes, the bills are starting to pile up, but Wallace thinks he can ease their situation with another cracking invention. He invents a smart gnome, Norbot (voiced by Reece Shearsmith), and soon gets some attention from those wanting to make use of the gadget. Not everyone wants to use Norbot for good though. Feathers McGraw, imprisoned for his attempted diamond theft, figures out a way to access some computers and hack into the smart gnome operating system. </p><p>Although it's now Ben Whitehead voicing Wallace, Peter Sallis (aka Wallace Prime) passed away back in 2017, everything here feels reassuringly familiar and consistent. Nick Park is once again a stickler for detail, something that comes through in his co-directing with Merlin Crossingham and the story shaped into a full screenplay by writer Mark Burton. All three men are familiar with the characters, and the Aardman Animations house style (especially when it comes to the many visual gags, the puns, and the wonderfully British filter on common Hollywood movie tropes), and the commitment to making every scene and sequence the best it can possibly be shines through every single minute of the 79-minute runtime.</p><p>Aside from Whitehead, who is a great fit for Wallace, and the fun robo-voice provided by Shearsmith, there's room for the vocal stylings of Peter Kay and Lauren Patel (playing two representatives of the long arm of the law), Diane Morgan (playing a TV news reporter), Muzz Khan, Lenny Henry, and one or two others. Of course, the non-speaking parts are just as amusing, if not more so, and it's a real treat to once again have a big chuckle surprised out of me by the facial expressions of an exasperated Gromit and the nefarious Feathers McGraw.</p><p>Composer Lorne Balfe provides the score this time around, although the transition is so seamless that you'd be forgiven for thinking it was still in the experienced hands of Julian Nott (responsible for the music in every past main Wallace &amp; Gromit adventure), and both the music and various sound effects perfectly complement the visuals, which are stuffed full of details, jokes, and delightful references to other movies.</p><p>It may not be their VERY best, but this is easily another animated outing that shows why Aardman Animations has long been a deserving part of any conversation about films that constitute the crème de la crème of family entertainment.<br/></p><p>8/10</p><p>If you have enjoyed this, or any other, review on the blog then do consider the following ways to show your appreciation. A subscription/follow costs nothing, and ALL of the links you need are here - <a href="https://linktr.ee/raidersofthepodcast">https://linktr.ee/raidersofthepodcast</a><br/>Or you may have a couple of quid to throw at me, in Ko-fi form - <a href="https://ko-fi.com/kevinmatthews">https://ko-fi.com/kevinmatthews</a><br/>Or Amazon is nice at this time of year - <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/hz/wishlist/ls/Y1ZUCB13HLJD?ref_=wl_share">https://www.amazon.co.uk/hz/wishlist/ls/Y1ZUCB13HLJD?ref_=wl_share</a></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCG597Y5G4KzN3d4fGHnQzyuIQNhEWElVyf3CLz40j-w4lgY7tyENru3cRB-KbdNPtwVBBeKjf_9cdsSB7JWn_VVZgQaSIgR8JwIVAd3drcE1F3ReJj62_IQlHBrnczmG51ruEKMmijOoVfCyMsM9-biA2LevKIW3gXb0W1OD58WW_8Ym6ESpzt2En51Uf/s1058/Screenshot%202024-12-14%20at%2021.54.51.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="906" data-original-width="1058" height="343" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCG597Y5G4KzN3d4fGHnQzyuIQNhEWElVyf3CLz40j-w4lgY7tyENru3cRB-KbdNPtwVBBeKjf_9cdsSB7JWn_VVZgQaSIgR8JwIVAd3drcE1F3ReJj62_IQlHBrnczmG51ruEKMmijOoVfCyMsM9-biA2LevKIW3gXb0W1OD58WW_8Ym6ESpzt2En51Uf/w400-h343/Screenshot%202024-12-14%20at%2021.54.51.png" width="400"/></a></div> <div style="clear: both;"></div>

<p>I saw the title of this film, I watched the trailer for it, and I still chose to watch the full thing. Sure, it was a gimmick, but so was <b><a href="https://foritismansnumber.blogspot.com/2014/12/grumpy-cats-worst-christmas-ever-2014.html">Grumpy Cat's Worst Christmas Ever</a></b>, and I kind of enjoyed that. It turns out that I was also able to enjoy this one.</p><p>Michele Simms is Karen, a woman defined by her very Karen-ness. She spends her days complaining and judging others, asking for the manager, acting hard done by after every slightest inconvenience, and generally making life difficult for those around her. It's time for an intervention, one that will have her spending time with three spirits. Gary (Rolin Alexis) will show her the past, Joy (Leyla Lawrence) will make her aware of other things happening in the present, and Damon (Lee Karlinsky) will show her a possible future. I'm sure you can guess how everything ends, especially when you find out that there's an estranged gay brother (Todd, played by Clint Robinson), and a young girl with leukaemia (Nia, played by Amina Massai).</p><p>Written by Jon Binkowski, who also co-directed with Lisa Enos Smith, this is an enjoyable and fun reworking of the classic, and malleable, Charles Dickens tale. Instead of being greedy, our central figure is extremely privileged, but everything else feels absolutely in line with a typical Scrooge. Karen may fill herself up with wine at every opportunity, but it doesn't help her to have enough Christmas spirit.</p><p>Simms is a lot of fun in the main role, making the most of the many little comedic touches to keep her character enjoyable even as she spends some time hanging on to the mean part of herself that needs to change in time for Christmas. Massai is a sweet and lovely Tiny Tim substitute, and her parents (played by Ashley Jones and Chris Greene) also do their bit to exemplify the best of human nature. As for the important ghosts, who all come along after a fun announcement from a harbinger named Jackie Morley (Meghan Moroney), Alexis and Lawrence are both a real hoot. Karlinsky is fine, but is stuck playing his character as someone slightly bored and impatient with people who don't always get the obvious message as quickly as they should.</p><p>While it has some of the flaws I expected, such as sometimes struggling to fill the many supporting roles with people who feel natural onscreen, <b>A Christmas Karen</b> is surprisingly easy to praise. The biggest problem it has is the pacing, which is mainly down to the script feeling a bit unimaginative with the ghost of Christmas future and then taking too long to show the post-ghost resolution for the main character. Otherwise, kudos to the film-makers for sprinkling everything with some pretty solid gags, having some key players in pivotal roles (Simms, Alexis, and Lawrence being the highlights), and even managing to make the world of the movie feel more real and properly populated than most low-budget movies manage.</p><p>It's a shame that this stumbles along for so much of the third act, because so much was going well before that. I still recommend it, especially to those already chuckling at the title alone, but it doesn't do enough to get way ahead of the more traditional Christmas movies you can choose from at this time of year.<br/></p><p>6/10</p><p>If you have enjoyed this, or any other, review on the blog then do consider the following ways to show your appreciation. A subscription/follow costs nothing, and ALL of the links you need are here - <a href="https://linktr.ee/raidersofthepodcast">https://linktr.ee/raidersofthepodcast</a><br/>Or you may have a couple of quid to throw at me, in Ko-fi form - <a href="https://ko-fi.com/kevinmatthews">https://ko-fi.com/kevinmatthews</a><br/>Or Amazon is nice at this time of year - <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/hz/wishlist/ls/Y1ZUCB13HLJD?ref_=wl_share">https://www.amazon.co.uk/hz/wishlist/ls/Y1ZUCB13HLJD?ref_=wl_share</a></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdGHZIUsMW5seQraM8bYrVt3a_3Qg3P_coRAWVg_OdX-4DKZpQ1V15zfHIrWmoMscLTbMLF4wbScLVra-mO6TxqkkcjM3zk-0C4j9GZn9svwinQwiat-njzobXV1VsTbF0igfFoqCBzs6WFV19khqfFTCTOFR1WHdo28BL-T2REC_wfWOyKDobYvvPhdx8/s952/Screenshot%202024-12-14%20at%2022.31.12.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="952" data-original-width="854" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdGHZIUsMW5seQraM8bYrVt3a_3Qg3P_coRAWVg_OdX-4DKZpQ1V15zfHIrWmoMscLTbMLF4wbScLVra-mO6TxqkkcjM3zk-0C4j9GZn9svwinQwiat-njzobXV1VsTbF0igfFoqCBzs6WFV19khqfFTCTOFR1WHdo28BL-T2REC_wfWOyKDobYvvPhdx8/w359-h400/Screenshot%202024-12-14%20at%2022.31.12.png" width="359"/></a></div><p></p> <div style="clear: both;"></div>

<p>Recently making up for lost time, I managed to treat myself to a double-bill of <b><a href="http://foritismansnumber.blogspot.com/2024/12/adult-swim-yule-log-2022.html">Adult Swim Yule Log</a></b> and this sequel. While I knew this was a sequel, I didn't expect it to actually lead on from the events of the first film. I mistakenly assumed that both films would just make use of the traditional yule log visual to frame whatever story writer-director Casper Kelly wanted to tell. What Kelly has instead delivered is something much more impressive, two separate instalments working in different ways, but also perfectly complementing one another to provide one brilliant tale of Christmas madness.</p><p>Andrea Laing is Zoe, a woman quite rightly terrified and scarred by the traumatic events of <b>Adult Swim Yule Log</b>. Still believing that she is in danger, she is convinced to get herself away for the holiday season, somewhere she can just lay low and avoid the trappings of Christmas. That looks far less likely when she ends up stranded in the little town of Mistletoe, a place that pretty much positions Zoe in the middle of a standard Hallmark Christmas movie. There are a number of clumsy hunks, a nice man who owns a small business (played by Michael Shenefelt), and an irritating influencer (Jesse Malinowski) who might be useful as Zoe tries to find a way out of the town. To say any more would risk spoiling some of the dubious delights here, and there IS a lot more packed into this.</p><p>With different targets in sight this time around, Kelly shows how good they are at crafting material informed by the style and genre tropes being played around with. This has a number of obvious gags and plot points, but also makes use of standard aesthetics to push things further (we have changes in lighting, music, and even aspect ratios as our lead character moves from potential horror to potential Hallmark moments). Arguably the most impressive part of the whole thing, however, is how it manages to feel like such a natural progression from the first film while also including even more head-spinning turns and tangents.</p><p>Laing is very good in the main role, playing her part as a pretty straightforward potential final girl, even when in the Hallmark festive rom-com scenes. She's the heart of the movie, and it helps that she is just as much aware of the tropes swirling and clashing around her as the viewers are. Shenefelt is good fun as he plays up the unbelievable sweetness of his character, Malinowski is a fun and brash presence, and Sharon Blackwood (playing Nana), Asher Alexander (as Jason), Chase Steven Anderson (as Jakester), and everyone else excel, whether they're providing comic relief or at risk of being caught in the middle of the surreal yule log terrors.</p><p>Absolutely superb stuff from start to finish, although it often feels a bit more subdued and traditional with how the narrative plays out (compared to the first film), <b>Adult Swim Yule Log 2: Branchin' Out</b> is further proof that people should keep giving Kelly the resources and opportunities to make any kind of films that he wants to make. Because the results have been consistently brilliant so far.<br/></p><p>8/10</p><p>If you have enjoyed this, or any other, review on the blog then do consider the following ways to show your appreciation. A subscription/follow costs nothing, and ALL of the links you need are here - <a href="https://linktr.ee/raidersofthepodcast">https://linktr.ee/raidersofthepodcast</a><br/>Or you may have a couple of quid to throw at me, in Ko-fi form - <a href="https://ko-fi.com/kevinmatthews">https://ko-fi.com/kevinmatthews</a><br/>Or Amazon is nice at this time of year - <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/hz/wishlist/ls/Y1ZUCB13HLJD?ref_=wl_share">https://www.amazon.co.uk/hz/wishlist/ls/Y1ZUCB13HLJD?ref_=wl_share</a></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPNPfJQeuVwsP4ArmCVSNpv7Vm4yo7EqJxFqe6KJ4ekpzoUYBZnulBoI2Ka0hmDjynd7inTU2xxnhWFjC5j5KkI_j0jtkYIUKHZPeYeAhaEyvMjDmaeN0NLGJdJVul8r05hmxBgr1ABmpq8YuBP4sUw4AmmFNTDGkeHlbduhbBADeTZsFIbtA6Am4bLBgx/s1368/Screenshot%202024-12-14%20at%2021.33.24.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="554" data-original-width="1368" height="163" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPNPfJQeuVwsP4ArmCVSNpv7Vm4yo7EqJxFqe6KJ4ekpzoUYBZnulBoI2Ka0hmDjynd7inTU2xxnhWFjC5j5KkI_j0jtkYIUKHZPeYeAhaEyvMjDmaeN0NLGJdJVul8r05hmxBgr1ABmpq8YuBP4sUw4AmmFNTDGkeHlbduhbBADeTZsFIbtA6Am4bLBgx/w400-h163/Screenshot%202024-12-14%20at%2021.33.24.png" width="400"/></a></div><p></p> <div style="clear: both;"></div>

<p>The more films I watch, or rewatch, from Spike Lee, the more I am inclined to shout at everyone around me about him being one of the most sadly under-appreciated master directors of modern cinema. I'm not saying that every film he does works, and there are many elements that you can dissect and argue over in even his best films, but, more often than not, the man knows how to make his points. That sometimes means bringing the film to an end with a number of people addressing the viewer directly in a plea for them to understand the point, to empathise with long-held grievances against social injustices and racism that are, despite being given some modern alterations, just as painful today as they have been decades ago.</p><p><b>Malcolm X</b> is a biopic of the titular figure, but it's also so much more than that. It's a celebration of a man who had his fair share of problems, and it's another scorching statement from Lee on the need to accept human flaws when those humans end up working hard to embolden and progress people who have spent too many years abused and held down.</p><p>Denzel Washington takes on the title role, and he delivers a performance that may well be the best he's ever delivered. If you're at all familiar with his work then you'll know that is no slight compliment. Malcolm X is shown from the earliest scenes to be a charming and magnetic presence. He's also shown to be a bit of a criminal, and quite fearless about it. This puts him in the orbit of West Indian Archie (Delroy Lindo), but also eventually puts him in prison. That's when his life starts to change, eventually, and he grows more fully into the man that would make such an impact on the African American community, and a major impact on the life of Betty Shabazz (Angela Bassett).</p><p>It’s hard to be even-handed in praising <b>Malcolm X</b>, as it is hard to be even-handed with so many other Lee films that feel unfairly forgotten or neglected nowadays. Is this his masterpiece? Maybe. It’s definitely a strong contender, and the only reason I cannot rate it here and now as his very best is due to the quality of his output throughout his career. It’s certainly not perfect, but that feels nicely in alignment with the imperfect figure at the centre of it.</p><p>Everyone onscreen is doing great work, which is to be expected when you read through the cast list, but even the brilliant Lindo and Bassett are overshadowed by the brilliance of Washington here. It doesn’t unbalance the film though, and is no criticism of their performances. It is exactly how it should be, considering the power this man had over so many others, and the energy he could pass along to motivate others.</p><p>The pacing is the only main issue I have with this, but it’s easy to see why Arnold Perl and Lee would have a problem deciding what to leave out of any screenplay adaptation of the autobiography of Malcolm X. I am happy that they tried to give us too much as opposed to not nearly enough.</p><p>Like so many other Lee features, this is riveting, passionate, angry, intelligent, and quick to underline major problems that continue to affect people every single day. I am sure that it’s not a coincidence that the same words could be used to describe Malcolm X himself.</p><p>9/10</p><p>If you have enjoyed this, or any other, review on the blog then do consider the following ways to show your appreciation. A subscription/follow costs nothing, and ALL of the links you need are here - <a href="https://linktr.ee/raidersofthepodcast">https://linktr.ee/raidersofthepodcast</a><br/>Or you may have a couple of quid to throw at me, in Ko-fi form - <a href="https://ko-fi.com/kevinmatthews">https://ko-fi.com/kevinmatthews</a><br/>Or Amazon is nice at this time of year - <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/hz/wishlist/ls/Y1ZUCB13HLJD?ref_=wl_share">https://www.amazon.co.uk/hz/wishlist/ls/Y1ZUCB13HLJD?ref_=wl_share</a></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3rlutMyQ6bPIDN12zwdNosE6RBzwLUaKv5whONjSAYWbg3YDUS-LaShDcZUkcKk8R_UIf8wsGD5skUcQkNG0rS-y2OODaM_DBw3_z3_fMb5FvPS_f_SsFkeVvHqN39ATMTg0HEiv8hQdmD2HP2lXrBG84DervJOdCnoC-TFbG4OscaCcCdX3eMB77Ach_/s1000/Screenshot%202024-12-14%20at%2021.48.27.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="882" data-original-width="1000" height="353" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3rlutMyQ6bPIDN12zwdNosE6RBzwLUaKv5whONjSAYWbg3YDUS-LaShDcZUkcKk8R_UIf8wsGD5skUcQkNG0rS-y2OODaM_DBw3_z3_fMb5FvPS_f_SsFkeVvHqN39ATMTg0HEiv8hQdmD2HP2lXrBG84DervJOdCnoC-TFbG4OscaCcCdX3eMB77Ach_/w400-h353/Screenshot%202024-12-14%20at%2021.48.27.png" width="400"/></a></div><p></p> <div style="clear: both;"></div>

<p>While people may check this out because it is labelled, in some places anyway, as a comedy horror, I'd warn people against using that as an indicator of what they may be in for. Personally, there's nothing here that feels like real horror, not when thinking of most of the genre standards anyway, and the comedy is about as twisted and black as you can get. <b>Bloody Oranges</b> is best considered a dark comedy that is SO dark that you can't always see the humour. I'm not sure whether I will ever watch it again, and it took a while for everything to click into place on this viewing, but I am sure that I'm now intrigued by the (currently quite small) filmograhpy of director Jean-Christophe Meurisse, who also co-wrote the thing with Yohann Gloaguen and Amélie Philippe.</p><p>The main players here are an elderly couple (played by Olivier Saladin and Lorella Cravotta) who are hoping to win enough money in a dance competition to help them clear the debt they have accrued, a lawyer (Alexandre Steiger) who is trying to make the world a better place, a government minister (Christophe Paou) who isn't, and a young woman (Lilith Grasmug) nervous about potentially having sex for the first time. There are also a couple of important characters played by Pascal Tagnati and Fred Blin. All of these people, some related to one another and some not, find their lives interconnecting in a number of ways, and they're all about to go through various ordeals.</p><p>Starting off in a slightly quirky way that could lull unsuspecting viewers into a false sense of security, <b>Bloody Oranges</b> tilts into full-on madness about halfway through the runtime. While it doesn't go as far as the titles I am about to mention, there's a feeling of this having tissue connected to films as uncomfortable and brutal as <b><a href="https://www.flickfeast.co.uk/feature/serbian-film-aka-srpski-film-2010/">A Serbian Film</a> </b>and <b>Salò, or the 120 Days Of Sodom</b>. Many of the main characters here feel as if they are trapped in a dehumanising and devouring society that has too many holes in what should be a giant safety net for all. Whether abuser or victim, the resulting damage has the same repercussions through the lives of people who are only a few degrees separated from people they may not even be aware of.</p><p>All of the cast members are excellent, and everyone pitches their performance towards the seriousness of their actions, leaving Meurisse to deliver any potential comedy via juxtaposition and the commentary that weaves through many of the main scenes. Steiger and Grasmug are the standouts, although both Tagnati and Blin steal a couple of moments, but there's nobody onscreen I can fault.</p><p>This is one of those films that keeps reminding you that somebody is puppeteering everyone onscreen though, and Meurisse is the one pulling the strings. He doesn't seem to have mastered every move, but his anger and cynicism make up for the narrative mis-steps and pacing issues. This feels like a balled fist. The eventual punch may miss the mark, but it still manages to clip you on the chin and leave you a bit taken aback by the impact.<br/></p><p>7/10</p><p>If you have enjoyed this, or any other, review on the blog then do consider the following ways to show your appreciation. A subscription/follow costs nothing, and ALL of the links you need are here - <a href="https://linktr.ee/raidersofthepodcast">https://linktr.ee/raidersofthepodcast</a><br/>Or you may have a couple of quid to throw at me, in Ko-fi form - <a href="https://ko-fi.com/kevinmatthews">https://ko-fi.com/kevinmatthews</a><br/>Or Amazon is nice at this time of year - <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/hz/wishlist/ls/Y1ZUCB13HLJD?ref_=wl_share">https://www.amazon.co.uk/hz/wishlist/ls/Y1ZUCB13HLJD?ref_=wl_share</a></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGdPbMK2J4WZPfs81NJcz29RJiQLszAbnsXxWwuZVUolkIWQiHz3TyrriCiDxIR7k0y9ZAOHEm9J1vL3VCZvD7p0nlGle5JC_xJmQ6SVREKrFXzMIzHteOtAi3XJ3lC0nUw_sCveXGymRR93s4SYSau87UKyX-FFBYAMAmKi4uP_KOcWHSUwpmJt2sej2I/s576/Screenshot%202024-12-14%20at%2022.08.10.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="314" data-original-width="576" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGdPbMK2J4WZPfs81NJcz29RJiQLszAbnsXxWwuZVUolkIWQiHz3TyrriCiDxIR7k0y9ZAOHEm9J1vL3VCZvD7p0nlGle5JC_xJmQ6SVREKrFXzMIzHteOtAi3XJ3lC0nUw_sCveXGymRR93s4SYSau87UKyX-FFBYAMAmKi4uP_KOcWHSUwpmJt2sej2I/w400-h217/Screenshot%202024-12-14%20at%2022.08.10.png" width="400"/></a></div><p></p> <div style="clear: both;"></div>

<p>AKA <b>Meet Me At The Christmas Train Parade</b>.</p><p>A small town. A person looking to change that small town with some big development money. A tradition that ended some time ago, but could be ripe for resurrection. <b>The Christmas Train Parade</b> has exactly what you expect this kind of film to have. There's also the nice atmosphere that is both chilly and cosy, a pair of leads who start to grow closer very quickly, and no jagged edges to interrupt the big hug that it delivers in the predictable finale. <br/></p><p>Emma Johnson is Charlotte Atkins, our lead character, who is spurred on by her son, Benny (Maxwell Jones), to see if there's a way to bring back the Christmas train ride tradition that used to symbolise the strong connection between the town and those neighboring it. If she can make it work then that will also show a united front against the developers who want to muscle in. Thankfully, she will be helped by a local teacher, Zackary (Ryan Northcott), who has a lot of knowledge about the history of the town. More importantly, he also has a friend, Oliver (John Hudson), who seems to know a thing or two about repairing trains.</p><p>Writer Nathan Usher may only have two full features and a short to his name, but he knows what is needed in this piece of fluff. It helps that Dylan Pearce is directing, considering he has, like a number of others, made quite a few of these snowy sweet treats. I'm amazed that I've not actually seen any of the other titles directed by Pearce, not YET anyway, but most of them look as if they could comfortably fit on that Letterboxd list titled "<a href="https://letterboxd.com/ricomcpato/list/christmas-movie-posters-with-white-heterosexual/">Christmas movie posters with white heterosexual couples wearing red and green</a>." Which feels like an endorsement when it comes to this kind of stuff.</p><p>Johnson and Northcott are perfectly fine in their roles, but this film managed to help me figure out the problem that films like this sometimes have. When the plot makes use of a child in the way that this does then these Christmas films tend to infantilise the adults, at least in the scenes that have them sharing screentime with the special and wise youngster. Which wouldn't be so bad if the child actors were exceptional, but they rarely are. Jones is in line with many other child actors I've seen in these movies AKA not exceptional. Michelle Todd, Sue Huff, and Will Brisbin don't do too bad as the three mayors who need to be convinced on the merits of bringing back this particular tradition (all three have various reasons for being hesitant), and Maureen Rooney shows her face whenever the film needs to add kindly grandma to any scene, reminding viewers that this is a quest to help the town, a family, and multiple generations.</p><p>While this isn't great, not by a long shot, it's mainly cute and harmless enough to make it the ideal background fodder that most of these schedule-fillers aim to be. Nothing ever feels as if it will be a problem for long, lessons are learned along the way, and train enthusiasts may enjoy the few actual shots of the train. Please note, however, that I am already at the point this month when I cannot be sure if I actually enjoyed a movie . . . or if I was just relieved that it wasn't as bad as some of the worst ones I decided to put in front of my eyes this year.<br/></p><p>4/10</p><p>If you have enjoyed this, or any other, review on the blog then do consider the following ways to show your appreciation. A subscription/follow costs nothing, and ALL of the links you need are here - <a href="https://linktr.ee/raidersofthepodcast">https://linktr.ee/raidersofthepodcast</a><br/>Or you may have a couple of quid to throw at me, in Ko-fi form - <a href="https://ko-fi.com/kevinmatthews">https://ko-fi.com/kevinmatthews</a><br/>Or Amazon is nice at this time of year - <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/hz/wishlist/ls/Y1ZUCB13HLJD?ref_=wl_share">https://www.amazon.co.uk/hz/wishlist/ls/Y1ZUCB13HLJD?ref_=wl_share</a></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHCF9HwK3S_GejqGSAXEjXkOwZcn91z2t70G9ROhXNjx6huxD8po5qsBwh1HJzFOUsF2YW2HnvX_-3sCqD4V3sp7NTq56b3dG4o0gee-YyFENDVqCsRAONK0F2MHjBCZt-ztDV-t6dGZ5XXxD1PGWU_fvuUi_X0ouASmVu7oUIYliHyEqh3_1Qkgm7piXI/s1010/Screenshot%202024-12-07%20at%2023.01.00.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="944" data-original-width="1010" height="374" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHCF9HwK3S_GejqGSAXEjXkOwZcn91z2t70G9ROhXNjx6huxD8po5qsBwh1HJzFOUsF2YW2HnvX_-3sCqD4V3sp7NTq56b3dG4o0gee-YyFENDVqCsRAONK0F2MHjBCZt-ztDV-t6dGZ5XXxD1PGWU_fvuUi_X0ouASmVu7oUIYliHyEqh3_1Qkgm7piXI/w400-h374/Screenshot%202024-12-07%20at%2023.01.00.png" width="400"/></a></div><p></p> <div style="clear: both;"></div>

<p>Writer-director Casper Kelly may be some kind of demented genius, although I appreciate that not everyone will agree with me. And not everyone will enjoy <b>Adult Swim Yule Log</b>, a film created by someone who just thought "what if you were watching one of those burning yule log videos and someone walked into the shot?", but those who enjoy it should REALLY enjoy it.</p><p>It all starts with that standard burning log footage. Then a woman comes in and starts to clean the floor, getting everything ready for people who are booked to stay in the log cabin. Then something happens. It's not necessarily the focus of the film though, as the log continues to burn and viewers continue to watch it in the centre of the frame. Then Alex (Justin Miles) and Zoe (Andrea Laing) arrive, and things eventually get more and more bizarre from that point on. The camera eventually pulls back to show the bigger picture, and we are shown different viewpoints, and even different time periods, but that burning log is at the heart(h) of everything.</p><p>In case I forget before ending this review, let me praise the cast. Miles and Laing are excellent in what you could call the lead roles, and they are given enough to do in their first scenes to establish their characters well enough before things go completely bonkers. Tordy Clark and Brendan Patrick Connor make a strong impression with their characters, I won't tell you who they are (the constant surprises are part of the pleasure), Mark Costello and Jonathon Pawlowski are a couple of law enforcement individuals who stop by at the cabin, and Michael Reagan, Jessica Fontaine, Sean Hankinson, Hannah Alline, Skye Passmore, Danielia Maximillian, Thy Bui, and Charles Green play a wide variety of characters who end up dragged into the unfolding madness.</p><p>The real star here is Kelly though, someone who has a real knack for walking a line between comedy and horror, making use of surreal touches to comment on, but also still deliver, popular TV and movie tropes. If someone was to describe the opening scene and the final scene of this movie to you then you would laugh at the ridiculous distance between the start of the journey and the final destination, but Kelly crafts something that actually feels as if it moves logically from one step to the next. Nobody watching this will feel suddenly shocked, we're all frogs sitting in a pot as Kelly slowly and steadily turns the heat up to boiling point. </p><p>The dialogue doesn't always feel as if it is more than filler in between a number of highlights, but the second half delivers a number of pay-offs that emphasise just how dense and smart the script is. Many horror fans may be put off by the silliness of certain moments, but there's a good selection of gory moments and nastiness throughout to satisfy those who can enjoy the ride.</p><p>The more I think about this, the more I love it. It's unlike anything else I have seen in recent years, and I'm already keen to watch the sequel. I encourage everyone else to check this out, as long as you're prepared for the parade of wonderful oddities that it delivers.<br/></p><p>8/10</p><p>If you have enjoyed this, or any other, review on the blog then do consider the following ways to show your appreciation. A subscription/follow costs nothing, and ALL of the links you need are here - <a href="https://linktr.ee/raidersofthepodcast">https://linktr.ee/raidersofthepodcast</a><br/>Or you may have a couple of quid to throw at me, in Ko-fi form - <a href="https://ko-fi.com/kevinmatthews">https://ko-fi.com/kevinmatthews</a><br/>Or Amazon is nice at this time of year - <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/hz/wishlist/ls/Y1ZUCB13HLJD?ref_=wl_share">https://www.amazon.co.uk/hz/wishlist/ls/Y1ZUCB13HLJD?ref_=wl_share</a></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2-8_uWcWQ69YP1jQ-7mGv54m_wO0RKLLYNmyAWAvvuDCRlNl4zwlZnKHE4xFAk4KSGEQ8e0wqz4hCs0sBVWWknybFLv-hlGz5MIa2-8U65OlgWl-pl6-KnSH3kko8IEXEzSKQYKvYnaUtT5OGgS7hiYnZbT4XhPYl_MnKpvQBhO-fnD3xVWz1kdwMseWD/s1174/Screenshot%202024-12-14%20at%2014.48.41.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1174" data-original-width="902" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2-8_uWcWQ69YP1jQ-7mGv54m_wO0RKLLYNmyAWAvvuDCRlNl4zwlZnKHE4xFAk4KSGEQ8e0wqz4hCs0sBVWWknybFLv-hlGz5MIa2-8U65OlgWl-pl6-KnSH3kko8IEXEzSKQYKvYnaUtT5OGgS7hiYnZbT4XhPYl_MnKpvQBhO-fnD3xVWz1kdwMseWD/w308-h400/Screenshot%202024-12-14%20at%2014.48.41.png" width="308"/></a></div><p></p> <div style="clear: both;"></div>

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This week I picked up some Mabuse, a few horror movies, and some more Hitchcock movies. And maybe one or two others. You'll see.All of our links are here - h...