What's New This Week and What To Watch: Amsterdam, Hellraiser, Reginald the Vampire
- Details
- Category: New Series and Movie Reviews
- Published: Saturday, 08 October 2022 00:22
- Written by Lupe R Haas
Whether you’re planning a trip to the movie theater or cozying up on the couch with your remote, here are a few choices for this weekend.
New in Movie Theaters
AMSTERDAM B 👍🏼
The star-studded AMSTERDAM directed by David O’Russell arrives in theaters. The cast alone may get viewers in the seats with Christian Bale, Margot Robbie, John David Washington, Robert DeNiro, Anya Taylor-Joy, Andrea Riseborough, Mike Myers, Michael Shannon, Rami, Malek, Zoe Saldana, Timothy Olyphant, and Taylor Swift.
Set in the 1930s towards the end of World War I, three unlikely friends (Bale, Robbie, Washington) band together to solve the murder of a General.
The script by O’Russell can best be described as zany with an endearing relationship between Bale, Robbie, and Washington’s characters. Although the story seems to go around in circles, the trio are entertaining and quirky enough to help you forget the incoherent plot. Bale steals the show as a fun but peculiar character.
Familiar famous faces come and go to keep your interest but the third act goes haywire with an unfolding conspiracy that sidelines the fun.
The performances alone and the parade of A-list talent is the sole reason to see this amusing, and outlandish film.
LYLE, LYLE CROCODILE 👍🏼
The children’s book series by Bernard Waber comes to life on the big screen. A singing crocodile helps a young boy settle into the Big Apple. Shawn Mendes provides the singing voice for Lyle, the CGI character. Javier Bardem, Constance Wu, Scott McNairy and Winslow Fegley play the humans in the film.
LYLE, LYLE CROCODILE is a sweet family film with some cute musical numbers. The biggest surprise is Javier Bardem’s talent as a showman. We’ve never seen the Spanish actor display his singing, dancing and magic tricks in a film so impressively.
Mendes’ voice coming out of the crocodile takes a bit of getting used to but the melodies are music to your ears. The whole movie is predictable but it doesn’t take away from enjoying a feel-good movie that will delight a family.
STREAMING
Tis the season for horror, and this week’s programming caters to Halloween themes.
HELLRAISER 👎🏼
The HELLRAISER franchise is resurrected as a Hulu Original. The Clive Barker horror classic introduced us to the horrifying Cenobites and the ancient puzzle box that summons the sadistic creatures. Producer David S. Goyer and director David Bruckner introduce a new set of hell priests with Jaime Clayton playing the lead Cenobite.
The new Cenobites are extremely grotesque like in the originals, and sadly they are the only interesting thing about this movie. However, the scenes with the Cenobites are often dark to the point where you’re straining to see the action.
Except for for Goran Visnjic, the cast is comprised of newcomers. The characters are underdeveloped, and the lead character played by Odessa A’zion is not compelling enough to care about her fate.
Horror and HELLRAISER fans will get their dose of gore but without a good story to go with it.
WEREWOLF BY NIGHT 👍🏼
Gael Garcia Bernal stars as the wolf man in Marvel’s WEREWOLF BY NIGHT, a 50-minute special presentation inspired by the horror films of the 1930s and 1940s. Marvel goes off-brand for a stand-alone project for the Disney+ platform.
WEREWOLF BY NIGHT has a modern sensibility but with an old aesthetic. The black and white cinematography is a marvel to look at, and the last action sequence harkens back to the horror classics with close-ups and shadows.
Reginald the Vampire 👍🏼
Jacob Batalon (Tom Holland’s Spider-Man Sidekick) stars in the SYFY series based on the book series, Fat Vampire by Johnny B. Truant.
Reginald (Batalon) was supposed to be a vampire’s dinner, instead, he ended up as an undead. He felt like an outsider in the real world, and now he’s a bloodsucker that doesn’t fit the mold either, but his upbeat personality and a special power will make the difference… that is if the head vampire doesn’t drive a stake through his heart first.
Batalon is the perfect actor for the role. He has an endearing quality as the underdog and you’re fully invested in his journey to be part of something.
Reginald the Vampire airs a new episode every Wednesday at 10 pm ET/PT.