Alien at the Movies

Sister Midnight

An Indian arranged marriage, a sudden death, & a woman asking her neighbor for a few favors… could this be India’s version of “A Simple Favor” or the sequel “Another Simple Favor”? I️ think not. It’s quite bizarre & hard to tell where this story was going. At first, I️ thought it was going to be some comedy satire on the exaggerated difficulties of an unhappy arranged marriage. Then the plot veers off to stranger events. It’s black comedy that takes kind of a horroresque bend with lots of deadpan humor awkwardness. This film may be too weird for most. But maybe something is lost in translation… Indian/Hindi humor that I️ don’t get. I️ did enjoy seeing the Indian way of life & culture. The scenes were picturesque & kind of reminded me of Wes Anderson’s film style. I️ did like the lead character Uma, although she was weird. The film was visually stimulating but it did not feel like it was going anywhere even though things were happening. By the end, I️ just wondered… huh?

Alien gives it 2 “goats & birds” stars out of 4.

Watch The Skies

Do you believe in extraterrestrial life?

Denise is a rebellious teenager who believes that her missing-for-years father was abducted by aliens. He was a member of a quirky UFO club trying to uncover government secrets related extraterrestrials & get to the truth. She used to accompany him on his fact finding missions until one day he vanished. Years later after noticing strange phenomena possibly connected to her dad, she teams up with his club members to investigate further. It’s quite a journey she experiences trying to find her dad, especially when many don’t believe her theories. Will she find her dad? Does she really know what she is talking about? The Swedish film “UFO Sweden” used artificial intelligence to dub it in English & was retitled “Watch the Skies”. I️t gives off a “X-Files” vibe. 

Alien gives it 2½ “4th dimension” stars out of 4.

Aa lovechild and they called it UFO SWEDEN!

Clown in a Cornfield

Shotguns, chainsaws, & cattle prods… oh my!

It's “Killer Klowns from Outer Space” meets “Founders Day” meets “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” in this latest entry into the teenage slasher horror genre. A single dad/doctor & his 17-year-old daughter Quinn move to the small midwestern town of Kettle Springs for a fresh start. It’s the city girl feeling out of place trying to fit in. On Quinn’s first day at school, she meets & starts hanging out with some new friends. However, her new buds are pranksters causing minor incidents so the locals have it out for them. On Founders Day, their prank ruins the parade featuring the town mascot, Frendo the Clown. They are also being unjustly blamed for burning down the Baypen Maple Syrup Factory. They have been posting fake videos of Frendo being a serial killer terrorizing teens. Well, it seems like these kids have really irritated someone because a Frendo dressed clown begins to stalk & kill these teens one by one. Who is this clown? Who will die & who will survive? If you enjoy this genre, you may have a good time. I️ find it more cheesy predictable stupid. At certain scenes, I️ almost wanted to wince & laugh. The story felt very contrived & I️ never would have suspected the Midwest was so full of assholes & clowns?

Alien gives it 2 “telescopic tactical baton” stars out of 4.

Adult Best Friends

Katie & Delaney have been BFFs since they were 12-year-old, but now Katie’s boyfriend, John, has proposed & they are now engaged. Katie is thrilled & excited but doesn’t know how to tell Delaney. Katie plans a beach getaway with Delaney to one of their favorite spots in order to soften the anticipated blow. Of course, it’s a comedy of errors & nothing seems to go right. This is the story about two besties who seem to be on different paths in life as they grow older but they still love & care for each other deeply. Katie Corwin & Delaney Buffett happen to star as Katie & Delaney as well as being producers & writers along with Delaney directing. Zachery Quinto costars as Katie’s brother. This film is funny & emotional.

Alien gives it 3 “love finds a way” stars out of 4.

Thunderbolts*

Where does Marvel Studios go now that the multi-movie contracts on their major Avengers stars have expired & some of these characters have been written off as dead or retired? Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) is back as the CIA director fighting impeachment. In an attempt to cover up her activities, she is disposing any incriminating information. A misfit group of antiheroes (Black Widow, Red Guardian, super soldier John Walker, Taskmaster, & Ghost) find themselves ensnared in a deadly trap pitting themselves against each other. There is also this seemingly ordinary guy, Bob, stuck in this room just before more evidence is about to be destroyed. With the clock ticking, they must work together to escape. This movie is action packed demonstrating the skill sets of these secondary characters. Winter Soldier, Bucky Barnes, shows up during the big chase scenes. Great visuals & thrills entertain the audience as we try to figure out where this script is going. Who will survive & who will die? Who is Bob? It was hard to figure out where all of this 2 hours plus wild adventure was going throughout the film. But we do get to know these Marvel characters better. There is a funny mid credit clip. However, the final post credit clip explains it all. The final message reads: The New Avengers & Bob will return.

Alien gives it 3 “still feeling a little duped though” stars out of 4.

Robots

Not to be confused with the 2005 animation with the same tile, this film begins in 2032, when a government official celebrates the great wall separating the U.S. from Mexico keeping illegal immigrants sneaking across the border & stealing jobs from American citizens. Now, robots are commonly used to do jobs without having to pay them. In this sci-fi rom/com, Charlie (Jack Whitehall) is a womanizer & Elaine (Shailene Wooodley) is a gold digger . Each have their own illegal robot facsimile of themselves (C2 & E2) to do their bidding on unpleasant tasks they don’t want to do themselves. Things start to go wrong when sticky note addresses get switched. C2 & E2 accidentally become sexually connected, become more human, & want to get married. C2& E2 manage to dupe Charlie & Elaine and steal their lives. Charlie & Elaine plan a counter attack to regain their lives. It’s goofy fun as these partners-in-crime eventually fall in love just like their identical bots.  

Alien gives it 2½ “green with pink door” stars out of 4.

The Parenting

It’s “Meet the Parents” meets “The Amityville Horror” when a gay couple, Josh & Rohan, invites each of their parents for 3-day weekend at farmhouse rental with a dark history. Rohan plans to propose to Josh while introducing their parents to each other. At first, it’s that typical new rom/com acquaintance awkwardness, but soon things escalate in a bad way when a 400-year-old demon is conjured up & terrorizes the guests. It’s zany dark poltergeist humor in this goofy horror comedy. Edie Falco, Brian Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Dean Norris, & Parker Posey are in the cast. Will this demon be vanquished? Will Rohan get down on one knee? Will someone/someones not survive the weekend? Was this someone’s evil plan? Look for a mid credit clip.

Alien gives it 2½ “Ego Sum Tibi Andras” stars out of 4.

Bullet Train Explosion

Here is Japan’s answer to the 1994 “Speed” movie where a city bus with passengers onboard will explode if the speed drops below 50 mph. Of course, why not go bigger & faster. Someone plants a bomb on one of Japan’s speedy bullet trains loaded with passengers. If the train’s speed drops below 100 kph, it will explode. They have less than 6 hours before the train reaches its Tokyo final destination to develop a feasible rescue plan. Tempers flair as panic on the train erupts. Can they save the passengers? Can they find & defuse the bomb? Will they find the bomber? Fortunately, the audio was dubbed in English. The plot is fairly predictable but I️ liked how they MacGyver-ed the rescue.

Alien gives it 2 “slowing down the bullet train” stars out of 4.

Another Simple Favor

That psycho bitch is back! Emily (Blake Lively) is back, out of prison, getting married on the isle of Capri, & asks Stephenie (Anna Kendrick) to be her maid of honor. What could go wrong? Actually, quite a bit in this black comedy sequel. From the original, we know Emily/Hope can’t be trusted after killing her identical sister Faith so she could collect on her $4 million dollar insurance policy on herself. Of course, Anna accepts & attends the lavish wedding. Anna was once a cooking show vblogger & now is an author/crime solver. Emily is always stylishly & chicly dressed. Emily’s fiancé is a rich & powerful businessman. Emily’s future mother-in-law hates her. Emily’s ex, Sean (Henry Golding), & her son Nicky are also attending. Surprise guests are Emily’s mother & her Aunt Lucy. Even with hired security, murders occur & the fun begins as this now becomes a who dunnit. There are so many possible suspects & lots of twists & turns. Can you predict the victims & point to the finger at the bad guy/guys? It’s a great cast & script. Lively & Kendrick are wonderful. There is a naked butt & another simple favor requested at the movie’s end.

Alien gives it 3½ “Best Friends Forever “ stars out of 4.

Call of the Void

A young woman, Moray, escapes to a remote cabin in the woods to be by herself after the death of her brother. She meets an old man searching for his dog. The man warns her about danger in the woods. Late that same night, a college band moves into the unit next door disturbing her peace & quiet. New neighbor Lucy apologizes to Moray for the noise the next morning. Music from the band rehearsing attracts Moray to visit & listen. Moray joins the group on a hike in the woods. Then this slow moving film going nowhere just becomes weirder & hard to figure out what is happening & why. Lucy, Sterling, & Cole act like they are in a trance. Daryl is scared & is trying to drown out some sound he hears. Moray finds the old man dead & a dog collar. The group eventually catches up with Moray & converts her. In the end they all sign a folk song. That’s pretty much it & I️ did not get it. I️ could not figure out what or why anything was happening. For me, this was a pointless low budget horror film where nothing much happens & feels like a waste of time.

The following is someone else’s description:

After the tragic death of her brother, Moray retreats to a remote mountain cabin to try and escape her work, her family, and her old life. However, her quiet retreat is quickly diverted by a college band moving into the unit next door and a suspicious professor studying a local phenomenon involving a mysterious hum.

She discovers that the Hum is a gateway to something otherworldly, unnameable, and once heard–there is no return. The Hum is a sonic experience that asks the question: How can you escape your own senses?

The term “call of the void” is defined as a brief, unwanted impulse, often described as an intrusive thought that can be unnerving. Like the sudden & unsettling urge to jump, even from a great height, when one is standing in a high place, with no intention of actually doing so.

Alien gives it ½ “Mr Moon, Mr Moon, cuckoo, cuckoo, don’t drink the water) star out of 4.