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Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire – How Cold Can It Get In NYC?

Although this teaser trailer to Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire is meant to be just that, the hints it offers suggests that unless the team can put the heat back, Manhatten is the last place to experience the next Ice Age!

Ghostbusters Frozen Empire Movie Poster The largest takeaway from the teaser trailer of Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire is that something from the Arctic is coming to invade New York! Just what that isn’t the return of the Titanic. That boat isn’t in the running because of what the first film alluded to, so those spirits are probably at peace. And I doubt there’s a malicious force wanting to claim what’s lost decades ago, since it wouldn’t make sense for a continuation.

Instead of simply offering a trailer breakdown, what I offer are my theories on what this fourth film might be about. The ice theme is everywhere, and it might allude to one historical incident from long ago concerning lost sailors. Since the threat is coming from the sea, that must mean someone there is eying the invading New York. According to the official synopsis, “When the discovery of an ancient artefact unleashes an evil force, Ghostbusters new and old must join forces to protect their home and save the world from a second Ice Age.”

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Just How Much of Your Heart Can Lay “Open” Depends on Who You Ask in this Music Video driven Comedy

I’m more interested in the songs since it has to eventually come to some revelation, and this movie titled Open can close.

October Coast
Playing at select theatres now and VOD beginning Nov 7

Maybe what Kristina (Lindsay Anne Williams) has to do to get past her relationship woes is to “Open” her heart and go through the motions so she can heal. Although a certain Roxette song came to mind while watching this romantic comedy, there’s not much I could find that relates to this film’s theme. Instead, Mama Mia screamed at me, and ABBA’s music for that concept album is still playing in my head as I write this review.

Although this character drama describes itself as Marriage Story meets Scott Pilgrim vs the World, I’m sensing other works were also an influence. The New Wave, Jazz, Country and Punk driven music video dream-sequences sets this work apart from others I’ve seen. And although the composition of these songs aren’t as snappy at the start, as long as you’re willing to wait it out, the scores get better! The early tracks are too heavy in psychoanalyzing what this protagonist is feeling, and honestly, the later tracks improve so that what’s felt is like a day tripper! But as for whether this work is meant to be a tribute to musicals, I doubt Miles Doleac had that in mind when directing this film.

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When Prosjekt Z is More About the Movie Making Process than The Horror

Anyone having the post-Halloween blues may want to check out this hybrid Prosjekt Z as it’s not always about the terror, but the blues.

Coming to DVD/VOD
Nov 3, 2023

Henrik Martin Dahlsbakken‘s Prosjekt Z is a rather strange hybrid that doesn’t quite know what kind of movie it wants to be. When it’s hitting select theatres after All Hallow’s Eve, just who will be anxious to see this must be for folks craving anything postmortem. Here, the story is about a group of students out to make a zombie film out in the woods. But there’s much more going on, since we also get something akin to Attack of the Killer Tomatoes going on later on.

If that’s not this work’s premise, then the Rocky Horror moments even get curiouser and curiouser–minus the music. That is, there’s a couple who’s out in the woods and after having a bit of a spat, find themselves in front of a lone mansion. They’re just characters to a story within a story where afterwards, a meteorite comes zooming through and crashes! Its radiation is turning the locals into the walking dead.

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Zom 100: Is That Bucket List of the Dead Half Empty or Half Full

Just how many things Akira managed get done in Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead is a game in itself, as we couintdown this infinite progression!

Netflix

Sometimes it is tough to find a unique zombie film that can take this genre to the next level. Whether that’s with blending it with some other style or just coming up with a unique story idea. I waited for October to roll around before watching Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead. And what it delivers is perfect for those wanting another reason to avoid swimming in the sea. Although that season is over, what’s revealed here is a compressed version of the manga (and perhaps the television show too).

Now that some appetites have been whetted, I doubt anyone wants fish sashimi that’s way past their date of expiry. Instead, what’s presented here isn’t quite like Zombieland. What I find is a hodge-podge mix of George Romero style commentary, an attempt to compress the manga/anime into a singular film and a protagonist who isn’t alwaya 100% there.

Here, Akira Tendo (Eiji Akaso) is pretty much a slave. Although he has a good job at a corporation, life isn’t sweet as his boss pushes him around, and he’s asked to burn the midnight oil. Pretty soon, he just wants to quit. But before he can do that, a pandemic has wiped out most of Japan and those who haven’t been infected by this mysterious virus have to fend for themselves. His skills as a football star don’t really amount to anything in this film.

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Jackie Chan’s Ride On, Back in the Saddle Again

For anyone who missed this gem in the theatres, Jackie Chan’s Ride On is now available on home video!

Well GO USA
Available to order on Amazon

Out of all the films Jackie Chan has appeared in this decade, Ride On is simply the best! It’s a very heartwarming family style film that will certainly tug at the heartstrings, and for horse lovers, to learn about everything that went on during production to keep Red Hare safe will have many smiling.

Usually those disclaimers regarding animal handling are added at the end credits without some added thought. And to observe what was done to ensure safety will have some admire this film even more. Some of that discourse from this movie regarding safety versus getting in harm’s way is discussed, and to see how it’s handled is simply amazing. The credit really goes to the CGI experts who remove the trainers in green screen tights during filming. Sometimes, the cinematic background gets very busy, so to find the balance between editing and digitally removing requires careful syncing so nothing is hidden with motion blur.

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When Plan 9 from Aliexpress is More Wildly Surreal Than Fantastical, You Gotta Buy It!

Diana Galimzyanova’s Plan 9 from Aliexpress is an experimental film which deserves watching at least once for how well it trapezes through the history of cinema.

Plan 9 From Aliexpress Movie Poster Spoiler Alert

When I heard about the Russian-made movie titled Plan 9 from Aliexpress, I couldn’t help but wonder if it’s a parody of the online Chinese retail giant. Instead, it’s a very absurdist comedy cum fantasy I’m sure fans of Monty Python would love. In my case, I thought I was viewing an episode of iCarly (2007 version). That’s because of how the world reacts, as though knowing there’s a camera following them in their adventure, and broadcasting their antics to a streaming service like Twitch, for all to see.

According to seasoned filmmaker Diana Galimzyanova, her work is a trash comedy, and it contains some dark elements to it. In the official story synopsis: “When an unstable Gothic Princess (alternatively played by Ekaterina Dar, Elizaveta Shulyak and Lilit Karapetyan) wants to kill herself Prince Charming (Anton Medov) steals her rope, she must find him to get her rope back and commit suicide.”

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