These reviews contains adult language, bias points of view, and personal opinions. For entertainment purposes only. Reader discretion is advised.
Son-in-Law
(Spoilers!)
- Release date: July 2, 1993
- Directed by Steve Rash
- Runtime: 1 hour 35 minutes
- Good Monster Grade: A+
Yeahh Buuudddyyy! Son-in-Law is the best Thanksgiving movie that you have never heard of. The star of the film, Pauly Shore, soon was shelved away like so many stars when their flicker has flicked away.
This film is Pauly Shore at his prime. As the character “Crawl”, Shore teaches a young co-ed college student from the conservative mid-west about being yourself and enjoying life.
Subsequently, Crawl is invited to her home town for Thanksgiving because he has no family of his own. The movie flips scenarios with Crawl leaving the weird Southern California coast and entering the country atmosphere of corn, cow boy hats, and South Dakota. He interacts with his friends’ family and finds unconventional solutions to their relationship problems. Throughout the movie, we see Crawl humiliated and rise as everyone’s favorite weasel. By the end of the film he rekindles love in a marriage, outs a villain in the family, and teaches elders how to do the funky chicken. I consider this film a holiday classic because it takes place during Thanksgiving and it teaches a powerful message of acceptance.
This picture does not get enough credit, nor does Pauly Shore. If you do not know who Pauly Shore is, then please reference the 1992 film Encino Man. He is a joy and his early nineties, hippy, effeminate, weak, weasel style is truly unique and very fun to watch.
I wish everyone a happy Thanksgiving and if you are with your family and want to watch a movie, maybe put on Son-in-Law. Safe travels my little monsters!
Doctor Sleep
(Spoilers!)
- Release date: November 8, 2019
- Directed by Mike Flanagan
- Runtime: 2 hours 31 minutes
- Good Monster Grade: A+
I very much enjoyed this film, as reflected in my grade of it. If you did not know, this is a sequel to Stephen King’s The Shining. To make a sequel to a classic Stanley Kubrick film from a terrifying novel by the king of horror himself is a giant risk, task, and responsibility. Mike Flanagan and his team pulled it off. Ewan McGregor delivers as Danny Torrance, the little boy from The Shining, all grown up. His struggles feel real and his compassion come through. This movie connected with me in many ways. I cared about the characters and found the scenarios heartwarming while still progressing the narrative.
The story centers on people who “shine”, or in other words have psychic abilities. The antagonists of this film are brutal! What they do is ghastly and disturbing. I can see some scenes being hard for the average movie-goer to watch. Basically, they are energy vampires who suck the shine from people in order to stay young. Their leader is gorgeous and sinister. As they are hunting people who shine, they sense a psychic who has powers beyond anything previously seen and this makes them hungry. The psychic in hand is a young girl with whom has made a spiritual friendship with a recovering Danny Torrance. He mentors, guides, and protects her as the energy vampires pursue them both. In a climax worthy for the horror history books, Danny takes them to a place that is powerful enough to destroy them all, the Overlook Hotel. The entire third act is a love letter to Kubrick. The scenes contain many of the same shots, camera movements, and ghosts from the 1980’s classic. Did I mention my favorite part is the beginning where we pick up where the shining left off? Little Danny Torrance learns how to protect himself from the ghosts that would hurt him from none other than the spirit of Dick Halloran! Jack Torrance makes a cameo as well. There is a lot of tub lady, but no oral sex bear. Do not get your hopes up.
This movie will satisfy all audiences, except children. Do not take kids to this movie! You can see this movie with friends, grandparents, or a date. Or if you are like me and suffering from post-Halloween blues, this is the medicine. Go see the doctor, Doctor Sleep.
More reviews coming in December. Stay chilly my little monsters!
