Scream 3 – Film Review

Posted on January 26, 2022 by ashleymanningwriter
Scream 3 (2000) - IMDb

Director: Wes Craven

Writer: Ehren Kruger

Starring: David Arquette, Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, Patrick Dempsey, Scott Foley, Lance Henriksen, Matt Keeslar, Jenny McCarthy, and Patrick Warburton

Rating: ★★★★½

The original Scream rejuvenated the slasher genre, bringing it to a whole new generation, with bigger stars and a more polished production. It’s full of jokes and nods towards the genre, both working as a genuinely funny parody and an amazing slasher film. It’s also unique for the slasher genre in that the sequels live up to it. Scream 2 is an excellent follow up that expands the story, doing exactly what you’d expect it to, while also commentating on that expectation. Scream 3 then takes this to another level, by having it mostly take place on the set of Stab 3, the in-universe films that adapted the events of the first and second Scream. It owes a lot to Wes Craven’s New Nightmare, the metareferential entry to the Nightmare on Elm Street series. At the time Scream 3 was the final part of series, finishing the trilogy and doing what a finale should, and at the same time being filled with clever comments on horror, sequels, and the Hollywood system.

Unlike the first two entries to the series, which were written by Kevin Williamson, Scream 3, was penned by Ehren Kruger, who had just written the excellent Arlington Road. Even with the new writer, the same love for horror and referential humour is found in this film. Most of the principal cast return as well, although Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) has a reduced role due to scheduling conflicts. Sidney is still a major presence in the story, with the conflicts being hidden by her story mostly being separate from the main cast until the final act, where’s it’s all brought together. Instead Gale Weathers (Courtney Cox) and Dewy (David Arquette) take centre stage to investigate the new killer. Joining the cast is a very young Patrick Dempsey and Patrick Warburton, as well as Lance Henriksen. There’s even cameos from Kevin Smith and Jason Mews, as Jay and Silent Bob, cementing the film in time at the turn of the century.

The Scream series is so well loved because of the way it plays with the conventions of the slasher film. Randy (Jamie Kennedy), who died in the second film, reappears through a pre-recorded video explaining the rules of the final part of a trilogy in horror, fulfilling the same role he performed in the first two films. It’s one of the best scenes in the film, because almost everything he says comes true. We all know what to expect with slashers, the kills, the twists, and the big reveal of who the killer is and their monologue explaining it.

What makes Scream 3 so great is that it’s really having a conversation about horror films. Stab 3 is about how some horrors are based on true events, and how that exploits real life tragedy. One of the strongest moments of the film is Sidney revisiting her old bedroom through the recreated set, the flashbacks that gives her. It’s haunting. There are also moments where it’s commenting on exploitation women in horror, both in front and behind the camera.  A scene where one of the actors on Stab 3 is talking about her role, she questions why she must be in a shower scene, one of the staple moments of the slasher genre. It’s not played off as a joke, it’s a genuine comment on the genre that was way ahead of it’s time. There’s also a main plot point about how a young female actor is exploited behind the camera in exchange for parts in films. The seediness of Hollywood is laid out almost twenty years before the #metoo movement, and this was a film that the Weinstein Brothers were very active in making happen. They were the two people who wanted to make a third Scream film, and that plot thread is a major turning point. The fact that it’s such a major part of the plot is a testament to how untouchable they thought they were. At the same time, it’s another example about how Hollywood and the wider world knew what was going on, and it wasn’t being stopped.

It’s not just the references and subversions of expectations that makes this film so good. The characters are developed in a really meaningful way. They’re haunted from the events in the previous films and their growth from the previous one to this one is subtle, and not exaggerated at all. Sidney is struggling with what happened, but she’s also stronger because of it. It’s not full-on Linda Hamilton in Terminator 2, but the impact is felt with how the character is portrayed. It’s a more mature character arc than you’d expect from a slasher film.

Scream 3 is an almost perfect sequel to one of the best slasher films ever made. It hasn’t dated in anyway, in fact the opposite has happened, it feels like it’s more relevant today. It’s a smartly written and all-round excellent slasher.

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A Journal for Jordan – Film Review

Posted on January 25, 2022 by ashleymanningwriter
A Journal for Jordan (2021) - IMDb

Director: Denzel Washington

Writer: Virgil Williams

Starring: Michael B. Jordan, Chanté Adams, Jalon Christian, Robert Wisdom, Tamara Tunie, Jasmine Batchelor, Marchánt Davis, Susan Pourfar, Vanessa Aspillga, Grey Henson

Rating: ★★★★

Denzel Washington’s latest film as director is A Journal for Jordan, which is based on the memoir written by Dana Canedy. It’s about Dana’s, who is played by Chanté Adams, relationship with 1st Sergeant Charles Monroe King (Michael B. Jordan). It’s framed as a journal that Charles wrote for his and Dana’s son, Jordan, along with the memoir that Dana wrote. Charles died overseas in Iraq and the journal he left behind is how his son has grown to know him.

The film is split between scenes after Charles’s death and flashbacks showing his relationship with Dana from meeting in the late 1990s until his death. Just before Charles is deployed overseas, Dana gives him a journal to write a few words of wisdom for his son to read, in case anything happens to him. He wrote as much as he possibly could, and the film sticks to it as closely as possible. Dana Canedy was involved with the film, visiting set and has been quite close with Denzel Washington for a number of years. It’s an incredibly personal story and their love shines through the screen.

Both Michael B. Jordan and Chanté Adams give incredible performances, giving everything, they’ve got to their roles. The chemistry between them is tangible, and it really gets to you, especially knowing what’s coming right from the start. You get a real send of who Charles and Dana were as people and as a couple. The film is a series of snapshots of their life together and it’s incredibly gripping from the first scene. It’s a heart-breaking story.

It would be possible to watch this film and feel that it’s a little overly sentimental at points. They are real people and you can feel that, but this does gloss over some of the difficult moments of their relationship. At one point, when Charles makes it clear that he won’t be home to see the birth of his son, Dana is scared and angry, but cut a couple of scenes and it’s all forgotten. While there are moments that feel like a ‘Hollywood’ version of the events, it’s easy to overlook it. It’s still a gripping and engaging drama. A truly fitting tribute to 1st Sergeant Charles Monroe King.

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Nomadland – Film Review

Posted on January 24, 2022 by ashleymanningwriter
Nomadland (2020) - IMDb

Director: Chloé Zhao

Writer: Chloé Zhao

Starring: Frances McDormand, David Strathairn, Linda May, Swankie, Bob Wells, Peter Spears

Rating: ★★★★

2021 best picture winner at the Oscars is an intimate and authentic character study of a modern-day nomad in America, fuelled by one of the best performances of Frances McDormand’s career. It’s a deeply moving story about life and makes you question your own life along the way, and whether you would be able to live on the road and if there are things you want to achieve that you haven’t yet.

Frances McDormand delivers a phenomenal performance as Fern, a nomad who was forced out of her home in Empire, after the local mine and the town itself closed down. Still grieving the loss of her husband, Fern buys a van and decides to live on the road, taking temporary work where she can get it and not settling down in anyone place.

The film is inspired upon a non-fiction book, Nomadland: Surviving America in the Twenty-First Century. Fern isn’t a real person, but a log of the supporting characters are based upon people in the book, and some of them are played by real nomads. Everything about the film is completely natural and authentic, to the point that it almost feels like a documentary just capturing real life. There’s no attempt to say this is the best way to live, or that nomads should settle down, it’s just capturing a way of life and understanding a way of thinking that can leave you reflective on your own life.

There’s a moment where a nomad tells a story about why she chose the life, because of a co-worker who had a boat on their driveway for years, waiting for their retirement. Before they could use the boat, they were diagnosed with cancer and died, leaving the wisdom of don’t waste any time. The fact that you could die without getting the time to do what you’ve wanted to is real, and something that we all have to deal with, and that’s one of the central themes of the film that really resonates throughout. There’s another heart breaking story about a father who outlives his son, and the effect that had on his life. It’s not just the dark times that the film is reflecting on, it’s also celebrating the good times, messing about with co-workers, meeting new people and the good times that are on the road. Not everyone living ‘houseless’, as the film puts it, is doing it out of grief, but to find happiness in the world, capturing the joys of life and everything associated with it.

While the film is about the lifestyle, it is presented through a deeply personal character study of Fern, who is struggling with the loss of her husband. You learn about their life through snippets of conversation, and stories. It’s a beautifully told story about love and loss that is deeply moving. McDormand is absolutely phenomenal in the role. Just the smallest thing, from a glance to a pause in speech, says everything you need to know about the character.

Nomadland is an odd film, in the sense that at times it feels very directionless, but it’s always engaging. It captures a way of life in a fascinating way, using real nomads to tell their stories, and it also works on the level of being a drama about grief. It’s a powerful story.

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Definition Please – Film Review

Posted on January 23, 2022 by ashleymanningwriter
Definition Please (2020) - IMDb

Director: Sujata Day

Writer: Sujata Day

Starring: Sujata Day, Ritesh Rajan, Jake Choi, Anna Khaja, Lalaine, Parvest Cheena, Tim Chiou, Katrina Bowden, LeVar Burton

Rating: ★★★½

Sujata Day directorial debut, Definition Please, which she also wrote and stars in, is an understated comedy/drama about family, expectations, and making a start in life. After winning a spelling bee at the age of eight, Monica (Sujata Day) become a bit of a local celebrity. Now that’s she’s grown up, helping teach spelling to children who are entering spelling bees. Her brother, Sonny (Ritesh Rajan) is coming back to town due to the anniversary of their father’s passing. At the same time their mother, Jaya (Anna Khaja), is suffering from an illness, with very little signs of improvement.

Definition Please, is a really strong debut from Sujata Day. It tells a deeply personal story about how Monica sees the world around her. She is almost trapped by the expectations after winning the spelling bee and appearing on TV, with a cameo from LeVar Burton. She’s still getting noticed by people in the small town that she lives in, as someone who should be achieving more than she has. At one point her best friend tells her what other spelling bee champions have achieved, comparing it to Monica who still lives at home with her mother.

The heart and soul of the story is the relationship between Monica and Sonny. They don’t always see eye to eye with each other, and their strained relationship is causing more stress for their ill mother. Sonny suffers from bipolar disorder and his mood changes sometimes very quickly, with very small details, such as receiving a greeting card with a joke about yoga on the front, driving him into rage. He scares Monica, which is the main reason their relationship is so strained.

This isn’t trying to be a hard-hitting drama about mental illness, it’s more about the relationship between the siblings who are going through a tough time with their family. Both Day and Rajan are really good in their roles, both feeling very natural and the chemistry between them is believable as siblings. Rajan does a great job at capturing the different moods, at no point does he feel like a caricature or exaggerated.

Day’s writing feels very authentic and most of the dialogue is natural. There are a couple of clunky lines, but nothing that’s going to distract you too much from the story. The characters are really well-written and feel relatable, which is the most important thing. It’s also genuinely funny in places, but this isn’t a full-on comedy. The laughs are sporadic throughout the film, it’s more drama than comedy.

Definition Please is a story about growing up and not knowing how to get your life properly started. It’s a familiar story, presented from a fresh perspective. Sujata Day’s first film as writer and director is more than decent and it’s exciting to see what may come next.

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Nightmare Alley – Film Review

Posted on January 22, 2022 by ashleymanningwriter
Nightmare Alley (2021) - IMDb

Director: Guillermo del Toro

Writer: Guillermo del Toro and Kim Morgan

Starring: Bradley Cooper, Cate Blanchett, Toni Collette, Willem Dafoe, Richard Jenkins, Rooney Mara, Ron Perlman, Mary Steenburgen, David Strathairn

Rating: ★★★★

Nightmare Alley, which is based on the book of the same name by William Lindsey Gresham,is a bit of a departure for Guillermo del Toro, while it features spiritualism and tarot readings, there’s none of the supernatural elements you’d expect from del Toro. Instead, it’s a noir film that’s about how the past haunts us, greed, and manipulation.  

In 1939, Stan (Bradley Cooper) is running away from the sins of his past. He joins a travelling carnival and starts to learn the tricks of the trade, both the incredible nature of the acts and the seedy underside. He becomes infatuated with Molly (Rooney Mara) and before long they start to head off on their own, leaving the carnival life behind.

There are two parts to this film, the first side that is about Stan’s time at the carnival, and the second half that’s about Stan and Molly’s own act, that’s set two years later. There’s a hopefulness in the first half that is depleted in the second, paralleling Molly’s outlook in the film. We first meet Stan, hiding a body under the floorboards of a house and then burning it down, you know straight away that there’s something sinister about him, but he comes across as so charismatic that you can’t help but root for him, and the dark side of his character starts to really come through in the second act as you start to feel conflicted about him.

Bradley Cooper is absolutely brilliant in the film. He brings Stan to life, making him feel completely real and believable. He’s excellent as both the charming and almost childlike Stan who draws pictures for Molly about what he thinks her act should be, and also as the darker and more manipulative person that’s hiding underneath Rooney Mara is also brilliant, and you really feel her character develop as the time passes. The characters are the best thing about this film, you spend a lot of time with them, feeling them develop and change to the world around them. It’s tragic how the dark side of Stan’s nature hurts Molly.

The film is filled with extremely good performances. Willem Dafoe is giving it everything he’s got, as he does in absolutely everything. There are moments where Dafoe and Cooper are on screen together and its pure magic playing out on screen. The sets and costume design are authentic and really drag you into the spellbinding world that del Toro and Kim Morgan has created. It’s great that the film is so masterfully crafted, especially since the run time is well over two hours, and you do start to feel it towards the end, where the main point of the film is really driven home.

Everything del Toro creates is excellent and Nightmare Alley is no exception. It’s filled with memorable and striking images. The performances are as excellent as the characters are well-written. It’s a real shame that the film hasn’t done so well at the box office so far, but hopefully it will get seen by as many people as possible in the future.

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