Film Review: MOM AND DAD (2018)

Brian Taylor writes and directs the Mom and Dad (2018) a film that answers the question of what would Nicolas Cage do if given free range to go totally off the rails?  Cage stars as Brent who is a man whose life has stalled.  He has a lovely wife Kendall (Selma Blair) and a daughter Carly (Anne Winters) and son Josh (Zachary Arthur) whom all undermines him.  When for no reason all grown-ups start to murder their children, Carly and Josh must band together to stop their parents from killing them while trapped in their own house.

Taylor does a lot with a little as the majority of the film takes place in the family home but he gets a lot of mileage out of the film even when he uses flashbacks to show the family before the total breakdown.  The film allows Cage and Blair to be at their most maniacal as they will stop at nothing to kill their own children while their children use everything at their means to save themselves.

This could have easily been a throwaway film had Taylor not gone the distance to show the parents before they turn homicidal.  The flashbacks show that Brent and Kendall have a marriage filled with problems where they can’t seem to agree on anything but surprisingly through the events of the film they come together for a singular goal…unfortunately, it’s to kill their children.  The overall concept is interesting and quite entertaining as you see parents throughout the film killing their children (or at least trying) which makes for some very funny moments.

Even with its serious undertones it’s an amazing engaging and funny film.

Film Review: COLOR OUT OF SPACE (2019)

Acclaimed cult director Richard Stanley tackles H.P. Lovecraft’s Color Out of Space (2019) which stars Nicolas Cage as Nathan Gardner who has moved his wife Theresa (Joely Richardson) and their two children (Madeleine Arthur and Brendan Meyer) to a country farm where he can raise Alpacas and she can work from home in her corporate job while recovering from an illness.  Nathan finds it hard to be a “farmer” while his wife is the true breadwinner of the household.  Neither of their kids enjoy living a solitary experience in the middle of nowhere forced to help their father.

When a meteorite crashes in their front yard releases an extraterrestrial organism which slowly corrupts and transforms everything around, Nathan and his family must contend with the corruption of their familial bond while everything around them falls apart.  Not only does the extraterrestrial organism affect the surrounding area but it also changes Nathan and his family both psychologically and physically transforming their lives into a living nightmare.

Written by Stanley and Scarlett Amars, the screenplay does a great job presenting a family under pressure due to the rift between Nathan and his wife who doesn’t believe that the alpaca farm will work and neither does his children, so when the extraterrestrial influence arrives it heightens these concerns and fears to tragic circumstances.  The film doesn’t shy away from the hardcore horror aspects either.  Although there is a slow build up as we get to know all of the characters there is a huge payoff by the third act that proves that Stanley still knows how to craft a captivating and boundary pushing horror film even after the long hiatus (he hasn’t directed a narrative feature film in over  thirty years).

Of note also is the fact that this is one of the best films adapted from Lovecraft’s work so fans of the novelist will enjoy this film in addition to horror fans and even general audiences (if you can get passed the few graphic moments).  Stanley is still a talent to be on the lookout for and I hope it doesn’t take nearly as long before he releases his next feature.

Film Review: DRIVE ANGRY (2011)

It’s hard not to look at the trailer for a film like Drive Angry (2011) and not wonder how cheesy the film really is.  The film is exactly as cheesy as it looks.  Nicolas Cage does his best over acting in this film from director Patrick Lussier who has made a career out of cheesy horror films such as Dracula 2000 and the My Bloody Valentine 3D.  This film was also made in 3D (although I didn’t get to view it that way) and the lack of 3D in the 2D version is very evident as the obvious 3D sequences fall flat in 2D.

The film concerns Milton (Cage) an undead felon who has escaped Hell to not only avenge the death of his daughter but to save his grandchild from the clutches of a deranged cult leader (Billy Burke) and his followers who wish to sacrifice his granddaughter to Satan on the next full moon.  Hot on Milton’s tail is The Accountant (William Fichtner) who will return Milton back to Hell even if he has to masquerade as an FBI agent.  Milton has much help on his vendetta especially from the tough-and-badass Piper (Amber Heard).  Milton will stop at nothing to save his granddaughter even if it kills him…again.

Despite the amazing action sequences and standout performances (at least for this type of film) from Heard and Fichtner, the film is hampered by bad dialogue, Cage’s less than thrilling performance, and mediocre death/horror sequences and little gore (especially coming from the guy who also brought us the better than expected remake of My Bloody Valentine 3D).  There is some entertainment value to be had from the film as it never takes itself too seriously and comes off as an homage to late ‘80s fantasy action films like The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the Eighth Dimension, The Ice Pirates, or Big Trouble in Little China, so if you’re a fan of those films then buckle up for one hell of a ride.