Moana & Evil Dead Burn (what to expect)
Double Scorecard, Watchlist Worthy, & New Pod Drop
The latest Dune: Part 3 trailer had us in a chokehold. The war scenes, the Saving Private Ryan beaches of Normandy like barricades, the return of Duncan Idaho, the CHANTING, and our god the visuals!!! Australian cinematographer Greig Fraser did the first two installments, but this latest trailer proves even more so WE ARE IN GOOD SWEDISH HANDS with Linus Sandgren.
Add another view to the 15 million it already has.
Hereâs what we have for you this week:
Concession Stand Scorecard: Moana & Evil Dead Burn
Watchlist Worthy: Another Robert Eggers Christmas
New Pod Drop: Best of 2026 (So Far)
This weekâs movie - Moana
Letterboxd Description:
The ocean chose her for a reason.
Moana answers the Oceanâs call and, for the first time, voyages beyond the reef of her island of Motunui with the infamous demigod Maui on an unforgettable journey to restore prosperity to her people.
Best Watched With
Siblings, niblings, and non-film critics.
End Credit Thoughts
In 2024, when Moana 2 was released, we rewatched Moana in preparation and were reminded how VIBRANT and BEAUTIFUL the images were and how every song is a BOP. Will the live-action version be able to replicate the movie magic? And, with the recent release of other live-action animated movies, will it follow suit and give us another shot-for-shot remake? Letâs get into it.
Off the bat, the introduction reinforced our doubts. Everything was animated except for the humans(?). A question mark because it was off a bit where it seemed like real humans but also not real; an uncanny experience for sure. BUT PATIENCE, spectators, it was for lore and introductory purposes.
If youâve seen Moana (2016), you know the story, and not much changes. The differences are small, some more subtle than others. Differences that didnât work included Maui's look. Dwayne Johnson looked like he was wearing a nipple-less body suit mis-matching his slimmer face. That being said, Johnsonâs performance does not lack the same effort. He nails the heart and soul of Mauiâs character, which was the bar considering he voices Maui in the animated onesâand the only returning main character.
The standouts are Catherine Lagaâaia as Moana, Rena Owen as Gramma Tala, and Frankie Adams as Sina. Lagaâaia goes toe-to-toe with Johnson and holds her own. She has the most screen time out of the three, obviously, and if the movie drags at all, it is not because of Lagaâaia. Owen and Adams are only in it for moments; however, they do justice to the characters with each minute they grace the screen. Oh, and Hei Hei. Hei Hei is still absurd, ridiculous, and hilarious. Even though itâs mostly the same gags from him, Hei Hei generated the most laughter from the audience.
With all that said, the story is the same. The beats are mostly the same. The songs are still bops. The colors pop, the visuals are gorgeous, but is this movie another cash grab? Probably. Does that mean this movie is not worth watching? No. At least for some. We expected it to be pretty much the same movie, but we did not expect to enjoy it as much as we did. We went with our nephew and niece, and they said it was worth it. There are some new jokes and more cultural implementations that we all appreciated. The kids in the theater laughed out loud, our younger nibling was moving and grooving to the music, and the crowd clapped when the end credits rolled.
This live-action would be most appreciated by young ones born after 2016 or too young to remember the original when it came out. It was a fun event to attend with our family. If not for them, it could have been a different outcome.
To save yourself an arm and a leg, catch a matinee or wait till streaming.
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This weekâs movie - Evil Dead Burn
Letterboxd Description:
Every family has its demons.
After the loss of her husband, a woman seeks solace with her in-laws. As one by one they transform into deadites, she comes to discover that the vows she took in life - survive even in death.
Best Watched With
Evil dead fans who hate their ear drums and people who love their grandma.
End Credit Thoughts
Newcomer SĂ©bastien VaniÄek directed the newest rendition of the Evil Dead Franchise, Evil Dead Burn. It provided us with two core things horror fans want: a kick ass final girl and a weak ass boyfriend who gets his shit rocked. It also displayed one of the more memorable horror characters in years â a grandma with dementia who had no clue what the hell was going on half the time, and the most aggressive and disturbing on screen kiss that weâve ever seen (and weâve even see The Empire Strikes Back).
Before we get into this one, we want to be sure and pay our respects â Sam Raimi, the creator of the franchise, really curated something special with original trilogy alongside his friends, producer Rob Tapert and actor Bruce Campbell, who starred as the iconic character Ash Williams. Every movie is a blast â youâll never be bored.
Now, for those new to these movies, the entirety of the original trilogy hinges on this the contradiction: an unstoppable force vs immovable object since the rules are:
- Deadites always win
- Ashe can never lose
We see some incredibly outlandish kills and physics-defying stunts in many of the films. The campiest of camp films.
(Deadites, to be clear, are a species of undead parasitic spirits that feed on the souls of the living and possess their bodies).
Now, we wonât go into all the lore... weâll spare you. But itâs important to understand â these movies have always been chaotic, comedic, gory-as-hell, and a lot of fun. The 2013 remake was a directorial debut for Fede Ălvarez, and it was the scariest of the entire franchise. Since then, 2023âs Evil Dead Rise and this weekâs Evil Dead Burn have gone back to the roots of out of this world comedy horror.
Burn was not very well put together, but that is expected with a new-ish director. A nonsensical storyline is expected with these, but this movie, at times, suffered from a choppy opening and ending.
Still, lots of fun to be had for Evil Dead fans â creative kills, lots of gore, and some hilarious commentary from the deadites.
If you love yourself some Ash or deadites, see it in theater.
If youâre a casual horror fan/movie goer, wait for streaming on this round!
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Werwulf by Robert Eggers
Letterboxd Description:
Do not dread the darkness. Embrace it.
In 13th-century England, a town is haunted by a ravenous beast that threatens the safety of a man and his family.
Our entire crew is seated. The theater employees are scared, saying âThis movie doesnât release until Santa Clause is in townâ but weâre still too seated.
-Eric
Also Directed by Robert Eggers:
VVitch (2015)
The Light House (2019)
The Northman (2022)
Nosferatu (2024)
Tune in next week for | The Odyssey
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