Venom: The Last Dance
Scorecard, horror royalty, LOTR on Christmas, Medium Project
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Here’s what we have for you this week:
Concession Stand Scorecard: Venom: The Last Dance
Temp These Takes: Spooky Season Week 4 - the scream queens/kings of horror
Watchlist Worthy: LOTR and anime heads unite ⚔️
Pod Drop ICYMI: The Medium Project: It Ends With Us
This week’s movie - “Venom: The Last Dance”
Letterboxd Description:
’Til death do they part.
Eddie and Venom are on the run. Hunted by both of their worlds and with the net closing in, the duo are forced into a devastating decision that will bring the curtains down on Venom and Eddie’s last dance.
Best Watched With
Your best buddy—a real one or the one that lives in your head. Either works.
End credit thoughts
If you are someone who is suffering from Marvel fatigue, Venom: The Last Dance is not exactly helping. But that is not to say this final installation of the trilogy (or is it? Yes, the answers most want to know, there are mid AND end credit scenes 👀) has nothing to offer. Though it was not anything close to revolutionary, our low expectations did us a slight favor going into this one.
Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy) and his alien symbiote are back at it and on the run from authorities, soon to find out there is something far worse and more powerful hunting them down. There is action almost non-stop from the get go, that was entertaining enough and ridiculous at times.
The performances were nothing to rave about, but it was fun to see Hardy dressed like a vacationing-retiree for most of the movie while fighting for his life. Rhys Ifans (House of the Dragon) provided a touch of comedy and a change of pace as an alien-obsessed-dad taking his family on a self-serving roadtrip. There were quite a few times where we, alongside people in the theater, had a good chuckle out loud. More than expected. But a decent amount of those times felt like we weren’t supposed to be laughing.
The movie attempts to build in quite a few emotional storylines into it. Surprisingly working for a couple moments, but there was too much going on with not enough time to let things develop. Most of the storylines did not provide the depth needed to give a serious pull on the heartstrings.
The soundtrack is definitely a highlight of the movie. Mostly filled with familiar pop culture hits, but the kind of tunes where you absolutely do not mind showing up and will jam regardless. Despite the jukebox bangers, overall, this Sony-Marvel movie did not do enough to justify the price of admission.
Stream this one at home.
Watch the trailer here
Who are the scream queen and king of horror?
Eric
Modern day scream king - Patrick Wilson. I’m not talking about Insidious or The Conjuring—both incredibly terrifying bodies of work. I’m talking about his work in Hard Candy. Scary shit in that movie. If you haven’t seen it - I do not recommend.
But truly - he is an incredible force in the horror universes that he is a part of.
Now I have to give an old school shoutout - Sam Neil. Forget Jurassic Park a the man is in some serious classics. Possession, Into the Mouth of Madness, Event Horizon, and more.
Scream Queen goes to none other than Maika Monroe. Call it recency bias - call it whatever you want! She’ll be running the horror world very soon. Bet on it.
Josh
Only because the producers are being WET BLANKETS by saying we can’t pick scream kings like Justin Long, I won’t.
Give me Bill Skarsgård. Yes, he’s probably most known for his portrayal of Pennywise but that is not why he is my choice (he does kill the Pennywise performance). Barbarian single handedly ruined my fall last year, un-shoutout out Eric. I don’t want to ruin the movie, but Bill, you had my basement-dwelling-ass sleeping with the lights on all spooky season. He’s also going to do some serious haunting as Count Orlok in Nosferatu.
And for scream queen, just to get back at the producers, Naomi Scott—I refuse to watch Smile 2 because her performance in the trailer alone makes my soul try to escape out of my eyes.
But also Anya Taylor-Joy so the producers don’t fire me. The VVITCH (double un-shoutout Eric) launched her career. Stellar in horror but not limited by it; earning her a place in the ranks of scream royalty.
New Mexico Drew
I'm giving the crowns to Neve Campbell and Daniel Kaluuya.
Neve has had one hell of a run with the Scream franchise, but it all started with her outsmarting and kicking the killers' asses in the original Scream. The producers wouldn't let us pick Jamie Lee Curtis, so obviously Neve is next in like for the crown.
For the scream king, I gotta got with Kaluuya. I'm not even sure if he screams in Get Out, but the performance he delivers with just his eyes while he's in the sunken place is legendary.
What’s your take? Hit Reply or leave a comment below and let us know!
The Lord of the Rings:The War of the Rohirrim (2024) Directed by Kenji Kamiyama
I think it’s fair to say that beyond the original trilogy, the other attempts to tap into the beloved story of LOTR have had more misses than hits (The Hobbit trilogy and Rings of Power). The bold strategy of going in a completely new direction and making the latest entry an anime film could be a smart move. It will allow Kamiyama to explore brand new stories in a familiar world without the baggage of showing actor’s faces on screen (and having us compare them to the original cast in the LOTR trilogy).
I’m optimistic about this one and at any rate, it gives you one more option on Christmas day if you don’t want to see Nosferatu 🧛🏻.
-NMD
Letterboxd Description:
History becomes legend.
183 years before the events chronicled in the original trilogy, a sudden attack by Wulf, a clever and ruthless Dunlending lord seeking vengeance for the death of his father, forces Helm Hammerhand and his people to make a daring last stand in the ancient stronghold of the Hornburg. Finding herself in an increasingly desperate situation, Héra, the daughter of Helm, must summon the will to lead the resistance against a deadly enemy intent on their total destruction.
Also Directed by Kenji Kamiyama:
Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex - Solid State Society
ICYMI: It Ends With Us: The Medium Project #038
🎧 Listen to this episode on Apple Podcasts or Spotify
🎥 Watch this episode on YouTube
In this episode, Kelly, Eric, Sarah, and Josh engage in a discussion about the film adaptation of Colleen Hoover's It Ends With Us. They explore various aspects of the movie, including casting choices, portrayal of serious themes like domestic violence, and differences between the book and the film.
The conversation is filled with personal anecdotes, humor, and candid moments that provide an entertaining yet critical analysis. Highlights include the technical and emotional challenges of adaptation, the performances of actors, directorial decisions, and how elements like set design and omitted scenes impacted the overall narrative.
This episode blends thoughtful critique and light-hearted banter, offering both insightful commentary and engaging entertainment.
Tune in next week for | Conclave
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