Triple Review Vol. 1

Which of the three do you wish to see? Perhaps a stroll on main street where an evil dummy brings Halloween to life. Check in at the El Royale hotel where nothing can go wrong or travel with first man on the moon. Whichever you choose, I guarantee you won't demand a refund.


Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween (B+)

If you saw the first Goosebumps movie you recall the monsters from R.L. Stine's popular book series come to life when released from their original manuscripts. All are safely locked away or so we thought. Two boys named Sonny (Jeremy Ray Taylor) and Sam (Caleel Harris) explore an abandoned house that unbeknownst to them was once owned by the Horror author himself. Inside they find a old manuscript titled "Haunted Halloween", a book that Stine never finished. They open it and the evil dummy Slappy returns and unleashes a horrific havoc on their small town. Together with Sonny's sister Sarah (Madison Iseman), the youngsters must find a way to stop Slappy before he makes this Haunted Halloween a permanent holiday. Like its predecessor, the sequel isn't based on any of the books and is its own original story but done a little better. Known for his role in It, Jeremy Ray Taylor proves he can be in scary movies whether with R.L.Stine or Stephen King (speaking of which, there is a quick Stephen King reference that I need clarification from fans). TV actors Ken Jeong (Community) and Chris Parnell (Rick and Morty) make for funny comic reliefs and a spooky scene that seemed straight out of James Wan's Dead Silence. The freaky part is that I had written about said movie around the same time I went to see this movie, both involving haunted dummies. Of the things I was happy to see that were absent from the first film were the haunted mask and the magic chant used to bring Slappy to life. Goosebumps 2 is still a fun family-friendly movie that even Goosebumps fans will find enjoyment.

Bad Times at the El Royale (A-)

A group of strangers consisting of a priest (Jeff Bridges), a salesman (Jon Hamm), a singer (Cynthia Erivo) and a southern gal (Dakota Johnson), check in at the El Royale hotel run by a young  concierge (Lewis Pullman). That is as far as I'm going to say about the plot. Want to know the rest? Watch the movie, I highly recommend it. Bad Times at the El Royale comes from writer/director Drew Goddard, the same man who did The Cabin of the Woods and if you've seen that film you know things are going to be unexpected, to say the least. Did I mention he wrote the screenplay to Cloverfield and The Martian? It's a return to the classic Film noir but with that Tarantino edge. Crime, mystery, revelation, and tension; it may be a bad time at the El Royale for some but for viewers it certainly won't be.

First Man (B)

The Right Stuff focused on the first Americans that went in space,  Apollo 13 was a rescue mission to save three men trapped in space, and Hidden Figures spotlighted the women who played a role in most of the flights to space. Now we have First Man from director Damien Chazelle (Whiplash and La La Land) on the man, the myth and legend himself: Neil Armstrong played with calm composure by Ryan Gosling. The movie recounts most of Armstrong's life from his brief life before NASA, testing the shuttles into orbit, the pivotal journey to the moon and back and all the blood and sweat that went in to making that historic trip in space. Claire Foy is magnificent as Armstrong's wife Janet, capturing the stress and worry for her husband's safety after seeing friends lose their lives in these space tests. Her best scene is when she confronts the NASA officials when her husband's life is put in danger. The movie also includes a great supporting cast with Kyle Chandler, Jason Clarke, and Corey Stoll as Buzz Aldrin. Like any astronaut movie the visuals are amazing whether seeing the Earth in orbit and the literal moon walk done in complete silence. Adding to the technical effects are the use of shaky cam that add to the claustrophobia of the space shuttles and filmed in 35mm that give it that documentary-feel from the sixties. What the film lacks is the family dynamic. While Armstrong was a man with few words in real-life, Gosling plays the role too well. Its a good performance but when it came to his family life he has the same expressionless face even when the scenes needs him to convey emotion. The only time I bought it is when he loses his daughter at the beginning, a memory that continued to haunt him. For such a big deal everyone makes of the moon landing, I would have love to see the reaction of everyone on Earth watching when astronauts finally land. As far as best astronaut movies go, Gravity holds that title. In terms of factual movies that would be Apollo 13. Regardless, First Man is a good movie and definitely check it on IMAX to feel the experience.