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My Best Friend’s Exorcism is a horror comedy that has enough problems with it to make it impossible to recommend. While I am sure a much younger audience will have a better time with this movie, I sure didn’t.

Abby and Gretchen are best friends in their last few months together. Gretchen moves in the summer, and they are willing to make the most of it. They and a group of friends spend a weekend at a cabin where an acid trip ends up being the nightmare that puts this friendship to the test. A demon possesses Gretchen and makes her plot against her friends, alienating her from anyone who can help her exorcise the demon. Will Abby be able to save her friend group from this evil in time, or will the demon claim his victim?

My problem with this movie is that it isn’t good at either of the genres it is trying to fit into. As a comedy, it isn’t funny enough to be worth your time. As a horror movie, it isn’t scary. It tries hard to work within the poorly written teen drama it ends up being, but it never does. The acting is fine but clearly held back by the writing. The plot is dumb, but it does have its moments. The best part of this movie is its soundtrack, but it’s defiantly trying to cash in on the ’80s nostalgia that Stranger Things brought back into pop culture.

What I did like about this movie is how it treats its demon possession. The demon preys on the friend group through sabotage and mind games instead of resorting to gore and gross-out scenes. For example, the demon tricks one of the girls into coming out as a lesbian, then uses her sorrow to almost killing her by nut allergy. It was pretty clever and uncomfortable, but this only makes up a small portion of the film. The rest of the movie lacks this creativity.

My Best Friend’s Exorcism isn’t the worst horror comedy I have seen. It definitely is too quirky for its own good, but it is watchable. I can’t recommend it, however, because it is boring. But to the curious and unbelievers, you can stream it on Amazon Video if you have a Prime Membership.

Movie Reviews

Movie Review: Minions: The Rise of Gru (2022)

October 5, 2022 josechurape Leave a comment

Most people are already done with this IP, but Illumination seems to be determined to milk it for all its worth. While it might not be the best addition to the franchise, The Rise of Gru is certainly one of the better ones. If you have kids, you’ve probably already seen this movie. If you haven’t, you can stream it on Peacock.

The plot is a simple origin story. It focuses on the mentorship of Gru as he comes to his own as a villain, while also establishing him as a sympathetic character. I didn’t feel like it added much to the lore or did anything worthwhile, but I didn’t hate it.

This movie doesn’t do anything special, and I would only recommend it if you have kids. The voice acting is mostly solid and I enjoy the art style. It is hard to write too much about this movie because you’ve seen this type of origin story done many times. There were some cute moments in this movie that help The Rise of Gru stand out among the rest of these movies, but nothing I would rush to see.

If you are looking for something to throw on for a family movie night, this is a solid option. If you are looking for something to throw on in the background, why not. Otherwise, you can probably live without it. You can stream it on Peacock.

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Movie Reviews

Movie Review: The Bubble (2022)

September 14, 2022 josechurape 2 Comments

The Bubble proves that you can have a movie full of funny and talented people and still be painfully unfunny. If you haven’t heard of this movie, consider yourself lucky because this movie is a huge waste of time.

The Bubble is a meta-comedy about the making of a bad movie. The movie pokes fun at how the pandemic affected filmmaking. The film spends too much time making pandemic-era jokes that you have seen done better on TikTok. This movie actually becomes a Tiktok commercial halfway through. In the movie, the actors find themselves imprisoned by the production company and are forced to finish filming. I don’t know if this movie is a documentary or a comedy because I felt the same desperation the characters did to leave this film. This is a discount Tropic Thunder you shouldn’t bother watching.

What a shame that so much talent was wasted on a skit that never ends. I hope the paychecks were nice because this movie was torture. The jokes rarely landed, the meta nature of it doesn’t work, and there is no structure to this comedy. I couldn’t tell if the jokes were meta or if they were critiquing the movie in real-time. I can’t tell you how many scenes start with them talking about how badly this movie is. There are parts of this movie that feel like it was all improvised, and none of it was good. This is a movie that gets worse the longer it runs because the jokes get more and more desperate. The only good thing about this movie is the CGI. It is really good, but I don’t understand why they even bothered to make it so.

I understand that movie was supposed to be satire and poke fun at the film industry, but it doesn’t do it properly. There is nothing more I can say about this movie because it is so bland. Nothing happens. You can watch this on Netflix, but you should skip it.

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Movie Reviews

Movie Review: Me Time (2022)

September 2, 2022 josechurape 6 Comments

Me Time is another lazy and generic buddy comedy where Kevin Hart plays himself. While this might be one of his better ones, it isn’t saying much considering how low the bar is. I wouldn’t bother with this movie unless you really enjoy Kevin Hart’s comedy.

Kevin Hart is a stay-at-home dad with a very successful wife. He takes pride and joy in his role, but there are factors that leave him insecure about his manhood. In an effort to prove his worth to the world, he links up with an old childhood friend for a night of partying. Things quickly get out of hand, and now Hart must salvage the night and save his marriage and friend.

You’ve seen this movie before. You will probably forget you watched this movie. This lazy addition to Hart’s filmography only proves that he is destined to be typecasted as himself for the remainder of his career. While these movies might be good for his bank statements, I am tired of having to sit through the same movie and listen to the same jokes, all to learn the same morals. All I want is a unique plot, and not this copy and pasted nonsense.

Don’t watch this movie and give it ratings. With how much content there is out right now, your time is better spent elsewhere. The acting is okay, the jokes are barely funny, and the plot is clearly recycled. Why waste your time on something that clearly had little effort put into it? You can stream it on Netflix, but I wouldn’t bother.

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Series Reviews

Series Review: The Rehearsal (2022)

September 2, 2022 josechurape 1 Comment

The Rehearsal is a hard show to sell because Nathan Fielder’s humor isn’t for everyone. He is very dry and awkward in his deliveries, but somehow he makes it work. I believe it has to do with how his personality is contrasted against very serious situations that make the shows he makes work. If you can get past his awkward and dry sense of humor, you get an interesting show that explores how we make decisions.

Nathan Fielder uses HBO’s money to help people overcome difficult tasks in their lives. In the first episode, Fielder helps a man who wants to come clean about a lie he told his friends long ago. The lie has been weighing heavily on his conscience. Fielder promises to help him overcome the fear of the situation by helping him prep for the confession. The Fielder makes a replica of the location, gets actors to interact with, and goes over every possible outcome. The idea is to prep the subject by making him encounter every possible outcome. By the end of the rehearsal, the subject should be ready to overcome the task at hand. The show gets stranger as he will often turn the camera on himself and evaluate the morality of what he is doing.

Fielder uses this show to explore the social and situational factors that influence how we make decisions. Fielder will take a simple task or scenario and examine it from every possible perspective. He will also consider every possible outcome of a situation. Fielder uses the data he collects to manipulate situations to result favorably for him. You will sit there as he reevaluates a single moment in the show, dissecting it in order to understand why it resulted as such. If you like studying human behaviors and social dynamics, this is a fantastic show for you.

I fear I might not be doing this show justice because it is a hard one to explain. It is a comedy that isn’t bound by its genre. Instead, it is an in-depth study of the psyche of decision making. If you can get past Fielder’s stale personality, you find yourself with an interesting show. You can stream it on HBO.

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Movie Reviews

Movie Review: Day Shift(2022)

August 17, 2022 josechurape 4 Comments

Day Shift is a buddy comedy about vampire hunters that certainly has its moments, but I wouldn’t rush out to go stream it unless you have nothing else to watch. While it may not be the worst movie on the platform, its inconsistencies leave it in an awkward place where it is hard to recommend.

Jamie Foxx is a rogue vampire hunter that plays by his own rules. This flaw makes him a broke vampire hunter, desperate for money. In an effort to stay afloat, he must join the heavily regulated secret organization of vampire hunters. Here he is assigned Dave Franco, an inexperienced desk jockey who does everything by the book. The two find themselves in a conflict against a powerful vampire and her clan. They now must learn to work together to save Los Angeles from a vampire uprising.

Day Shift is just okay. The acting is fine, the jokes are inconsistent at best, and the story is generic. I don’t think there was a clear road map for this movie as it feels like a series of unfunny sketches strung together with some decent action scenes. If you cut out the dull and unfunny bits, we wouldn’t have a movie.

There is nothing special about this story. The characters are forgettable. Dave Franco and Jamie Foxx don’t have enough chemistry to pull this movie off, but I will blame the script for that. The villains have no presence, leaving the film without the suspense and tension it needs to be interesting. This would be forgivable because this movie is a comedy, but most of the jokes aren’t funny. The movie always goes for the cheap laugh and it doesn’t always work. I will commend the movie’s attention to detail. There are some small insignificant bits of lore that are set up very nicely, but I only noticed them because I was losing interest in the movie.

The action is this film’s only redeeming feature. Whoever designed the action scenes in this movie had a lot of fun with their job. Not all the scenes are equally fun, but there were enough to save this movie from being terrible. The first couple of fights in this movie are fantastic, but the movie definitely loses its steam towards the end.

If you are thinking of watching Day Shift, do so passively. Not everything in this movie is worth your attention. Otherwise, I wouldn’t go out of my way to put this on. You can stream it over on Netflix.

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Series Review: This Fool (2022)

August 16, 2022 josechurape 2 Comments

As far as sketch comedy shows go, This Fool is just okay. I thought it was funny enough, but it isn’t something you should be rushing to see. If you are looking for something to throw on in the background to watch passively, this is an option.

This Fool is about an ex-con and the cousin who helps him with his rehabilitation. The series is about Mexican-Americans in Los Angeles. The show deals with the problematic penal system, the hardships of adjusting to life after prison, and trying to find ones place in society.

The acting is okay, the story is fine, and the comedy is mostly funny. The show has a narrative it follows loosely, but it mostly moves from skit to skit. The problem with these types of shows is that not all of the jokes and skits are funny. There are some episodes that are really lackluster and skits that are a chore to get through. Although I did laugh and enjoyed the concept, This Fool didn’t leave much of an impression.

What I liked most about this show is how it handles important social issues. This country’s penal system is broken, and life for those who go through it is hard. The show makes some valid criticism of the system while also showing the hardships people face when they are released from prison. While they do keep the subject light, there are some very real moments that I appreciated.

Other shows in this genre tend to lose their novelty after a couple season. Inspiration dies and the shows stop being as funny. I thought the first season of this show was fine, but I doubt it can survive another season. I just don’t think there is enough material.

If you like shows like Broad City or Portlandia, it might be worth checking out. Keep in mind that this was written from the Mexican-American perspective and a lot of the humor relates to the culture. While I thought it was hilarious and appreciated the nuances, others might not understand or catch the jokes. I recommend watching this show when you have other stuff to do, it doesn’t deserve your full attention. You can stream it on Hulu.

Movie Reviews

Movie Review: Honor Society (2022)

August 13, 2022 josechurape 5 Comments

Honor Society was a delightful surprise hidden away in the otherwise baron catalog or Paramount plus. It isn’t perfect, it plays out a bit like a fairy tale, but it is an entertaining two hours of your life.

Honor Society is about Honor’s last year in high school. She has great ambitions and plans to achieve every one of them. To do so, she surrounds herself with reliable people, gets good grades, starts clubs, does volunteer work, and sucks up to the school’s guidance counselor. She wants to go to Harvard, and the only thing standing in her way is a letter of recommendation from the counselor. The problem is that three other students are competing for this recommendation. Honor hatches a plan to make sure she is the only candidate left by the end of the year, but her plotting isn’t as nefarious as intended.

This movie is a very high-energy and fun movie structured almost like a heist movie. Honor will constantly break the fourth wall to lay out her plans and reasonings, the camera will pan to the person or people involved, and you get to watch as she manipulates her way toward Harvard. It is really fun to see.

This style is unique and very effective for telling Honor’s story. The movie jumps from plot to plot seamlessly at Honor’s request without ever being confusing or disorienting. Honor is a fantastic protagonist with the charisma to make this movie work. The rest of the cast is equally fantastic and the performances come together as a fun teen movie about surviving high school.

My biggest complaint about this movie is how easily and quickly everything falls into place. People will do what she asks without question. The movie does a decent job at setting up Honor as the popular girl everyone likes, but the narrative still fits together like a fairy tale. One could argue that she isn’t being manipulative, but rather encouraging people into doing something they have always wanted to do. You can also argue that she is an unreliable narrator. You are being told a story from her perspective where she is cool and smart enough to get what she wants. Whatever the reason, this is a fun movie and you should check it out. Find it on Paramount+.

Movie Reviews, movies

Movie Review: Secret Headquarters (2022)

August 12, 2022 josechurape 3 Comments

I was pleasantly surprised by Secret Headquarters. I was expecting a completely generic superhero kids action movie, but I got a decent action comedy. It may not be perfect, but it has an undeniable charm to it. It is a solid kids’ movie, but one that you should only watch with your kids. It isn’t good enough to recommend to anyone outside of the target demographic.

The movie focuses on Charlie and his friend’s attempt to survive a villain’s assault on the world’s only superhero. Charlie is a normal kid trying to survive middle school while dealing with his parent’s separation and his absent father. Charlie’s life changes when he and his friends discover that his dad is the superhero The Guardian. Unfortunately, this discovery throws the kids into an ongoing conflict between The Guardian and an organization that is after The Guardian’s power. With the help of his friends and the Guardian, Charlie must now stop the villains from taking over the world.

This movie is okay. It isn’t going to win awards or redefine the genre or the medium, but it isn’t the worst way to spend two hours. The plot is simple, the humor is easy, but the special effects are pretty good. You will lose interest because the pacing is a little slow. A lot of the humor in this movie is designed for kids. Not all of the jokes land, but there are some solid references and double entendres that will offer you a good chuckle. The best part of the movie is its editing. The editing is hilarious. I love how it would cut away perfectly to sensor the cuss words. Your kids (if applicable) will have more fun with this movie than you will.

What helps make this movie palatable is the acting. The kids are fun and share some great chemistry, and Owen Wilson and Micheal Pena are a delight. The characters are given enough development to be distinguishable but don’t expect anything complex. Most characters fill an archetype; but they do well enough within those restrictions. The villains in this movie are exactly what you can expect from a kids’ movie. They are dumbed down and generic; Micheal Pena does his best.

This movie isn’t perfect. If you don’t have kids, I wouldn’t go out of my way to seek it out. If you have kids, it is a decent action comedy. Check it out on Paramount+.