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Reviews
My Special Boy (2022)
Maybe Offering Jason Some Pizza Would Have Made Him Less Angry...
With their latest effort, writers/directors James Grim (Halloween: The Devil's Autumn) and Braden Timmons (The Haddonfield Nightmare), offer a feature-length Friday the 13th story akin to a reboot; it neither changes nor expands upon established arcs from previous entries - it's very much a simplistic picture, married to the complexities of striving to move forward whilst grappling with the ostensibly indelible stains of the past.
Just as the aforementioned directors work to rebuild the legacy of Friday the 13th, (going back to the initial premise of a grieving mother and, for all intents and purposes, a 'Special Boy'), the protagonist (portrayed by Timmons) works to rebuild he and his family's reputation, feeling to blame for the tragic and terrifying events of the past.
The story, thought up by Grim and Chad Sumner (Elias Voorhees/Jason Voorhees), takes nothing away from the original film and its sequels. In fact, My Special Boy fits decently within its legacy, with subtle references throughout. Something I'm personally appreciative of is the fact there's an actual story. Fan features are so prevalent and ubiquitous that it's admittedly difficult to tell one from the other at times, but My Special Boy is one which certainly stands out. It feels more like a character study, as opposed to a masturbatory gore gag reel.
Jason and Pamela (Gia Rose) sharing scenes is a neat idea; to Jason's mind, he could be the protagonist, avenging both he and his mother's untimely demises. Crystal Lake (now Camp Trinity Pointe) has since become Jason's home. The counselors are trespassers, people seeking to do harm to Jason. Maybe Jason believes himself to be the good guy, not some evil serial killer seeking revenge.
The acting isn't bad. I've certainly seen worse (I'll Always Know What You Did Last Summer, Terror Train (2022), UHF). If anything, there's scenes here and there in which some of the talent seem unsure of themselves, but there's admirable effort in performing and putting themselves into their roles.
Pacing isn't an issue as My Special Boy is edited remarkably well, and it's complimented by a good score composition and some terrific camera work. The script is pretty decent, with merely a few snags.
Overall, My Special Boy gets 10 out of 10 stars for the genuine care and effort put into every single facet of Motion Picture guerilla film making. This isn't shot like a TikTok video outside of a Spirit Halloween with some kid's dad's hockey mask; this is pure dedication to the craft. Thought has gone into location, direction, storytelling, acting, cinematography, camera movements and angles - and even costume designs. The death scenes are done well, with good makeup FX. There are moments in which Jason is portrayed similarly to what's come before, but the performance has unique moments that make it its own, which is perfect for a reboot.
Its backers should be proud of the commitment and delivery of My Special Boy. Each department truly displays effort, passion, talent, and drive, and it's precisely what mainstream Motion Picture studios ought to take into consideration whilst scoping for new talent.
The Munsters (2022)
Delightfully Entertaining
Even before The Munsters (2022) was given a chance, many scoffed at it and shook their heads - not because they genuinely believe the source material is too masterful and fantastic to be reinvented, but because of the names attached to it; more specifically, Rob Zombie.
Here's the thing: Rob Zombie has proven himself as a director time and time again. Competent, creative, and very much a team player. The misplaced anger and disdain for the aforementioned filmmaker is from this curious band-wagon mentality many people have. Many directors cast the same actors and actresses. When you have a terrific working relationship, why have entirely new people for every single movie? I digress.
Anyway... Rob Zombie's take on The Munsters is precisely what it ought to be. It's family-friendly, decently paced, and the amount of effort that has gone into recreating Mockingbird Lane, as well as putting together the other sets and costume designs, shouldn't go unrecognized. It's campy fun much like the source material. The exaggerated acting and obvious green screen moments are in tune with what Rob was going for. It's exactly what that original TV series was. The characters are who they've always been, for the most part. The idea of making this a prequel allows for more creativity and learning for the characters, and it opens the door for more than the typical family dynamic based plots.
The Munsters is by no means a perfect movie, but it's fun, entertaining, and it's no more tonally unique or structured than Ernest Scared Stupid, Hubie Halloween, or Pee Wee's Big Holiday. It is a deliberately quirky and wholesome story which, since it's a prequel, could very well pave way for a sequel that'll be improved upon easily now that this new world has been established, the actors and actresses are familiar with their characters, and the crew have an understanding and rhythm for the camerawork and lighting, and the sets are designed and hopefully still intact. It would be interesting if a black and white version gets released.
To sum it up, The Munsters is a good, delightfully entertaining movie and most of the criticisms and insults it gets is simply the doing of people hopping on the "Let's make fun of Rob Zombie" bandwagon.
Truly, Madly (2020)
Fine Storytelling Skills
Brian Dorton's (Trashology, Crazy Fat Ethel) outdoes himself in this underrated, underappreciated story. I won't give anything away, it's something you have to experience firsthand. However, this has so many relatable elements and that in and of itself strengthens the impact Truly, Madly has. Overall, a fine movie.
Crazy Fat Ethel (2016)
Underrated Controversial Gem
Crazy Fat Ethel is not your traditional gross-out horror feature; rather, it deliberately veers into controversial, repulsive territory - at which is succeeds. I would liken it to Grindhouse material in its style, and fresh in its execution.