leebutler Horror, Review

Mr. Harrigan’s Phone (2022) – Call Waiting

Released: 5th October
Seen: 5th October

Mr. Harrigan's Phone Info

Considering how ubiquitous they are now, it’s kind of fascinating to realise that the modern cell phone is actually not that old. The first smartphone hit the market back in 1994 and was a technical revolution, soon going from a plaything of the wealthy to something that you literally cannot exist without in the modern world. We now exist with the entire history of human knowledge on an electronic device that fits right in our pocket, it’s nothing short of a miracle device. Of course, as happens to all technologies that become popular, the cell phone is a prime tool to be used in fiction and if there’s anyone who is good at taking mundane everyday objects and making them terrifying, it’s Stephen King… usually, with Mr. Harrigan’s Phone there’s nothing actually terrifying going on.

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leebutler Comedy, Horror, Review

My Best Friend’s Exorcism (2022) – Possessed

Released: 30th September
Seen: 2nd October

My Best Friend's Exorcism Info

1973 saw the release of The Exorcist, a film that’s still regularly considered the scariest film of all time. The stories of what would happen during the screenings of that film are legendary, people throwing up in the aisles, fainting in their seats, running from the theatre screaming in terror. It was an absolute phenomenon and it also effectively created the modern demon possession film as we know it. All the tropes of the genre basically originate from here and everyone since has tried desperately to match the effectiveness of the undeniable classic. The latest attempt to join the genre is a little teen comedy spin on the concept, My Best Friend’s Exorcism which could’ve been fun but like most teenagers, it feels unsure of itself.

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Hocus Pocus 2 Promo Image
leebutler Comedy, Family, Fantasy, Review

Hocus Pocus 2 (2022) – Wonderful Witchcraft

Released: 30th September
Seen: 30th September

In 1993 the film Hocus Pocus was released to an audience that really didn’t want anything to do with it. At the time it was critically thrashed and the box office wasn’t exactly glowing which is a little understandable when you consider it was released on the same day as the juggernaut that was Free Willy and not too long after Jurassic Park, so audiences were somewhat distracted. Of course, as time went on, thanks to regular screenings around Halloween and the home video market, Hocus Pocus eventually found its audience and became a massive cult hit and has been subsequently reevaluated by many as a pretty damn good family movie with more than enough charm to delight most audiences, along with possibly the best cover version of I Put A Spell On You to ever be recorded. 

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leebutler Horror

The Goldsmith (2022) – Eye Catching

So, over on Soda and Telepaths I’m reviewing entries for the upcoming film festival A Night Of Horror and will be slowly going through them before the actual festival happens. So feel free to go read my first one for the foreign film entry The Goldsmith and, if you’re in Sydney, maybe also get tickets to the festival because there’s nothing quite like a good film festival.

leebutler Biography, Drama, Romance

Blonde (2022) – Some Like It Not

Released: 28th September
Seen: 28th September

Blonde Info

When you think about pop culture for long enough, inevitably you think about Marilyn Monroe. Her image, the perfect blonde hair and baby doll voice are iconic on a level that is practically impossible to describe. Her image is so well known that every female celebrity will, at some point, try to emulate it for a photoshoot. She’s a Halloween costume, a glossy image that has become a shorthand for fame and glamour… she’s also a woman who lived a life that was full of tragic moments that the public never knew about, or maybe they didn’t want to know. Slowly as time goes on, we’ve looked back on the life of Norma Jeane and learned more and more about the pain that hid behind the glamour. For years people have tried again and again to tell her story in many assorted ways, which leads us to Blonde… possibly the most exploitative version of the story ever told.

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