We’ve just devoted a month to horror here at the Shattered Lens.
However, even we will admit that there are good films are not horror films. For instance, there are the films that have been made about an adorable bear named Paddington. Paddington’s latest adventure is Paddington in Peru, which features him traveling to …. well, it’s right there in the title.
Here’s the latest trailer for Paddington in Peru!
The scene below is a major spoiler for the film 10 to Midnight so don’t watch if you haven’t seen the film yet. And, to be honest, you probably shouldn’t even read the rest of this post, as the post itself is probably a spoiler as well. There’s no way to truly talk about this film without talking about the ending. 10 to Midnight is a film that’s been on my mind a lot this year, largely because Charles Bronson plays a character who reminds me of my Dad. Bronson’s relationship with his daughter (played by Lisa Eilbacher) also reminds me of my own relationship with my Dad. I doubt there’s many people who get sentimental over a relatively unheralded vigilante horror film from 1983 but, as I’m still processing losing my Dad earlier this year, I am one of those people.
If you have seen the film, you know that this is one of the best endings that Charles Bronson ever filmed. Indeed, in today’s chaotic world, there’s some very satisfying about both Bronson’s final line and his no-nonsense style of dealing with problems. And indeed, with all the bad vibes that seem to have been unleashed on the world over the past few years, this scene feels like an exorcism of sorts.
Serial killer Warren Stacy (Gene Davis) thought he could game the system. He thought he had everything figured out. He smugly assumed no one could stop his reign of terror.
Well, Bronson disagrees.
And with that one wonderful final line, Charles Bronson brings this year’s Horrorthon to a close.
This is a special episode of my favorite TV show of all, Degrassi! Originally airing on October 28th, 2008, The Curse of Degrassi features Degrassi’s main mean girl, Holy J Sinclair (Charlotte Arnold), getting possessed by the vengeful spirit of deceased school shooter, Rick Murray (Ephraim Ellis). Chaos follows! Fortunately, Spinner (Shane Kippel) is around to save the day. As any true Degrassi fan can tell you, only Spinner has a chance against the forces of the undead.
What I like about this episode is that, in the best tradition of Degrassi, it goes there. Holly J does get possessed. Just about the entire cast end up dying horribly. Spinner has to battle the undead spirit of Rick Murray and he has to do it without the help of Drake. And, as far as we know, this episode is canon. So, yes, Rick Murray’s ghost actually does haunt Degrassi Community School and yes, only Spinner can save us all.
Go Spinner!
Enjoy!
For this year’s horrorthon’s final episode of One Step Beyond, we have the …. final episode of One Step Beyond!
In this, the series’s very last episode, a Boston newspaper reporter in 1883 somehow manages to write a firsthand account of one of the greatest natural disasters in human history, the volcanic eruption of Krakatoa. Making his accomplishment all the more amazing is that he not only filed the story the day before it happened but he also says that he has no memory of writing it! What’s going on? Take one step beyond and find out!
This episode originally aired on July 4th, 1961.
Here’s the trailer for Presence, another horror film that could have taken advantage of the scary season but which is instead being released later next year. Add to that, this is a Steven Soderbergh film. When Soderbergh’s good, he’s great. When he’s bad, he’s painfully self-indulgent.
Lucy Liu is cool, though.
The trailer for The Damned was dropped by Vertical Entertainment yesterday.
No, not the Visconti film! This is a movie about ghost ships and sea creatures and fear in the arctic. The trailer makes it look like the perfect film for the Halloween season so it’s kind of a shame that it’s instead being released in January of 2025.
Here’s the trailer:
It’s that time of the month again!
While the rest of us were watching horror movies, the Oscar race was finally starting to take shape. It’s a race that still doesn’t have any frontrunners but which does now have some definite contenders.
Be sure to check out my predictions for April, May, June, July, August, and September!
Best Picture
Anora
Blitz
The Brutalist
Conclave
Dune Part II
Emilia Perez
Gladiator II
The Piano Lesson
Saturday Night
September 5
Best Director
Jacques Audiard for Emilia Perez
Sean Baker for Anora
Edward Berger for Conclave
Brady Corbett for The Brutalist
Ridley Scott for Gladiator II
Best Actor
Adrien Brody in The Brutalist
Timothee Chalamet in A Complete Unknown
Daniel Craig in Queer
Colman Domingo in Sing Sing
Ralph Fiennes in Conclave
Best Actress
Pamela Anderson in The Showgirl
Karla Sofia Gascon in Emila Perez
Angelina Jolie in Maria
Mickey Madison in Anora
Demi Moore in The Substance
Best Supporting Actor
Yura Borslav in Anora
Kieran Culkin in A Real Pain
Samuel L. Jackson in The Piano Lesson
Guy Pearce in The Brutalist
Denzel Washington in Gladiator II
Best Supporting Actress
Danielle Deadwyler in The Piano Lesson
Selena Gomez in Emilia Perez
Saoirse Ronan in Blitz
Isabella Rossellini in Conclave
Zoe Saldana in Emilia Perez
Welcome to Retro Television Reviews, a feature where we review some of our favorite and least favorite shows of the past! On Thursdays, I will be reviewing Malibu CA, which aired in Syndication in 1998 and 1999. The entire show is currently streaming on YouTube!
This week, Murray gets married!
Episode 1.16 “Mrs. Murray”
(DIr by Gary Shimokawa, originally aired on February 7th, 1999)
It may seem strange to review an episode of Malibu, CA on Halloween but this episode does feature Murray dressed up as Elvis so I guess that’s kind of Halloween-y.
Why is Murray dressed as Elvis? That’s what he decides to wear to his wedding, which is being held in the restaurant for some reason. Murray is marrying Amber (Anastasia Horne), who is only interested in Murray because of his money. (At one point, Amber’s friend refers to Murray as being the “mayor of Freak City.” No, Murray was mayor of Malibu …. remember?) Murray will receive a billion-dollar trust fund as soon as he gets married. Jason and Scott try to warn Murray about Amber so, at his wedding, Murray announces that he will not accept a dime of money from his trust fund. Amber quickly leaves the restaurant and Murray starts to sing “I feel so lonely I could die.”
Poor Murray!
While it’s tempting to praise Scott and Jason for looking out for Murray, I’ve seen enough episodes to know that Scott and Jason were probably just concerned that Amber would take all of Murray’s money before they could get a chance to cheat him out of it. Scott and Jason have certainly never had any problem with the idea of taking Murray’s money before. I’d probably be trusting of their motives if not for the fact that they embezzled money from Murray’s campaign just a few episodes ago.
Meanwhile, Tracy tries her hand at becoming a hairstylist, which leads to Sam and Stads looking like this:
Hey, just in time for Halloween! Are we sure this isn’t a holiday episode? It originally aired on February 7th, 1999 so …. nope. It’s just a coincidence that the episode I’m reviewing on Halloween happened to feature a lot of costumes.
This episode was essentially just a re-do of the Saved by The Bell episode with Screech’s Spaghetti Sauce, with the main difference being that Brandon Brooks is a bit more likable as Murray than Dustin Diamond was as Screech. On a personal note, I have to say that, as someone who has big boobs and is proud of it, I kind of resent that that every similarly endowed woman on Malibu, CA is portrayed as being either an airhead (Tracy) or a golddigger (Amber). For a show set on the beach, this show certainly does seem to take issue with those of us who actually look good in a bikini.
(Personally, I think Tracy should marry Murray and start digging into the trust fund….)
Oh well. I could complain more but it’s time for me to get ready to hand out candy. Happy Halloween!
From 1993’s The Nightmare Before Christmas, here’s the anthem of the day!
From the original and still the best Halloween.
“Was that the Boogeyman?”
Through the Shattered Lens 