Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them was a fun romp in the Harry Potter world. It was nice to see another wizarding community – especially set during the prohibition era.

I really enjoyed this movie. Was it the best thing I have seen this year? Nope. But it was nowhere near the worst.

This movie had me smiling through most of it. It had good effects, funny comedic moments, and some spell-slinging action.

Thankfully, this is not exposition the movie. Since this is set in the Harry Potter world, we do not have to be reintroduced to the way things work here. We get some familiar names sprinkled throughout.

Loved the villain reveal at the end of the movie.

If you enjoyed the Harry Potter books or movies, you should see this in theaters.

Starring: Eddie Redmayne, Colin Farrell, Katherine Waterston, Alison Sudol, Ezra Miller

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Doctor Strange

Doctor Strange does an excellent job of introducing magic into the Marvel movie universe. Since they treated Asgardians as aliens with technology, I was not sure they were going to get mystical.

Doctor Strange is the story of a highly-skilled, arrogant surgeon who has a terrible injury to his hands. He goes through every conceivable medical treatment possible before turning to … other options. During the course of his training, he has to face off with a sorcerer who has turned his back on the Earth and is welcoming Dormammu – think mystic Galactus.

The special effects are everything you would expect from a Marvel Studios production now. The reality bending effects did make me a tad dizzy at points, but they did their job at disorienting people.

There is a mid-credits scene and an after credits scene you will want to stay for.

Starring: Benedict Cumberbatch, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Rachel McAdams, Benedict Wong, Mads Mikkelsen, Tilda Swinton, Benjamin Bratt

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Scherzo Diabolico

Scherzo Diabolico is a slow-burn tale on a person’s decision to take his life into his own hands in the worst possible way.

Directed by Adrián García Bogliano (Late Phases, Here Comes the Devil), Scherzo Diabolico tellls the story of a man who gets passed over for a promotion and does not have a good relationship with his wife. We see him spend considerable time stalking a high school student before eventually kidnapping her.

I do not want to go into too much farther into the plot than that. This movie has twists and changes your expectations regularly. The very final scene still sticks with me. Very simple to produce – very heart wrenching.

One caveat, this is a subtitled movie. And it is a slow-burn movie.

Scherzo Diabolico is currently streaming on Netflix.

Starring: Francisco Barreiro, Daniela Soto Vell, Jorge Molina, Milena Pezzi, Vita Vargas

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Bloodsucking Bastards

Work. It sucks the life out of you.

Bloodsucking Bastards is not your typical vampire movie.

Evan is working as the acting sales manager at a telemarketing company. His girlfriend, Amanda, is head of human resources and his friend Max is a sales person. Just as things appear to be looking up for Evan, he is passed up for a promotion that is given to his arch-nemesis, Max.

Slowly, Evan’s co-workers get really pale and really productive at their jobs. Evan has to stop the threat with the few employees not yet turned.

I liked the concept of a “corporate” takeover of a company by vampires. We get some comedy and plenty of gore.

Starring: Fran Kranz, Pedro Pascal, Joey Kern, Joel Murray, Emma Fitzpatrick, Yvette Yates, Justin Ware

Official Site: http://www.bloodsuckingbastards.com/

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Wyrmwood

wrymwood_brookeThe Zombie genre can feel played out. But Wyrmwood is a nice entry from Australia. Very Gorey with shades of Day of the Dead.

We start off with an action scene with 4 armored men retrieving a truck surrounded by a horde of zombies. We get some flashbacks from a few of them when the zombie outbreak started. One man was forced to kill his family as they turn. Not from being bitten though. From the air itself. His sister gets kidnapped by a pseudo-military outfit and experimented on.

He and his friends make their way to her last known location, not knowing she was taken.

Whatever is in the air reanimating people also does something to flammable liquids like gas that make them no longer flammable. I love their solution around this.

We slowly get to see the effects of the experiments which lead up to the finale of the movie.

Wyrmwood leaves itself open for a sequel, but doesn’t really need one.

Starring: Jay Gallagher, Bianca Bradey, Leon Burchill, Keith Agius, Berynn Schwerdt, Luke McKenzie, Cain Thompson, Catherine Terracini

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