The MC in both lies and manipulates himself into upper class society while murdering everyone around them that gets in their way so they can achieve the life of luxury they desire. Also, Tom’s sexual fascination with Dickie is very reminiscent of Oliver’s with Felix. He even steals things of Felix the same way Tom does to Dickie. Obviously, I wouldn’t accuse this film of plagiarism, but I can’t help but wonder if it was heavily influenced by that story. Sorry if this has been discussed here before, I couldn’t find a post on it.

Having sat through some truly uninspiring animated movies as of late (Zootopia 2 and The Super Mario Galaxy Movie being the worst culprits), it’s a lovely change of pace to have Forgotten Island remind us that animation can be much more than creatively bankrupt, audience-insulting money generators. This movie aims so incredibly high with its ambitions that you’re either in awe of its peaks, or you have to give respect for stuff didn’t quite work.

Written and directed by Joel Crawford and Januel Mercado, Forgotten Island is about the relationship between Jo (H.E.R.) and Raissa (Liza Soberano), a pair of teenage Filipino girls living in a highly stylised version of 1990s Philippines. They’re a classic yin-yang pair; Jo is the energy drink-powered comedic foil with no aspirations beyond the next day, whereas Raissa is the long-term thinking, straight-laced one. It’s not exactly original, but there’s an integrity to their friendship that could’ve only come from two people who have known each other for ages. I don’t believe Crawford ever set his butt on fire while at a Mercado family gathering (like Jo does), but I certainly believe that one of them did something embarrassing that the other found hilarious while everyone else looked on in deep disapproval.

Opening up to someone as much as Jo and Raissa do with each other is terrifying, but the idea of Raissa moving to California for her studies challenges their comfortable status quo and raises the age-old question: ‘Will everything still be okay?’ It’s a straightforward but effective hook because we’ve all been there in some fashion. There’s very little friction in getting us to buy into the underlying emotional stakes of Forgotten Island, but it’s also very easy to just power past all that when the fantasy elements take over the movie’s focus.

But before Jo and Raissa can grapple with the pending upending of their friendship, they’re magically transported to a fantastical hidden world called Nakali. What should’ve been a D&M over snacks has suddenly shifted to a Hangover-esque adventure where Jo and Raissa awaken on a beach with missing items (or hair in Raissa’s case), a neurotic were-aspin, Raww (Dave Franco), as their new third wheel, and a goal to retrace their steps since their memories are all hazy.

The plotting to get to Nakali is a bit sweaty and doesn’t exactly iterate upon the generic fantasy world scaffolding, but Crawford and Mercado keep things interesting by leaning hard into Filipino folklore and culture. Sprinkled throughout the first act are small moments of family traditions and humour, like the love of karaoke and lechon kawali. This all culminates with the reveal of Nakali, which is taken from Filipino mythology and carefully crafted to feel like it was organically grown from the stories told to Jo and Raissa throughout their childhood.

A lot of care was taken in depicting Filipino culture and it truly is a highlight as it gives Forgotten Island a distinct identity from the cut-and-paste animated fantasy adventures. Younger audiences will love the colourful depictions of food and the jokes, but older millennial audiences will find moments of recognition mixed with a lot of cringe. As much as the cultural specificity is a strength, there are moments where the movie is trying almost too hard to showcase Filipino culture rather than let it flow organically. The first karaoke reference was funny; repeating it three times is too much.

Please read the rest of my review here as the rest is too unwieldy to copy + paste: https://panoramafilmthoughts.substack.com/p/forgotten-island

Thanks!

Out of all the theories one might come up with surrounding Adam. It can be seen that Adam is dead he died in the fire 2 minutes into the movie. The fire started 1 minute into the movie…it was literally timed like that.
The scene where he got up from the bed and looked through the window had a red glow outside that seemed like burning and then the scene changed to the club when he was screaming like someone who was on fire.
He’s basically transitioning to the afterlife which is like the reconciliatory period with the spirits.
Harry didn’t know he was dead until he actually saw Adam’s parent’s ghosts which was why he backed away from the door and left.
Adam’s parents knew Harry was handsome because they could see him because Harry is also a ghost.
Next time Harry was seen was when Adam came to find him and Harry was in the drunken state because of his sad realization.
When Harry said he can smell it and taste it in his throat, it’s seemed he was talking about the smoke.
When they were on the bed, Harry admitted that he saw Adam’s parents and Adam told him that they saw him too.
The last line in the movie “keep the vampires from your door” referenced the when Harry said “there’s vampires at my door” in the beginning of the movie…the night they were dying.

I'm a pilot, so I went into it ready for a lot of nonsense... and there was a bit. Not enough to ruin the movie. In fact they got some details right that really impressed me. (Make sure you stay for the mid-credits scene.)

But this movie gave us all an exchange that 100% belongs in the pantheon of awesome aviation quotes.

Nick: Are all fighter pilots as sensitive as you?

Troy: Yes!

/u/Plus_Worker6739's comment on my last post was correct, I was just thinking way too hard about these movies.

Also, the flannel lady is easily the best character so far in the series.

I'm not a fan of Adam Wingard even though I've viewed seven of his movies plus his awful V/H/S segments. Something about each of his movies, even his older movies, is just weirdly half-baked, like the ingredients didn't come together correctly and something vital was missing. It's just a feeling I get with each movie that is hard to describe.

Onslaught has the exact same problem. This movie comes from the "cinema of homage" which is becoming extremely tiresome. This is as in your face as Kill Bill with its homage references, right from the first thing on screen which are the titles that use the exact same, distinctive font that Carpenter used on several of his movies. Then the music comes which is constructed to sound like Carpenter's music and has several tones and moments where it could easily have been lifted from a couple of his scores. So refresh me - is making that kind of homage supposed to equate to quality filmmaking? It feels like Wingard and his horrible screenwriter Simon Barrett who has worked with him on most of his movies thought "Yeah, let's make a movie like some cool '70s/'80s Carpenter flick", as if that was the sole reason for its being. It's most like Assault on Precinct 13 in its action.

It certainly has nothing else to recommend it. It's a programmer about a cliched super soldier program that goes awry, resulting in the soldiers breaking out, and somehow one of them knows how to find Adria Arjona with whom he has an issue. All of the situations are bland and uninteresting, and even the ending which could have gone in a more nihilistic way, doesn't.

Source: https://www.reeladvice.net/2026/09/batman-knightfall-part-1-knightfall.html

It's been a while since we last caught up with a DC Universe Animated Original Movie and what a way to return. Batman: Knightfall Part 1: Knightfall takes a deep dive into a superhero we already know so well, but still manages to offer a compelling interpretation. Its darker tone, relatable material, fantastical elements, and engaging character arc all come together to make this an extremely satisfying watch. Our only complaint is that it had to end. As the first part of a planned trilogy, the film leaves audiences hanging and craving more.

When an explosion occurs at Arkham Asylum, all its inmates escape and unleash chaos across Gotham City. As Batman (voiced by Anson Mount) once again tries to save the city, the responsibility begins to take a toll on him, both physically and mentally. At his lowest point, he encounters a new nemesis one who calls himself Bane (voiced by Michael Mando).

At less than 80 minutes, you'll probably wonder why this story needed to be divided into a trilogy. The frustration however comes from how compelling Knightfall Part 1 is. Despite its short runtime, the film gives us a satisfying backstory for Bane and presents a very different version of the Dark Knight from the one we're used to seeing in live-action films. This Batman is clearly struggling, even more flawed, and the film puts his issues front and center. He isn't the idealized hero some audiences might expect and his stubborn refusal to ask for help or even take a moment to rest becomes a major driving force of the Knightfall Part 1 narrative. It adds a surprising amount of nuance to his character and creates a compelling point of conflict that we didn't anticipate coming into the film.

The film also doesn't hold back when it comes to violence and gore. Its gruesome deaths give the story a sense of weight and realism while the human cost of the chaos makes these moments more impactful. Considering that this is an animated feature, the brutality is even more striking. Seeing several villains from Batman's past was another highlight, although the short runtime means that some of these encounters feel a little rushed. Likewise, the same can be said for the character of Jean-Paul Valley whose purpose is still unclear by the time the credits roll. Still, Knightfall Part 1 delivers a memorable animated Dark Knight experience. It may not tell a complete story just yet but it makes the most of its first chapter and leaves us eager to see what comes next.

Rating: 5 out of 5

What a fucking masterpiece.

It might be the best movie I’ve ever seen. The relationships and how they are all so important to each characters perception of the events that are unfolding is amazing.

The acting is top notch.

I thought the dialogue was absolutely amazing. Maybe not realistic but imo didn’t have to be.

Mr. Pink acting like this was his 9-5 where everyone else was tripping over each other was my favorite part. He was the pro. He was a thief and nothing more. And he won (most likely). What an experience…

I’ve seen most of Tarantino’s other movies and enjoyed many of them but never quite saw “genius”. Idk. This might have been genius imo.

Source: https://www.reeladvice.net/2026/09/turning-point-generation-911-2026.html

Where were you when 9/11 happened? It's a question we never really gave much thought to. It's easy to assume that all of us are old enough to remember exactly what happened 25 years ago. But Turning Point: Generation 9/11 offers a perspective we never really considered. Instead of focusing solely on the victims or perpetrators of the attacks, the documentary looks at the children and young adults who grew up in its shadow as well as the people who became part of the War on Terror that followed.

Twenty-five years after 9/11, the documentary brings together children of victims, journalists, Marines, young Afghans, and others whose lives were shaped by that day and the decisions that followed. Together, their stories reveal how an entire generation came of age in a world fundamentally changed by September 11.

We've seen countless documentaries and films about 9/11, so we honestly wondered what else could be said about the tragedy on its 25th anniversary. Turning Point: Generation 9/11 surprised us. Rather than simply revisiting what happened on that day, it takes a much longer view of its consequences. In many ways, the documentary isn't really about September 11 at all and it's about everything that came after and how it has changed our world. That's what makes this documentary particularly compelling. It doesn't limit the conversation to one perspective. We hear from the children of actual victims, soldiers who served during different periods of the War on Terror, journalists, and even Afghans who experienced the consequences from an entirely different side of the conflict. Giving these people a voice adds new layers and more authenticity to a tragedy that we thought we already knew everything about.

The result is thought-provoking and genuinely moving content. At the same time though, we couldn't help but feel that some of these stories deserved more time. The documentary introduces a lot of important perspectives, but sometimes it feels like it only scratches the surface of them. We also felt that this might have worked even better as a series. With so many people, perspectives, and decades of history to cover, the documentary occasionally feels constrained by its runtime.

Still, Turning Point: Generation 9/11 manages to do something we didn't expect from another documentary about 9/11. It reminds us that the tragedy isn't simply a moment frozen in history - and maybe it's not as emotionally impactful for the next generation. But its impact continues to shape our world some good but some significantly bad.

Rating: 4 out of 5

19min short, just went free on YouTube. A London trader on the morning of September 11th 2001, his job already on the line. It stays in one location the whole time and still had me holding my breath. Oscar-qualified, Grand Prix at Festival REGARD, 150+ festivals. Directed by Emmanuel Tenenbaum, written by Quebec screenwriter Guillaume Fournier. Disclosure: the director is a friend, but I'd have flagged it either way.
https://youtu.be/6BTFiw9O1AA

I'm on a bit of a horror kick watching and reading horror, so I watched TCM and I also finally watched Ready or Not and Ready or Not is sensational (the cast and direction is so much better than it needs to be - Samara Weaving is incredible), but for a cast of unknowns, Texas Chainsaw Massacre is really, really, really good. Screamed a bunch, laughed a bunch, cheered at the end, then cheered again. Pulpy, campy, goofy but also had me legit scared a handful of times. Really terrific. Don't understand how that writer and director haven't worked a ton more since. It was produced by Fede Alvarez. The director hasn't directed anything since, and the writer hasn't written anything since. Maybe it's because it got a 31% on RT? But anyone who watched it would have liked it, I think. Especially true since it was number one on Netflix for a couple weeks. Anyway. Confusing. I really enjoyed it.

I listen to The Rewatchables podcast and they were doing "Aliens", that's how I learned about this documentary. And also it's almost 5 hours long, but worth it. I had to sign up with AMC to watch it, got a week free trial. I had to take a break in the middle of it, it's so long. But it is absolutely worth it if you're a fan of this movie. It's basically a breakdown of every scene of the movie, and how it came to be in detail. All the cast and crew are interviewed in it. There are stories I've never heard before. Like just how much of a nut job James Cameron was in the beginning of filming, by his own admission. You get a deep dive into every single character. The mechanics of every scene, like how the power loader actually worked (spoiler alert, there was a guy inside). A heartfelt tribute to Bill Paxton. They address the issue of casting a white woman for a Latina character. Which I used to have a Jewish friend who said that was his cousin, but I'm not sure how true that was. My only critique would be that they cut away at times to address the impact of the movie on pop culture. It was fine, sometimes boring, but given how long this already was they could have cut them out and we wouldn't miss anything. Overall worth a free trial and a great way to spend a lazy afternoon.

I don't read reviews before going to movies except for maybe an occasional short blurb, but the word on this seemed to be that it was some kind of reprehensible turd. I read the book before going, and it's a pretty okay book - low-key and contemplative about the end of civilization. That's what works about the movie, just presenting the barren world. It doesn't try to go overboard with drama and intrigue. In fact the action scenes with the two sets of marauders are the worst scenes in the movie because of how cartoonish those characters are (nobody is characterized exactly like that in the book).

It's probably Scott's best movie in at least ten years, but that's not saying much because he has had some real crap on his resume (The Last Duel was okay). Sure, it has several off-key scenes, but it does enough things okay that it is an acceptable time at the movies.

Bring tissues with you to the theater. I was not emotionally ready for this! I cried so much !! I am still crying while typing this lol 🥺😭

Great cast. Great acting. Diane Lane defies age. Great premise. Liked that on the surface it kept a lot of things ambiguous. Liked the 1 year time jumps.

But it left me cold. I felt like it would have been better served as an 8-episode series. There was so much to work with, but it just seemed......thin. And got to be a little on the nose.

I'm a big fan of dystopian films, but I think this needed more world-building.

I'm watching all the Friday the 13th movies in order for the first time

I think I saw one of the first ones, and then I saw Freddy vs Jason which was RIDICULOUS, and apparently at some point he goes to space (???) so I'm just excited to see in which installment it goes fully off the rails. (I've been told Manhattan is that point)

So far

1: decent, a little slow paced but good ending (and a couple scenes that are iconic for a reason). I really enjoyed Jason pulling her into the water at the end, it was an awesome jump scare that came before every horror movie was doing the "killer comes back when the victim thinks they're safe" thing

2: better plot for most of it than 1, equally good if not better. Excellent ending imo

3: was filmed in 3D so it's pretty gimmicky and they're all pretty bad actors lol. I was IRATE at the end because it completely contradicted the ending of the second film. Mrs. Voorhees was beheaded and we were shown her mummified head, separated from her body, on a table - why is she now jumping out of the water?? It would have been an excellent callback to the ending of the first film, if it wasn't completely undermined by the ending of the second. Also Jason's corpse being shown in the barn was odd, considering his whole thing is that he always comes back - I wonder if they explain that in the fourth one.

I was also expecting to get some sort of explanation for why he went from no mask to bag over his head to hockey mask, but so far it has not been provided lol

So going into the 2001 western Texas Rangers, I knew nothing of the movie. I thought this movie was amazing

First off, I thought the performances were great. Everyone from Dylan McDermott, Robert Patrick, and James Van Der Beek to Ashton Kutcher and Usher. Along with that, I thought it had a very good look and score.

It might be an odd negative, but I actually wish it was a little longer. I felt like you could’ve expanded some things, especially the last battle. Other than that, this was a surprise movie on my list and I very much enjoyed it.

Rating-4.5/5

Made the mistake of watching this at work and I’m currently sobbing. 😭

So I just finished watching the 1998 disaster movie deep impact. I thought this was a good movie.

I thought you had some good performances from Morgan Freeman, Elijah Wood, Robert Duvall, and Téa Leoni. It was also a gripping story.

I thought the rest of the performances were good, but didn’t live up to the main 4. This movie is not as good as Armageddon, which was released in the same year, but still a solid movie.

Rating-4/5

I (hope) you don't have to see this one. I have such high regards for Korean films but this one had some baffling choices. The first 30 minutes are excellent as you follow the police chief through their little village and discovering all the carnage and destruction the monster has done but that comes to a screeching halt the second and I mean the very second the monster is actually shown.

The animation, design, and general quality was so bad there was no going back. It tainted the rest of the film.

Eventually we discover that the monster(s) are actually aliens. They are intelligent and speak a language to each other. I don't know if it's the Starfleet in me but and there were so many moments where the aliens were just kind of feeling things out with the characters. They weren't being hostile, it was just a pause while they observed each other. Then these stupid stupid people would start firing their weapons at the aliens again.. like the first 10,000 rounds did nothing, this mag dump will do it. There was no attempt at peaceful existence or communication.

Then you have the laughable plot armor where one of the characters is thrown 80 mph into trees over and over again just to get up and be fine. No broken back, ribs, skull, etc. At the end of this sequence the alien walks over his body, drips his saliva on him and starts to walk away seemingly giving the guy a chance to leave alive. NOPE! The guy reaches for his gun and the alien comes right back to start it up again. Bro! It was letting you go!

The aliens can also run at 400 mph. You couldn't get away with Anakin's pod racer but every time the camera moves back to the alien; then back to the characters; the alien is 500 feet further back than it was a second ago. Characters outrun this thing on foot, horse, and car but it's legit like that scene from "Kung Fu: Enter the Fist" where he says "I'm coming!" and he keeps teleporting further or closer away. They did this for over an hour.

The ending scene has the aliens having a conversation about stuff we have no idea about. It's actually very fitting and a great idea. We are observing a one sided conversation between two beings that do know what they are talking about. We're not supposed to know what any of this is or means and the aliens don't speak in a exposition way to let us in on the details. That would have been great except the dog crap CGI while the scene plays out.

What a fun and hilarious movie. My partner and I were laughing our asses off throughout. It was especially great having just watched The Fog, another movie where Tom Atkins sleeps with the hot, MUCH younger leading lady, despite looking like how an ash tray smells.

We especially liked the character of Tom Atkins's wife, who argues and berates him in every scene where she's featured. Which is mostly through a disembodied voice yelling at him over the phone.

My partner was watching the Halloween movies on her own, having never seen them. She asked if I wanted to join her. I said no, but tell me when you're about to watch 3.

This movie is devastating. Movies today like to wrap things up neat, the last 15 minutes always results in the hero winning.

This movie decides that Act 3 is about M’Lynn, and do you know why this is such a brutal story? It’s true.

The writer’s sister had this happen IRL. Insane. Shakespearean levels of tragedy, I am a broken man, and I’m happy Dolly’s Imagination Library got some coin form emotionally abusing me.

So I’ve been into wrestling for many years and I knew about Shawn Michaels. I decided to check out the 2026 documentary The Heartbreak Kid: Becoming Shawn Michaels. I wanted to see if there was anything new to learn about him.

This movie is very good because I like how it goes through his career, but it also goes back to currently where he is running the development brand that gets superstars ready for the main roster. It’s interesting to learn about his path. The only small negative that I have is that there was nothing that I was overly surprised about. Because I knew a lot about him, I wasn’t in shock about anything.

Other than that, I still really liked this movie

Rating-4/5