Bodies Bodies Bodies (2022)

 

**This post contains spoilers**

The Story- Sophie (Amandla Stenberg) brings her new girlfriend, Bee (Maria Bakalova) to a hurricane party at her best friend David’s (Pete Davidson) mansion. At the party, Sophie reunites with Jordan (Myha’la), Emma (Chase Sui Wonders), and Alice (Rachel Sennott). 

Before the storm hits, the group agrees to play Bodies Bodies Bodies, a murder mystery party game. But the game takes a dark turn, when a real death happens. Alice’s new boyfriend, Greg (Lee Pace) is the primary suspect. And Max (Conner O’Malley), another friend in the group, is nowhere to be found after a heated altercation with David. Mistrust and nasty finger-pointing slowly tears the group apart, as they struggle to answer one crucial question: Who is the killer?

My Thoughts- Bee is struggling to fit in, but at least she’s trying? If I had to go with a pick for the best performance, Maria Bakalova easily takes the top spot. It’s easy to believe and buy into Bee’s personality. The shyness, Bee being afraid to speak up, Bee nervously voicing her opinions, and the awkwardness Bee feels, as she tries to loosen up. 

Sophie and her friends? They’re vultures ready to pick any bones clean, after the first dead body pops up. Bee? You can see she’s scared and nervous, carefully choosing her words, because Bee knows someone is waiting to snap on her during all the mud slinging. Bakalova does a good job of building sympathy for Bee. She’s a genuinely good person, who just wants to make friends, and she doesn’t want to disappoint Sophie. But she’s stuck in a mansion with a bunch of overly dramatic and whiny narcissists and cry babies, who are actively looking for a reason to shit on each other.

The overall cast features a number of good performances. Pete Davidson plays a goof, but David is also a jealous, deeply insecure, and thin-skinned young man. Lee Pace is hilarious as Greg. On the surface, Greg comes off as a laid back guy, with a hippie/surfer dude personality. But if you push Greg’s buttons too much, he flips the switch to activate a more mean and serious personality. 

Myha’la, playing an angry and agitated character, really nails Jordan. Taking Jordan’s side during the arguments works as the logical choice. She’s not afraid to speak unfiltered truths, but on the other side of that, it’s hard to not roll your eyes, because she’s clearly a bitter and mean-spirited person.

Rachel Sennott delivers a lot of laughs as Alice, complete with some genuinely funny hysterics. Alice is perky, and she’s kind of an airhead, and Sennott’s comedic timing is excellent. Also, Chase Sui Wonders delivers a solid performance as Emma, the actress, who makes herself an easy target in shark infested waters, because she’s too emotional.

Who is the killer? Well, David accidentally slit his own throat with a sword. That’s right. No mystery, no killer, David offed himself, because he was trying to prove he could pop a cork on a champagne bottle. Greg effortlessly did it earlier in the movie, and of course, David couldn’t handle another man upstaging him, or watching all the attention and praise go to someone else.  So David’s solution was to show he’s also capable of doing the sword trick, but it cost him his life.

Truly a surprising ending. I didn’t see it coming at all, but David doing something stupid is believable. Imagine that. Four friends said hurtful and unforgivable things to each other. Pointed fingers with serious accusations, and destroyed their friendships, because they believed one of them was a killer running around in the dark. David and Emma’s deaths were freak accidents, Bee murdered Greg, and Jordan accidentally shot and killed Alice. The stupefied looks on Sophie and Bee’s faces during the end, when Bee realizes she has reception on her phone, after watching David’s video with the champagne bottle and the sword is just perfect.

Bodies Bodies Bodies does a good job of balancing the comedy and serious moments for the appropriate reactions, whether it’s laughs or a jaw-dropping moments, cleverly interweaving the tonal shifts, when it’s necessary. It’s almost impossible to not laugh at the cast of characters here. There’s a chance a killer is on the loose, you’re stuck in a mansion with no power during a hurricane, but you’re wasting time arguing over petty bullshit? Please, take one second and look at the big picture!

You can feel sympathy for the victims here, but it’s also hilarious once you realize the bloodshed (excluding one death) could’ve been avoided, if everyone just came together as friends, one unit working TOGETHER to figure out what’s going on. What happened instead? A bunch of spoiled and rich youngsters wasted too much time trying to belittle and one-up each other for their manufactured “struggles.” 

One of my favorite scenes in the movie happens towards the end during the big group argument. Alice coldly reminds Jordan that she comes from an “upper middle-class” background…and Jordan gets upset? So someone else reminds you that your journey in life hasn’t been difficult, and that’s enough to piss you off? Seriously?

They threw in the car won’t start cliche for this one. There’s a good reason for it, and you can see it coming from a mile away. Personally, I’m just not a big fan of car trouble mishaps in horror movies. Still, Bodies Bodies Bodies really works as a funny and entertaining whodunit black comedy slasher-esque horror film, complete with a genuinely shocking finale for the big reveal. 

Screenwriter Sarah DeLappe does a phenomenal job of convincing you that anyone is capable of being the killer, leading to a conclusion that’ll either make you laugh, or at least crack a smile at how a seemingly normal party descended into chaos. The casting is great. Everyone is a perfect fit for their characters, and you can easily pick one highlight reel worthy moment from each member of the cast throughout the movie. 

Bodies Bodies Bodies hits all the right checkpoints as a riff on people (usually the younger crowd), who will go to great lengths to convince themselves that their alleged hardships in life are too much to deal with. They’re stuck in a loop of always complaining and feeling sorry for themselves, because they can’t break out of their victim complexes. Also, I’m always a big fan of horror films with isolated settings. The big quiet mansion out in the middle of nowhere. A hurricane is roaring outside. No power, it’s dark indoors, and the remaining survivors are slowly turning on each other? Truly a good recipe for a chaotic, nutty, and hilarious film.

Rating 8/10

Bodies Bodies Bodies (2022)(Minor Spoilers)

 

**This post contains MINOR spoilers**

The Story- Sophie (Amandla Stenberg) brings her new girlfriend, Bee (Maria Bakalova) to a hurricane party at her best friend David’s (Pete Davidson) mansion. At the party, Sophie reunites with Jordan (Myha’la), Emma (Chase Sui Wonders), and Alice (Rachel Sennott). 

Before the storm hits, the group agrees to play Bodies Bodies Bodies, a murder mystery party game. But the game takes a dark turn, when a real death happens. Alice’s new boyfriend, Greg (Lee Pace) is the primary suspect. And Max (Conner O’Malley), another friend in the group, is nowhere to be found after a heated altercation with David. Mistrust and nasty finger-pointing slowly tears the group apart, as they struggle to answer one crucial question: Who is the killer?

My Thoughts- Bee is struggling to fit in, but at least she’s trying? If I had to go with a pick for the best performance, Maria Bakalova easily takes the top spot. It’s easy to believe and buy into Bee’s personality. The shyness, Bee being afraid to speak up, Bee nervously voicing her opinions, and the awkwardness Bee feels, as she tries to loosen up.

Sophie and her friends? They’re vultures ready to pick any bones clean, after the first dead body pops up. Bee? You can see she’s scared and nervous, carefully choosing her words, because Bee knows someone is waiting to snap on her during all the mud slinging. Bakalova does a good job of building sympathy for Bee. She’s a genuinely good person, who just wants to make friends, and she doesn’t want to disappoint Sophie. But she’s stuck in a mansion with a bunch of overly dramatic and whiny narcissists and cry babies, who are actively looking for a reason to shit on each other.

The overall cast features a number of good performances. Pete Davidson plays a goof, but David is also a jealous, deeply insecure, and thin-skinned young man. Lee Pace is hilarious as Greg. On the surface, Greg comes off as a laid back guy, with a hippie/surfer dude personality. But if you push Greg’s buttons too much, he flips the switch to activate a more mean and serious personality. 

Myha’la, playing an angry and agitated character, really nails Jordan. Taking Jordan’s side during the arguments works as the logical choice. She’s not afraid to speak unfiltered truths, but on the other side of that, it’s hard to not roll your eyes, because she’s clearly a bitter and mean-spirited person.

Rachel Sennott delivers a lot of laughs as Alice, complete with some genuinely funny hysterics. Alice is perky, and she’s kind of an airhead, and Sennott’s comedic timing is excellent. Also, Chase Sui Wonders delivers a solid performance as Emma, the actress, who makes herself an easy target in shark infested waters, because she’s too emotional.

Bodies Bodies Bodies does a good job of balancing the comedy and serious moments for the appropriate reactions, whether it’s laughs or a jaw-dropping moments, cleverly interweaving the tonal shifts, when it’s necessary. It’s almost impossible to not laugh at the cast of characters here. There’s a chance a killer is on the loose, you’re stuck in a mansion with no power during a hurricane, but you’re wasting time arguing over petty bullshit? Please, take one second and look at the big picture!

You can feel sympathy for the victims here, but it’s also hilarious once you realize the bloodshed (excluding one death) could’ve been avoided, if everyone just came together as friends, one unit working TOGETHER to figure out what’s going on. What happened instead? A bunch of spoiled and rich youngsters wasted too much time trying to belittle and one-up each other for their manufactured “struggles.” 

One of my favorite scenes in the movie happens towards the end during the big group argument. Alice coldly reminds Jordan that she comes from an “upper middle-class” background…and Jordan gets upset? So someone else reminds you that your journey in life hasn’t been difficult, and that’s enough to piss you off? Seriously?

They threw in the car won’t start cliche for this one. There’s a good reason for it, and you can see it coming from a mile away. Personally, I’m just not a big fan of car trouble mishaps in horror movies. Still, Bodies Bodies Bodies really works as a funny and entertaining whodunit black comedy slasher-esque horror film, complete with a genuinely shocking finale for the big reveal. 

Screenwriter Sarah DeLappe does a phenomenal job of convincing you that anyone is capable of being the killer, leading to a conclusion that’ll either make you laugh, or at least crack a smile at how a seemingly normal party descended into chaos. The casting is great. Everyone is a perfect fit for their characters, and you can easily pick one highlight reel worthy moment from each member of the cast throughout the movie. 

Bodies Bodies Bodies hits all the right checkpoints as a riff on people (usually the younger crowd), who will go to great lengths to convince themselves that their alleged hardships in life are too much to deal with. They’re stuck in a loop of always complaining and feeling sorry for themselves, because they can’t break out of their victim complexes. Also, I’m always a big fan of horror films with isolated settings. The big quiet mansion out in the middle of nowhere. A hurricane is roaring outside. No power, it’s dark indoors, and the remaining survivors are slowly turning on each other? Truly a good recipe for a chaotic, nutty, and hilarious film.

Rating 8/10

Character Spotlight- Skye Riley-Smile 2

 **This post contains spoilers**

Skye Riley (Naomi Scott) is back! The comeback tour is in full swing, after a successful and positive interview on The Drew Barrymore Show. The wildly popular pop star is almost ready to start a highly anticipated world tour, but there’s one big problem: Skye is the next target for the tortuous curse that already claimed the lives of Dr. Rose Cotter (Sosie Bacon) and Joel (Kyle Gallner).

Rose and Joel didn’t have the luxury of a solid support system around them to help fight the curse. Skye? Yes, you could say she’s surrounded by people, who actually care about her, including her mother, Elizabeth (Rosemarie DeWitt), her assistant, Joshua (Miles Gutierrez-Riley), and Darius (Raul Castillo), the head of Skye’s record label. But everyone in Skye’s circle has one main goal in common: they’re all there to keep the machine known as Skye Riley running smoothly, at full speed, and Skye is a machine that prints a lot of money. 

Is Skye a diva and a brat sometimes? Yeah, she’ll throw her tantrums and she can be demanding, but we’re also talking about a young woman, who’s clearly burnt out. Skye is cracking under the pressure in real time. Keeping up with appearances, photo shoots, dance rehearsals, autograph signings, and Skye having to give a speech at a disastrous banquet dinner. 

The life of a world famous pop star is exhausting. Always on move, constantly surrounded by people, and you’re always expected to present the absolute best version of yourself, whether it’s on stage during a performance, or if you’re just going out to do normal things that normal people do. No time to rest, breathe, or relax. It’s full speed ahead, move on to the next task, rinse and repeat, and maybe you can have some peace, when you’re sleeping. 

Labeling those closest to Skye as vultures is taking things too far. But there’s a fine line for pushing someone, when they need to be pushed, and pushing someone too hard to the point, where said person can’t take it anymore. They’re going to crack at some point, but you can sense more genuine compassion from Skye’s dance instructor/choreographer, Anton (Jon Rua). Anton is quick to suggest a break for Skye, when she shows signs of back pain. When Skye freaks out during a rehearsal after a gory mind trick from the curse, Skye berates her dancers. Anton? He’s quick to make an effort to help Skye calm down. He doesn’t get angry, or raise his voice, because he’s genuinely concerned.

The curse feeds off of trauma, and Skye can’t escape the demons from her past, a past filled with drug abuse, and a troubled relationship with her deceased boyfriend, Paul Hudson (Ray Nicholson). Skye is still carrying around the guilt for causing the accident that killed Paul. Skye also didn’t leave the accident unscathed, because she’s still dealing with chronic pain and nagging injuries. And Skye torpedoed her friendship with Gemma (Dylan Gelula).

Is Skye perfect? No, far from it, and there’s no denying she’s a flawed human being. But she’s also someone, who was clearly not ready for the spotlight at such a young age. She turned to drugs and a turbulent unhealthy lifestyle, because the pressure was just too much for her. Towards the end, you could see Skye was just sick and tired of being an icon, or in her own words, “a fucking wind-up doll.”

Skye truly suffered. She didn’t have one true moment of relief, when the curse entered her life. Eventually, it’s revealed the reunion with Gemma was just one long and elaborate mind trick from the entity, and Skye was devastated. Still, Skye tried to push forward, determined to break the curse’s chain, with some help from Morris (Peter Jacobson), a nurse, who lost his brother to the curse. The big problem with Morris’ plan to end the curse and stop The Monstrosity? Morris wasn’t real, just more mind games from the entity.

Skye pours her heart out in the freezer of an abandoned Pizza Hut, and we finally get to the root of her problems: Skye hates herself. You’ll hear bits and pieces of it, when Skye is urging Gemma to stay away from her, after Skye leaves the clinic. But Skye lets it all out in the freezer. She basically believes she’s a cancer, poisoning and ruining anything that she touches. 

Skye is a disappointment, because she couldn’t live up to the high expectations that everyone else set for her. This is what she believes, and of course the entity feasts off of Skye’s tortured soul. To make matters worse, Skye can’t forgive herself for causing the accident that killed Paul. 

Naomi Scott deserves a round of applause for her performance in the sequel. You can see and feel everything Skye is going through, including the stress, the anxiety, and the fear of not knowing what’s coming next. Scott delivers an energetic and appropriately frazzled performance. You would think Scott pounded energy drinks, or chugged a pot of coffee, because she never slows down or takes her foot off of the gas pedal, after the curse grabs a hold of Skye.

Rose Cotter was unknowingly targeted by the curse after Laura Weaver (Caitlin Stasey) committed suicide in front of her. Joel died, because he tried to help Rose. Skye? While it’s true there’s no way she could’ve known about the curse, or how truly dangerous it is, all of her troubles could’ve been avoided, if she wasn’t sneaking around to buy Vicodin from Lewis Fregoli (Lukas Gage).

You’re lead to believe Skye ALMOST defeated the curse. But in reality, Skye wasn’t seconds away from getting the better of the entity. She was trapped in an illusion. And Skye came face to face with a final boss, who was just too much to overcome: Herself. The entity took the form of the old Skye, bloody and battered, fresh off of the tragic car accident that acted as an anchor in her mind for so many years. 

There’s a lot of irony for Skye Riley’s gory and cruel ending. Under the influence of the curse, she bludgeoned herself to death with a microphone in front of thousands of her fans, while her mother, Joshua, and Darius watched in the audience. You can’t say Skye died doing what she loved, because her gas tank was empty for a number of reasons. She needed a breather, but Skye lost her life during a concert. 

Skye was trying to get away from the bright lights, the big stage, and all the fame, but doing whatever she had to do to (e.g. popping pain pills) keep her career going killed her. A screaming arena full of fans, and her loved ones watching her first concert after a hiatus wasn’t enough to break the entity’s tight grip. Instead, a shell-shocked Skye was frozen as she watched the entity, taking on the form of her current self, smiling at her seconds before The Monstrosity made its grand entrance to devour another victim. 

Character Spotlight- Joel- Smile & Smile 2

 

*This post contains spoilers**

Dr. Rose Cotter (Sosie Bacon) is cursed. She needs help, fast. Can she rely on her sister, Holly (Gillian Zinser)? Too much tension, bad blood, and bitterness on Rose’s side. And you can put the final nail in the coffin for the duo of two sisters working together after Holly’s son, Jackson (Matthew Lamb) receives the gory surprise of Rose’s dead cat, Mustache in a box for his birthday present.

Rose’s fiancé, Trevor (Jessie T. Usher)? He doesn’t believe Rose’s stories about “ghosts,” and he’s quick to remind Rose about the realistic possibility of suffering through a psychotic episode, and a history of mental illness in the family going all the way back to Rose’s mother.

What about Rose’s ex-boyfriend, Joel (Kyle Gallner)? Joel steps in and steps up, when everyone else in Rose’s circle shuns her, or questions her sanity. And luckily for Rose, Joel is also a detective!

You can see Joel is hesitant to believe Rose’s story about a curse, but he also realizes Rose is clearly struggling. She’s losing it, so Joel does anything he can do to help. Joel reluctantly allows Rose to look at graphic crime scene photos, surveillance footage showing a curse related death at a gas station, and Joel sets up a meeting with Robert Talley (Rob Morgan), a former victim of the curse, so Rose can find the answers she’s looking for.

Is there a chance Joel was hoping for a second shot at a relationship with Rose? Remember, Joel returned to the hospital to check on Rose, and he wasn’t interested in Nurse Wanda’s (Ura Yoana Sanchez) direct advances. Joel cared about Rose. He realized she needed help, someone to lean on, and he never turned his back on her. 

Rose believed she finally defeated The Monstrosity. She needed to feel safe, and Joel’s apartment was her first stop, after a long car ride. Why? Because Rose trusted Joel. But the reunion with Joel turned out to be another one of the entity’s clever tricks. Rose, after putting up a tough fight, finally cracked. She needed Joel, and the entity used her emotions against her one last time, while Joel (as the entity) laughed and slowly flashed a devious smile.

Fast forward to Smile 2, and Joel is a complete mess. The curse drains its current target. You can see the desperation and exhaustion on Joel’s face during the opening shot of the movie. He’s struggling to escape the curse, so Joel comes up with a plan to pass the curse to a gang of drug dealers.

It’s strange, but you have to admire Joel trying to hold on to some integrity during his final moments. Joel was desperate. He witnessed first hand what happened to Rose, dumping gasoline on herself and lighting the match to commit suicide. But Joel wanted to make sure he found the worst of the worst, so he wouldn’t feel bad about passing the curse. Find a bunch of lowlifes, who deserve a death sentence. Make sure they’re harshly punished for their crimes, and maybe Joel will have a shot at a normal life, when it’s over. Sounds simple enough, right? 

Of course, Joel’s plan horribly backfires. He unknowingly passes the curse to a petrified Lewis Fregoli (Lukas Gage), a small-time drug dealer, who obviously just stopped by to pick up his merchandise. To make matters worse, Joel is killed trying to escape a shootout, when a pick-up truck runs him over. 

Kyle Gallner easily delivers one of the best performances in both Smile films. Playing a somewhat timid, shy, and awkward guy, Gallner’s sympathetic performance adds another emotional layer to Smile and Smile 2. Also, Joel adds a few good laughs to the original Smile film, a movie that’s heavy on the drama and a handful of serious moments. 

Through a weird twist of fate, Joel reconnected with his ex-girlfriend under some bizarre circumstances. He could’ve walked away after Rose told him about the curse. Rose didn’t have anyone else to turn to. But Joel was willing to stand by her side, no matter how ludicrous the story of a curse that causes people to smile and kill themselves sounded. 

Joel paid the ultimate price in the end. Assuming Joel was just living quietly and peacefully, without too much stress, helping Rose cost him his life. The stunned and horrified look on Gallner’s face during Smile’s finale, when Rose’s body is engulfed in flames is just perfect. It’s a startling confirmation for Joel, because he realizes Rose was always telling the truth. 

Did Joel have any regrets about helping Rose? Yeah, you could say Joel’s response would be a resounding no, if he had to go back and do it all over again, knowing what’s coming once the curse grabs a hold of you. Or, you could lean in the direction for Joel and Rose being more prepared to fight together, to find a way to save themselves, possibly preventing the curse and The Monstrosity from claiming another victim. Joel and Rose clearly trusted each other, and that’s the kind of bond you’re going to need to stop a curse that feeds off of emotional pain and a dark past. 

Character Spotlight- Dr. Rose Cotter- Smile

 

**This post contains spoilers**

Dr. Rose Cotter (Sosie Bacon) probably expected a normal work day. But Rose’s life takes a dark turn during a tragic session with a newly admitted patient named Laura Weaver (Caitlin Stasey). Laura unknowingly passes a deadly curse to Rose, after she commits suicide in front of the good-hearted therapist. Plagued by a series of strange occurrences and creepy smiling faces, Rose’s life quickly spirals out of control.

Rose can rely on her fiancé, Trevor (Jessie T. Usher) for help and support, right? Well, maybe not. Trevor is noticeably rattled and irritated by Rose’s wild explanations for what’s happening to her.

What about Rose’s sister, Holly (Gillian Zinser)? Rose is still bitter about Holly leaving her alone with their mother, who suffered from mental health problems during their childhoods, so that’s another name to cross off the list of potential helpers. And Holly and Rose’s relationship hits another rough patch, when Holly’s son, Jackson (Matthew Lamb) finds Rose’s dead cat, Mustache in a box that was supposed to contain a toy train set for his birthday.

Noticing a pattern? Rose is relentlessly stalked by an evil entity. She needs help! Or, Rose at least needs someone that’ll listen to and understand her side of the story. Rose’s therapist, Dr. Madeline Northcott (Robin Weigert) tries to reach out after a disastrous attempt at an intervention planned by Trevor. But Rose was already at a point, where she was too paranoid to trust certain people. And the entity fooling Rose by impersonating Dr. Northcott complicated an already bizarre situation.

Joel (Kyle Gallner), Rose’s ex-boyfriend and a detective assigned to her case, tries to help, but Rose just couldn’t conquer the demons from her past. The big one? Rose’s mother. Remember, we’re talking about an entity that feeds on trauma, and Rose couldn’t move on from a stressful and traumatic childhood with her mentally ill mother. 

Trevor mentions Rose’s mother and the possibility for a hereditary connection for her problems. Mental illness is in Rose’s DNA, and she’s reached a point in her life, where it’s finally becoming a problem. Trevor’s theory kicks opens another door. Yes, Rose is cursed, but you can understand why others are quick to dismiss her side of the story.

To make matters worse, Rose is dealing with the unbearable stress of being stalked by a relentless entity, AND she’s basically being labeled as a crazy person. Rose’s primary job is dealing with and trying to help people, with mental illnesses, but now she’s on the other side of the finger-pointing. That’s a jarring whirlwind for having your world turned upside down, and you can’t go to your own sister and fiancé for support. Instead, pleas for sympathy and understanding are met with harsh accusations, scolding, and cold shoulders. Rough stuff.

Rose’s story has an ironic and tragic ending. She died in her childhood home, the place, where it all started, and the direct source for the deep wounds from her past, facing the entity in the form of her mother. Rose Cotter was a good person, a selfless workaholic, who wanted to help as many people as she possibly could. 

But you could also say Rose tried to push herself too hard. She was burnt out, working long hours, and her boss, Dr. Morgan Desai (Kal Penn) urged Rose to take a break after witnessing Laura’s suicide. Is there a chance Rose could’ve survived the entity, if she had a stronger support system? Who knows, but Rose was a prime target for the curse. Her mind was clouded by a troubled past, and you have to believe Rose dedicated her life to being a good therapist, because she couldn’t save her mother. Help others, fix their problems, be the source of comfort she never had as a child, no matter what. Maybe that’s the best way to sum up Rose’s mindset, but she still couldn’t find the closure she was looking for.

Sosie Bacon delivers an excellent performance as Rose Cotter. You can see and feel everything Rose’s is going through. The short scene, where Rose is getting ready for Jackson’s birthday party shows Rose is struggling to hold it together. You’re watching a frazzled character falling apart in real time, and the close-up shots in the mirror are just perfect.

There’s also something that’s important to remember: Rose could’ve easily avoided the curse. Go back to the early stages of the movie, and you’ll notice Rose is getting ready to leave work. Coat on, door closed behind her…..but the phone rings. And of course, Rose eventually meets Laura. Why did she go back to answer the phone? Because Rose believed she could help one more person before the end of the day, always prioritizing the patients over her own well-being. 

Character Spotlight- Rachel Carruthers- Halloween 4 & 5

**This post contains spoilers**

Michael Myers has his sights set on returning to Haddonfield, Illinois, after a violent escape during a late night ambulance ride. Myers’ new target? His eight year old niece, Jamie Lloyd (Danielle Harris). Jamie, haunted by nightmares and visions of Myers, leans on her adoptive family for support. Jamie’s stepfather, Richard (Jeff Olson), and her stepmother, Darlene (Karen Alston) are dedicated to building and providing a loving home for Jamie. But her stepsister, Rachel (Ellie Cornell) is more concerned about having to cancel her date with Brady (Sasha Jenson), because she’s the fill-in babysitter for Jamie. 

Rachel is stressed out. Brady quickly moved on with Kelly Meeker (Kathleen Kinmont). But Rachel has to put the Kelly (aka “little miss hot panties”) dilemma on the back burner, while Michael Myers tears through Haddonfield on Halloween. A night of trick-or-treating with Jamie takes a disastrous turn, leaving Jamie and Rachel with three options: run, hide, or stand and fight.

This is Michael Myers we’re talking about after all. The Shape, The Boogeyman, or as Jamie also calls him, The Nightmare Man. Michael single-handedly annihilated the entire police force, and Myers, the unstoppable killing machine, doesn’t show any signs of slowing down.

Sure, Jamie has a handful of supporters ready to protect her: Dr Samuel Loomis (Donald Pleasence), Sheriff Ben Meeker (Beau Starr), Brady, and I can’t forget about local bar owner Earl (Gene Ross) and his gang of “beer bellies.”

A collection of townspeople and Dr. Loomis are all armed to the teeth, but bullets are not enough to completely stop Myers. Jamie also needs emotional support, and that’s why Rachel plays a crucial role in Halloween 4: The Return Of Michael Myers.

The relationship between Jamie and Rachel has a few awkward ups and downs. There’s the one scene, where Rachel feels the need to have a tricky conversation with Jamie about their relationship, explaining the differences between biological sisters and stepsisters, while reminding Jamie she still loves her all the same. 

Rachel whines and pouts about having to cancel her date with Brady. She quickly apologizes to Jamie (after a few strong and harsh words from her father), and you could say Rachel was just throwing the kind of tantrum that’d you expect from a teenager, who’s upset about missing out on a date.

But Rachel slowly corrects her mistakes, confidently stepping into the role of a big sister. Is she nervous? Scared at times? Sure. Still, Rachel fiercely acts as a shield for Jamie throughout the movie. She’s willing to risk her life during a deadly cat and mouse game. After tossing Earl’s corpse on the side of the road, Rachel, exhausted and fed up with Myers, hits the gas on the pickup truck to run Myers over. Yeah, hitting Myers with a pickup truck wasn’t enough to take him out, but it’s still a big moment in the movie. A few good shots with blood smeared on Rachel’s face, determined and deadly serious about delivering the final blow to Myers. 

Michael Myers is back in Halloween 5, ready to leave another trail of bloody destruction to get to Jamie. Rachel knows how truly dangerous Michael is now. You have to believe she’s more prepared for a fight this time around. Protecting Jamie is the main goal. But there’s a big problem with Rachel’s role in the story for The Revenge Of Michael Myers, because Michael murders Rachel during the early stages of the movie.

Killing off Rachel well before the halfway point of the movie is one of those weird decisions I’ve never been able to understand. She was an important character, filling the role of Jamie’s guardian and her protector, the big sister, who threw herself in harm’s way to ensure Jamie’s safety. 

Rachel’s death is easily one of the more disappointing death scenes in the Halloween franchise. They didn’t even give Rachel a chance to fight back. Michael surprises her, stabs her with the scissors….and that’s it. No struggle, no big chase scene, or any kind of tension to at least give Rachel a chance to survive. Rachel deserved a better send-off. Her death scene is the kind of throwaway kill you save for a newbie character to add to Michael’s kill count. You don’t do THAT to Jamie Lloyd’s big sister.

You can see and feel Rachel’s absence after her death. Sheriff Ben Meeker is still around, but he’s busy trying to organize his police force to hunt Myers. Dr. Loomis is deadly serious about putting an end to Michael’s reign of terror, but age is catching up with him.

So who else can Jamie depend on? Tina (Wendy Kaplan)? She’s more concerned with partying, pulling pranks with Spitz (Matthew Walker) and Samantha (Tamara Glynn), and dealing with her boyfriend, Mike’s (Jonathan Chapin) mood swings. Deputy Nick Ross (Fran Como) and Deputy Tom Farrah (David Ursin)? They’re both numbskulls and bumbling fools. You can take one look at Ross and Farrah, and you’ll instantly know they don’t stand a chance against Myers.

The final images of Rachel in the Halloween series? Her corpse is sitting up in a chair amongst Michael’s creepy collection of dead bodies in the attic. It’s an emotional scene. Rachel is dead, and Jamie is heartbroken, calling out to Rachel for help, because she knows Myers is closing in. To be clear, I’m not against killing off Rachel, BUT her death should’ve meant something. Rachel could’ve been by Jamie’s side during the big finale, fighting with her sister until the end, and maybe Rachel’s death would’ve had a bigger overall impact on the story.

Rachel deserves a spot on Halloween’s list of memorable characters. Ellie Cornell always delivered earnest performances, and the sisterly bond with Danielle Harris was believable. Rachel was forced to make life or death decisions. You always got the impression she was someone, who had to quickly figure things out before Michael had a chance to get his hands on Jamie, a real person dealing with the dangers of trying to survive relentless attacks from a maniac. 

Of course, my only complaint about Rachel is, she should’ve had more screen time in Halloween 5. Rachel and Jamie only have one scene together. Rachel visits Jamie at the children’s clinic, and that’s it. Maybe they didn’t want to do a retread of the events in Halloween 4, reusing the Jamie and Rachel run and hide from Michael, waiting for the right opportunity to strike back formula. But I would’ve preferred watching Rachel guide, and protect Jamie through the madness of surviving Halloween night against Michael Myers over seeing her dead body added to the collection of corpses for Halloween newcomers. 

Character Spotlight- Maddie- Night Of The Demons

 

**This post contains spoilers**

Halloween night is here! Maddie (Monica Keena) is all smiles, and she’s ready to go to the big Halloween bash at The Broussard Family Mansion, hosted by Angela Feld (Shannon Elizabeth). Maddie arrives at the party with her friends, Suzanne (Bobbi Sue Luther) and Lily (Diora Baird). Loud music, drinks, an electric atmosphere, and the duo of Jason (John F. Beach) and Dex (Michael Copon) eventually joins the trio. Everything is seemingly perfect, right?

Sure, Maddie sees potential setbacks. She spots her ex-boyfriend, Colin (Edward Furlong), and the party is officially over, after the arrival of a group of police officers (Angela didn’t get a permit!). But Maddie has bigger problems to worry about, when Angela is unknowingly possessed by a demon. After a game of spin the bottle, Angela passes the demon to Dex, starting a chain reaction, that involves Dex, Lily, and Suzanne being sucked into the first round of possessions.

Facing slim hopes of making it to sunrise, Maddie is forced to fight to survive. Maddie slowly emerges as the leader. There’s two specific scenes, where Maddie aggressively speaks up as the voice of reason. Jason freaks out about a possessed Suzanne showing no signs of any damage after he stabs her with a fireplace poker. Also, let’s not forget about Maddie realizing how important it was to protect the spells written on the walls in the upstairs room.

And Maddie has to interrupt the bickering between Colin and Jason to show them a possible alternate exit in the basement. Colin starts whining about his problems, and Maddie sternly reminds him that Jason was just murdered by Angela, and he transformed into a demon. Colin witnessed a demon ripping Jason’s guts out, and he’s still only thinking about himself? Come on, man!

Maddie also plays the role of a babysitter for Jason and Colin. She’s a caring person, and you can see she still believes there’s some hope for Colin to turn his life around. Colin pleaded with Maddie to leave him alone, when he fell through the floor. Yeah, Colin turned into a demon, and she barely escaped, but Maddie still took a big risk to go down and check on him.

Eventually, the story reaches a point, where Maddie is the last woman standing. Everyone else is a demon, and Maddie realizes she can’t wait it out. No more running, or hiding. No, Maddie had to go for the last stand and fight. 

One of my favorite moments in all of the Night Of The Demons films shows Maddie walking up to the camera in the dark during the finale. She scans what’s in front of her, cocks the shotgun, and she boldly says “come and get me, motherfuckers.” Truly a cool moment, daring the demons to attack her, because Maddie knew what she had to do.

Monica Keena brings a mix of a wholesome and ordinary presence to Maddie. You’d never believe this is someone, who’s capable of fighting off demons. Maddie has a perky personality, and she justifiably panics every now and then. But Maddie shows flashes of fire in certain scenes. One moment that sticks out for me happens during the scene, where Maddie slams the door in Angela’s face, because she was sick of her taunting and failed attempts to scare her. She gave it her all, but Maddie couldn’t save everyone, and you have to believe losing Colin to a demonic possession was a tough pill to swallow. 

Still, Maddie fought off and outsmarted the demons to walk away as the sole survivor. For me, the best shot in the movie shows the aftermath of Maddie calmly landing on the ground after she faked an attempt to hang herself. It’s daylight outside. Maddie is standing there, exhausted, and she’s covered in blood, but she’s also smiling. Maddie, the gutsy and scrappy final girl, beat the odds to escape. No missing limbs, or serious injuries for the woman, who just wanted to hang out and have fun with her friends at a Halloween party.