Review Anaconda (2025) and Silent Night, Deadly Night (2025): Forget about Anaconda, Silent Night, Deadly Night is superior!

genre: action, comedy, adventure

Anaconda (2025) is the reimaging nobody asked for. But it's here and looks promising. Until you watch it. You would think that with actors like Jack Black and Paul Rudd, you couldn't go wrong. Apparently, you can!

I really liked the idea, and it seemed like it was going to be super funny. But then, when watching, I was waiting and waiting. Until that one joke that was dominantly featured in the trailer. One of the few scenes that made us laugh. I think I could have lived with the poor comedy had the film actually offered truly exciting scenes. One could argue that two scenes towards the end did that. Only those scenes are very short; they are too far in for you to care.

I can't tell you how disappointed I was. I was so down that I almost wanted to give up on movie night. But I am glad I didn't. Because Silent Night, Deadly Night (2025) was the real surprise.

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genre: slasher, thriller, horror

To be honest. I wasn't expecting much from this film. The fact that this didn't get released during Christmas is puzzling to me. But OK. Better late than never, I say.

While at times you can tell that this film was a low-budget affair, they very wisely decided to spend the money on things that mattered. There is one scene where you can see a splatter effect getting pasted. It was so bad that it was funny. One could say that it's sloppy. For me, it added to the charm. Another great thing was the romance angle. Yes, this might not be your typical romance. But if you think about it, considering the events, Billy Chapman (Rohan Campbell) and Pamela (played by Ruby Modine, daughter of Matthew Modine) are made for each other.

The acting is decent, and while this story is different from the original, this part certainly doesn't disappoint when it comes to the murders. If I am not mistaken, the highest body count in the franchise. No, I am not that blood thirsty. Billy has a code. Like Dexter. He only kills bad people. And to be fair to him, they are truly bad. Like evil. Come on, weren't we always rooting for him to go ballistic? 

Overall, Silent Night, Deadly Night saved my sanity. It's a must-watch for sure!

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SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT FRANCHISE

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Listed here are all the titles in the franchise.

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Silent Night, Deadly Night (1984)

Silent Night, Deadly Night Part 2 (1987)

Silent Night, Deadly Night 3: Better Watch Out! (1989)

Silent Night, Deadly Night 4: Initiation (1990)

Silent Night, Deadly Night 5: The Toy Maker (1991)

Silent Night (2012)

Silent Night, Deadly Night (2025)

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Review Kultus Iblis a.k.a. Cult of the Devil (2023): It's OK!

genre: horror, mystery, thriller

The title basically gives away what this film is about. Does it matter? Not that much. Usually, horror films like these offer scares, creepiness, and thrills. Perhaps this film is a little low on that, but there is still enough present to make it worth your time.

Please watch/listen to our thoughts on this film.

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Review Customs Frontline a.k.a. Hoi gwaan zin sin (2024): a Herman Yau light!

genre: action, drama, thriller

It took me a bit to watch this one, but I was well prepared for what to expect. This is a Herman Yau light.

The action and spectacle are good, but almost everything else will be subpar. I can appreciate the effort that went into the plot regarding the twists and turns. Except none of them had any impact. At least not to the extent I cared for. If anything, they played it too safe. I wished they had done more with the bipolar disorder that Jackie Cheung's character is suffering from.

The dynamics between the characters are standard fare. If they are compelling, it's because of the actors. Nicholas Tse is in top form and embodies everything about the old school HK action I love. So kudos to that. But Francis Ng is also good as the first-class prick assistant commissioner. Everybody else is serviceable.

Customs Frontline should be watched for the action and spectacle. Often, it's very obvious that certain vehicles, like the helicopters, are CGI. It didn't bother me, especially given how they are used. It was to make the action more exciting. Towards the ending for example. The CGI was used to showcase some stellar destruction. It actually surprised me how far they went. And it was beautiful.

Overall, my advice is to ignore the story and drama and just focus on the action. Actually, this would be my advice for most Hong Kong action films.

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Review The Night Manager Season 1: Confused!

genre: espionage, crime, drama

For as long as I can remember, there has been a lot of hype around The Night Manager, especially because of Tom Hiddleston and the show being the closest thing to James Bond, according to the fans. Except, it's not.

James Bond is fun. While The Night Manager has a few enjoyable moments, I wouldn't call it fun. It takes itself far too seriously. And yes, maybe one could argue that the plot is as convenient as the plots in many James Bond films. Then again, you are very willing to overlook the plot since James Bond is fun. The Night Manager isn't. Before I become a broken record and repeat myself ad nauseam. I do think the acting overall is very good. Probably the main reason why anyone would stick around. 

To be fair, we liked the first episode and decided to keep watching. The series went downhill from there. It's not that we disliked the plot entirely. But we just couldn't stomach the forced romance bits. Right from the start, we knew that Hiddleston would have a hard-on for any woman in the series. That is basically why he gets involved with the attempt to stop Richard Roper, played by Hugh Laurie. And it's boring. Immensely boring! At least, in a James Bond film, Bond would sleep with a woman and then kill her if she turned out to be an enemy spy. He is cold-blooded that way. Jonathan Pine is the opposite. The woman goes before the mission. So he will do whatever it takes to protect the woman he sleeps with, even when technically, he is the one who got her in trouble in the first place. 

I appreciate the works of John le Carré. But I can't believe he is responsible for writing this drivel. What should have been the most interesting, which are the parts concerning the British government, are not nearly as intriguing or exciting as they should be. In the series, this involvement is seen as an obstacle and not the main goal. I mean, if you ask me, Richard Roper is basically peanuts and can be replaced by anyone, if you think about it. To me, corruption of this magnitude will always be more disturbing than a simple arms deal broker who just wants to make money. I keep reading how people think that Richard Roper is a scary villain. I kept waiting and waiting for him to be scary, and only got it by a monologue from Angela Burr (Olivia Coleman). But is he actually menacing and dangerous? If you think that, then you really haven't seen much. He is actually a very predictable villain. And therefore quite boring!

So yes, I am very confused about the praise this series is getting. I was expecting so much more, but only got a stripped-down Bond without the fun. I would rather watch Die Another Day ten times over before I watch this again. Let alone the second season. In the trailer, they show a scene where Dua Lipa, Hiddleston, and the villain of the week are dancing together, exotically, implying that Jonathan Pine apparently is bisexual. Are you kidding me? That is the kind of thing you find in those trash romance novels, which are overly erotic and explicit. I mean, nothing wrong with those, they can be fun. But this series is supposed to be dealing with espionage and corruption, who cares about the romance and sex parts? 

Overall, I would skip this. I do feel like I wasted my time!

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Review Sorcerer (1977): We liked it, but is it a masterpiece?

genre: adventure, drama, thriller

Sorcerer had been on my radar for a while since director William Friedkin himself calls it his magnum opus. So I finally watched it and can say that we liked it. But is it a masterpiece?

It took us a while to get into the film. I'm not sure if it was a matter of cutting time or if he was under the impression that it was clear enough, but let's say that the introduction of the characters was far more elaborate and complex than necessary. You don't really get to know what the characters are about. Roy Scheider believed the film's editing failed to help the audience connect with the characters. And I agree with that. How can you connect with a bunch of bad guys whom we don't get to know that well? Still, to give Friedkin some credit, he makes the pivotal moments count and gives you the essential bits.

Scheider also stated that the filming of Sorcerer (1977) was an incredibly demanding, dangerous experience that "made Jaws look like a picnic". This probably explains why Friedkin and others consider this a masterpiece. And yes, I was wondering how certain scenes were filmed since they did look like they were technically demanding. As much as I appreciate that kind of commitment, it doesn't reflect in the film as much. I am judging the film on how the story is told and what that story gives me. To be honest, it's not much. But yes, I can acknowledge that we were gripped by certain scenes. They are thrilling and intense. There is very much an atmosphere of "Mission Impossible" tied to those scenes. 

I can understand why some people think this is boring. Like I said earlier, you aren't really motivated to connect to the characters. A few proper dialogue scenes could have remedied this. But the perspective that it's not thrilling, I don't understand. For the most part, you are wondering why the characters matter and what they are going to do. Once you know, you are invested. The rope bridge scenes alone will give you the suspense and excitement one could hope for.

Overall, I am glad I finally watched it. I do think it's memorable. But is it a masterpiece? I am not sure. I will have to rewatch it a couple of times more to see if that is the case (for me). For now, I do think this is worth your time!

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Filmography William Friedkin

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Listed here are all the titles William Friedkin was involved in as a writer, director and producer.

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1967 Good Times

1968 The Birthday Party

1968 The Night They Raided Minsky's

1970 The Boys in the Band

1971 The French Connection

1973 The Exorcist

1977 Sorcerer

1978 The Brink's Job

1980 Cruising

1983 Deal of the Century

1985 To Live and Die in L.A.

1987 Rampage

1990 The Guardian

1994 Blue Chips

1995 Jade

2000 Rules of Engagement

2003 The Hunted

2006 Bug

2011 Killer Joe

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Quick review Slow Horses Season 3: Better than season 2!

genre: espionage, crime, thriller

We loved the first season and couldn't wait to watch the second one. But after having viewed the first two episodes, we were underwhelmed. Took a bit before we picked it up again and then we realized what it was going for. We ended up liking it, so much so, that we were ready to watch the following seasons. We watched, 3, 4 and 5 shortly after another and are happy to report that the seasons are getting better and better. Our thoughts on these will be following soon.

Please watch / listen to our thoughts on Slow Horses Season 3. 

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Review The Rip (2026): Extremely forgettable film!

genre: action, crime, thriller

As you might have noticed, I mostly do video reviews now. But honestly, I don't want to spend too much time on this title, since it doesn't deserve it. So hereby my written review.

The Rip puts a decent cast together with writer / director / producer Joe Carnahan. Who on ocassion has proven himself to be a real competent director. Although, if you look at his filmography, he hasn't been consistent in  bringing you high quality entertainment. I am afraid, The Rip, is one of the lesser titles. Look, I get what he was going for, but it's done in such an idiotic way, I can't believe people think this is a brilliant film. It could have been, only it fails to accomplish to create real tension and suspense. And the biggest problem is the fact, that we barely know the characters. This should have been established so that once you get into the event that puts things upside down, you kind of have an idea, what they are about. 

Yes, I am aware, that the film is trying it's hardest to make you doubt all the characters can switch either way. They supposedly are all corrupt, but certain characters are more so. I don't know about you, that makes things incredibly boring. This is demonstrated in the fact, you are kind of forced to root for Desi (played by Sasha Calle) who in the grand scheme of things, is innocent. But like the other characters, we don't really know who she is and what she is about. Some might say, there is an explanation given towards the end. Yes, that is the super cool twist. Or at least, it's intended as one. I was not impressed. 

Perhaps it is because I do think the cast has been underused. Here are a bunch of actors who can really make the difference and now barely can put in the effort to make it worth your while. They certainly aren't helped with the poor script that has been done to death. I don't mind certain tropes concerning corruption, but at least, try to make it a little more interesting by making the characters more colourful. They were so predictable and generic. It took me like an hour to get into the film and appreciate it somewhat since it was clearly going somewhere, only to be let down.

Overall, this film is not worth your time. Had it at least given us some good action and spectacle, I would have been more positive. But now I just can't. Skip it!

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Review His & Hers (2026): Great Payoff!

genre: thriller, mystery

For the most part this murder myster is pretty basic in how it is set up and how it plays out. It has several red herrings, and several twists and turns. But with one major one that puts everything on it's head. I found it to be brilliant and very impactful. We weren't really prepared to be moved like this and for that alone this mini series will be worth your time.

Please watch / listen to our thoughts on this miniseries!

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