Halloween (2018)

(MA15+) ★★

Director: David Gordon Green.

Cast: Jamie Lee Curtis, Judy Greer, Andi Matichak, Will Patton, Virginia Gardner, James Jude Courtney, Nick Castle, Haluk Bilginer, Jefferson Hall, Rhian Rees, Toby Huss, Dylan Arnold, Miles Robbins.

"Shatner? Is that you?"

Much like its Big Bad, the Halloween film series just won't die. Forty years on from John Carpenter's groundbreaking original, which helped birth the slasher genre, we now have the 11th film in the franchise.

This sequel appears to be aimed at people like me who have only seen Carpenter's '78 prototype - the plot reportedly ignores the nine other films in the franchise (although it must be noted that the last two movies were a reboot and a sequel, while Halloween 3 was a standalone oddity). If I was a fan of the series who had invested in paying to see the other entries in the series, I'd probably be pissed off at such blatant disregard for what had gone before. But whatever.

Regardless of its retconning (apparently the other films are "stories people made up", as one character puts it), this Halloween certainly captures the tone and vibe of '78. But does it have anything new to say, or something worth saying? Not really.

As with the rest of the (now-ignored) series, the film centres on the ominous killing machine Michael Myers (played by past-Myers performers Courtney and Castle). After 40 years in a mental institution, Myers is transported to a new facility on Halloween eve but the bus overturns and Myers is let loose near his old stomping ground of Haddonfield, Illinois.

Meanwhile, Laurie Strode (Curtis), the solo survivor of Myers' 1978 rampage, has spent her whole life waiting in Haddonfield for a chance at revenge. When Myers comes, she'll be ready.

Regular collaborators Danny McBride, David Gordon Green and Jeff Fradley are definitely deferential to Carpenter and his original - they've even brought the 70-year-old director back as a composer and executive producer. And it's no wonder the film as Carpenter's blessing. It's faithful in to his visual style and storytelling, and neatly encapsulates the mood and spirit of the original.

But all this devotion to the Spirit of '78 means the film is unfortunately trapped in the past. While it does a nice job of flipping the script in terms of the "final girl" trope, this Halloween lacks innovation. It's also short on scares or anything to get people to the edge of their seats. I found myself being more appreciative of the filmmakers' efforts to recapture the vibe of the original than entertained or scared by the film itself.

Part of this disappointment is simply due to the passage of time. A good old-fashioned slasher film is one thing, and maybe that could have worked, but the horror genre has become so meta and self-reflexive in the past 40 years that playing it straight seems, well, old-fashioned. After the likes of Scream and The Cabin In The Woods, it's hard not to laugh out loud every time someone trips over nothing while being pursued by the glacially paced villain or when someone decides it's a good idea to investigate a bump in the night by themselves.

Shorn of the trappings of the genre, the filmmaking is solid. It's moody, with nice lighting and cinematography. There's a bravura long-take that follows Myers through a couple of houses on a kill-spree that's genuinely impressive while the ending almost ratchets up the tension enough to overcome the film's shortcomings.

It's worth noting a major another of those shortcomings, which is the opening. It involves two podcasters/journalists digging into Myers' story and it's one of the worst opening scenes to hit the big screen in a long time. It's laughably bad and it's only once the podcasters are out of the picture that the film starts to hit its stride.

Carpenter's score is one of the best things about the movie, and Curtis, Greer and Matichak give their all. But this throwback, as admirable as it is, just doesn't feel like anything more than a novelty throwback, and not a hugely entertaining one at that.

A Star Is Born (2018)

(M) ★★★★

Director: Bradley Cooper.

Cast: Bradley Cooper, Lady Gaga, Sam Elliott, Andrew Dice Clay, Rafi Gavron, Dave Chappelle, Anthony Ramos, Michael Harney.

"Hey little boy, what you got there?/Kind sir, it's a mollusk I've found."

There are so many truisms in A Star Is Born that you could make the argument this latest version of the rise-to-fame story is the very dictionary definition of "truism" - "a statement that is obviously true and says nothing new or interesting" (according to Google).

Musical careers wane, "rock 'n' roll relationships" are notoriously volatile, overnight sensations are never "overnight", the music industry is inherently sexist, drugs are bad mmmkay, and great art often comes from great pain. So far, so true, nothing new.

But despite all this, and despite being the fifth version of this story to hit the big screen in 81 years, the narrative arc at the heart of A Star Is Born remains compelling. And Cooper's version (his directorial debut) is a welcome modernisation. It might not be a "new" story, but updating it for our time gives it a fresh edge that's enjoyable and, yes, interesting.

The rising star here is Ally (Lady Gaga), found by veteran alt-country star Jackson Maine (Cooper) singing Edith Piaf songs in a drag bar. Jackson is struggling with substances and hearing loss, while Ally is struggling to be noticed, having been repeatedly told she wasn't pretty enough to be a popstar.

This largely predictable story, set against the backdrop of the music industry, features a handful of story beats and emotional moments that don't ring true. For example, the first time Ally joins Jackson's band on stage - sans rehearsal - it sounds too good to be true. Plus there are some character behaviours or patches of dialogue, most notably during Ally and Jackson's first night hanging out together, that seem a bit removed from reality.

But much of that is forgivable, partly because there are so many other moments that feel real, with real emotional weight behind them. A lot of this comes down to Gaga and Cooper, whose performances are top notch. Gaga probably lived some version of this, but her expression of that through Ally very nearly steals the show in her debut as a big screen lead. It's an impressive turn.

Meanwhile Cooper gives a career-best performances in a growing filmography filled with quality performances. Jackson is a mix of Keith Urban, Johnny Cash and a handful of rock cliches, but he sells it. He also does a mighty fine job of singing and playing (or at least looking like he's playing) in the musical performances. Gaga, naturally, owns the musical side of this, but Cooper is no slouch either.

They have some great songs to work with. The opener Black Eyes is a Black Keys-esque belter, Jackson's signature tune Maybe It's Time (penned by Jason Isbell) feels timeless, the movie's key duet Shallow is a fitting lead single, and the closer I'll Never Love Again is an '80s-style ballad that works beautifully in the story's context. The soundtrack is great to dig through for the songs you only get snippets of in the film, because there's a lot of gold in here. Some of the lyrics are a bit cringe-worthy, but somehow it works.

As for Cooper as director, he acquits himself well. His visual style is subtle but it works. He lets the camera roam in the live performances to create a sense of energy, and there are some haunting shots in the ending, but largely his work is unobtrusive but effective.

With the power of its music and its two leads (plus some nice support from Elliot, Chappelle and Gavron), A Star Is Born is a worthy retread of a well-worn path.

Bad Times At The El Royale

(MA15+) ★★★

Director: Drew Goddard.

Cast:  Jeff Bridges, Cynthia Erivo, Dakota Johnson, Jon Hamm, Lewis Pullman, Cailee Spaeny, Chris Hemsworth, Nick Offerman.

Even the bear was intrigued.

Drew Goddard's CV is beyond solid. He wrote Cloverfield, World War Z and earned an Oscar nom for his screenplay for The Martian. He penned episodes of Buffy, Angel, Alias and Lost. He was the brains behind the TV series Daredevil for Netflix. And he wrote and directed the excellent meta-horror The Cabin In The Woods.

After all that, there were big expectations for his second writer/director effort Bad Times At The El Royale. And five minutes in, those hopes were still riding high.

But slowly, but surely, the magic ebbs out of this neo-noir. Its colourful set-up ends up painting the film into a corner, and despite some steady surprises, the story can't sustain its brilliance.

That story kicks off with a group of strangers arriving at the hotel of the title, which sits astride the border between Nevada and California. There's vacuum cleaner salesman Laramie Sullivan (Hamm), gentle priest Father Flynn (Bridges), soul singer Darlene Sweet (Erivo), and the no-nonsense Emily (Johnson).

Each of these visitors carries a secret amid their luggage, and all of those secrets are about to be uncovered on one fateful, stormy night.

As far as first acts go, El Royale's is a doozy. Goddard's opening scene is simple, succinct and attention-grabbing, and as the guests start to check in, you'll be captivated by the dialogue and the talented ensemble delivering it. This continues as the skeletons start to emerge from the metaphorical closets, and the bullets and blood begin to fly.

The tension builds to a boiling point, but things bubble over at the end of the second act and nothing is quite the same. The last act pushes the already strange happenings into full-on Crazy Town as the story searches (unsatisfactorily) for an ending.

It pains me to say it, but things go wrong when Hemsworth turns up. His character, while intriguing, is not right for him - his performance lacks the necessary mix of danger and charisma, of sex and violence. It's not all his fault - the script uses his character as a kind of fix-all for the story's end problems, throwing him into proceedings at their most desperate hour, unsuccessfully.

The film crawls to the finish like a wounded dog, which is a disappointment after having run such a good race. Bridges, Erivo, and relative newcomer Pullman (son of Bill) help get it across the line, but the fact is the end is nowhere near as strong as the start.

It's a shame. The cast is great (Hamm is also worth mentioning), the production design and music are excellent, and the set-up is strong. There's a mild Tarantino vibe going on, although he and Goddard are probably just borrowing from the same places most likely. Goddard is also not as flashy as QT and seems happy to sit back and let the story and killer ensemble do the work.

This is probably why it's such a shame that this Strangers In A Hotel goes off the rails in the final leg. With so much riding on the story, when things go wrong, they really go wrong. A lot goes right too, and for the most part this is good fun, but Bad Times At The El Royale doesn't quite check out.

First Man

(M) ★★★★★

Director: Damien Chazelle.

Cast: Ryan Gosling, Claire Foy, Jason Clarke, Kyle Chandler, Corey Stoll, Ciarán Hinds, Christopher Abbott, Patrick Fugit, Lukas Haas.

Unnoticed, the pen moved into attack position.

We all know who the first man on the moon was, but who was he really? And most people know how he got to the moon, but how did he really get there?

These are the two questions at the heart of this historical biopic. Not only are they interesting questions and well worth asking, but it's kind of a forehead-slapper that they haven't been asked before on the big screen. Neil Armstrong was part of the one of the most amazing - if not the most amazing - feats of the 20th century, yet his personal story has somehow remained untold, at least cinematically speaking.

That story, as shown here, is fascinating, and Chazelle's documentary-style delivery, aided by stunning performances from Gosling and Foy, makes for emotional, powerful, and gripping viewing.

Based on the only authorised Neil Armstrong biography (James R. Hansen's First Man: The Life of Neil A. Armstrong), the film follows the astronaut through some of the key moments in his life and the space program in the eight years preceding his famous moonwalk.

Over this time period, we see the losses that shape Armstrong, the true cost of the US Government's lunar efforts, and the personal impacts the quest to reach the moon has on Armstrong, his family, and the families of the astronauts around them.

First Man, as much as it's about one giant leap for mankind, is very much about the many small steps men and women had to take to get there. And with Armstrong front and centre, we see the path he takes on the way to the moon. Much of this revolves around he and his first wife Janet (Foy).

It's this personal point of view that makes First Man so riveting. Armstrong is a complicated man, and the film is at great pains to show him as a distracted but caring family man, as well as a dedicated but driven astronaut. The possibility of painting him as one-dimensional is avoided by a well-rounded script and a stellar performance from Gosling. He portrays Armstrong as a very restrained and reserved man, yet not devoid of passion or power. It's a wonderfully complex role, beautifully rendered by Gosling.

He's equally matched by Foy, who does a lot of the emotional heavy-lifting in the film. Her performance is worthy of many nominations, as it helps give heart to a story that could have easily become a clinical exploration of the Gemini and Apollo programs.

They head a top-shelf cast - shoutouts in particular to Clarke and Stoll, with the latter getting good laughs at Buzz Aldrin - but as much as this is Gosling and Foy's show, it's Chazelle that deserves the bulk of the credit. On the back of the remarkable one-two jazz combo of Whiplash and La La Land, he has aimed for the heavens and scored a rare hat-trick.

His doco style, filled with shaky cams and POV shots, perfectly places the audience in the thick of it. He selectively uses his big moments, ensuring we don't get a good look at a launch until the whole world is watching on for Apollo 11.

His use of natural-looking light and different visual styles - a washed-out polaroid look for backyard summers, the darkness of a cockpit in space - helps with his sense of biopic realism. While he plays typically lose with some facts and timing of events, Chazelle keeps the pace of the film flowing beautifully, building to a jaw-dropping crescendo, which is awe-inspiring even though we all know where this thing is going.

As with his previous films, Chazelle and his crew nail every aspect of the film-making; from its editing to its production design to its use of music to its lighting to its cinematography. But all of this is in service of a remarkable story that actually succeeds in making one of the most phenomenally huge projects look decidedly small and human, which is why First Man resonates so deeply.

Venom

(M) ★★

Director: Ruben Fleischer.

Cast: Tom Hardy, Michelle Williams, Riz Ahmed, Scott Haze, Reid Scott, Jenny Slate.

The Hollywood smile.

Prior to the release of this film, there were fears Sony were merely attempting to flog the only Marvel horse in its stable.

They had failed to get their own Spider-man franchise to work (despite the best efforts of Marc Webb and Andrew Garfield) and reluctantly handed the live action future of the character to the MCU. But they still owned the rights to the "Spider-verse" characters, and with the announcement of a standalone Venom film, it looked like Sony were hellbent on wringing every last penny they could get out of that dominion.

So if that means making a "Spider-man" movie without Spider-man in it, so be it. Who needs Spider-man anyway when you've got Black Cat, Silver Sable, Morbius or a bunch of other characters non-nerds don't know about, right?

But Sony were adamant - no, we have a good script and a good take on the Venom character, so that's why we're making the movie. It's not a shameless money-making exercise to cash in on Marvel goodwill and the superhero movie phenomenon, no, not at all, why would you say such a thing?

The sad truth is that Venom feels like the shameless cash-in many feared it would be. It's not good enough to deserve its place in the superhero pantheon and does a disservice to a villain/anti-hero that would most likely be better off in an MCU film. It's oddly close to being really good, but comes off as ultimately half-arsed.

Venom is the story of Eddie Brock (Hardy), a loose cannon reporter who offends Elon Musk-like supervillain Carlton Drake (Ahmed) and somehow manages to lose his job and his fiancee in one fell swoop. Six months later, a chance to bring down Drake lands in Brock's lap but during an ill-fated break-in to Drake's lab, Brock ends up infected with an alien organism named Venom.

The first mistake Venom makes is in the words "six months later". The first 20 minutes of the film are largely redundant but not only do they waste our time, they also dig a hole that's hard to get out of. The tone of the film is set in that opening act, but it's not the right one - that comes after the 20-minute mark, where we start to get the dark-comedy hints that persist through the film, not some weird rom-com-meets-horror-meets-Bond-villain thing that the first act messily wades through.

The opening also inadvertently demonstrates a lack of chemistry between Williams and Hardy, which is surprising given the fact they're both great actors. It also paints Hardy's Brock as an annoying douche who doesn't know how being a journalist works. There's also a tendency throughout the film for characters to have no idea how real people actually interact.

Aside from the chemistry thing, these are script problems. While things improve somewhat after the opening, Venom never gets its tone right. There are a few laughs, and these come out of the blacker and bleaker moments, but it never fully commits to the darkness lurking on the edges. For a movie about a headchomping alien, Venom is strangely toothless and bloodless, giving the whole thing a watered-down vibe.

Nor does it nail down the whole anti-hero thing. Brock is initially annoying before becoming pitiful, which actually works better. The Venom-Brock relationship has its hiccups but is actually close to being great. The best thing Venom has going for it is Hardy, who is excellent. He throws everything into the performance and damn near saves the film.

But there are too many things working against him. The film devolves into a typically emotionless CG-heavy boss battle, and even the action sequences before that are nothing special, aside from some brief moments of cool.

Ahmed is a disappointing villain, there are some major plotholes, and whenever the film finally starts to feel like it's on the up, it undoes itself with either bad dialogue, idiotic plotting, or another tone-deaf diversion. There's also no heart or depth to the film, which would be tolerable if it was more entertaining.

The mid-credits sequence would have us believe a sequel is in the offering. That's not an enticing prospect at this stage.