haddonfieldmech Reviews

The Hateful Eight - Extended Version (2019)

An Excellent Film, Just Longer

[8/10 · 1 May 2024]

"The Hateful Eight" is an interesting film in the filmography of Quentin Tarantino. Upon my first watch, I wasn't sure what to think of it. But after reading the screenplay and having a lot of time to sit on it, the more I have come to love that film. The characters have their violent and evil sides, but John Ruth (Kurt Russell), Major Marquis Warren (Sam Jackson), and Chris Mannix (Walton Goggins) are characters that I really appreciate and enjoy.

The theatrical version is a long film, but the Extended Cut splits it up into four episodes, all about 50 minutes in length. Having seen the theatrical version first, this really excited me, but when you get to the realization that only eighteen minutes of footages is added to the entire film, it did make me think of it differently.

Some of the added scenes (specifically the sequence in the fourth episode where Michael Madsen attempts to shoot Kurt Russell from under the table, which is excellent) are a fun to see and pick out, but most of them don't add much to the overall story or film experience.

I also feel like the "show" isn't edited in a really interesting way. It could have been changed up, because it is the exact same film verbatim with a few additional scenes added throughout the runtime. Each episode has the same opening credits and ending credits, which kind of pad out the runtime and make each episode feel longer than they actually are.

Once it returns to streaming, I highly recommend checking out either version of this film. If you've never seen the theatrical version, this would make for an excellent first viewing, but if you've seen the theatrical, then you're not missing out on a ton by skipping this.

"The Hateful Eight" (2015): 9/10 "The Hateful Eight Extended Version" (2019): 8/10.

The Last of Us Part II Remastered (2024 Video Game)

My favorite video game... but even better

[10/10 · 3 April 2024]

I know that "The Last of Us Part ll" is a divisive game and a considerable group of people hate it. But the PS4 version is my favorite video game of all time. The gameplay, the graphics, the audio, the voice acting, the mo-cap, is all perfect. While it never needed a remake, I respect the decision to remaster it, and it does greatly benefit from higher frame rates and just an overall clearer vision of the breathtaking landscapes. The haptics for the controllers are nice too.

The "No Return" mode is excellent. I think that it is a great replacement for a second Factions game, and gives you a chance to play the game without having to just play sections of the game. The different encounter types are a lot of fun to try out. I guess my only problem is that the randomization of encounters could make entire runs like "Hunted against Rattlers", which is immensely difficult. But that just might be my skill level at the moment.

There are no changes made to the story, but there never needed to be. The cosmetics are really nice additions (although having Ellie wear an astronaut outfit while fighting Abby kind of takes you out of the emotion of the scenes, but that just nitpicking), and something that I wanted in the original release.

There's not much else I can say. The $50 price isn't bad, as it's only ten bucks more than the PS4 version is on the PlayStation store, but if you own a physical copy of the PS4 version it is only a $10 upgrade. I'd say that's a damn good deal.

It won't win over the folks who hate the story. But this is the definitive version of The Last of Us Part ll, and if you don't own it, either version deserves a place in your game library. 10/10.

The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live: The Last Time (2024) Season 1, Episode 6

Fitting Finale to the Finest Spinoff in the TWD Universe

[9/10 · 1 April 2024]

I love TWD. I stuck with it even through its lowest moments yet I still found enough to love about it. Unfortunately, despite my excitement and intrigue surrounding "Dead City" and "Daryl Dixon", many aspects of those shows let me down. Both left off on cliffhangers that sort of ruined good-to-great runs, in my head. I was worried a little bit following last week's episode, but 'The Last Time' was fantastic. Sure, there are issues, like how Rick and Michonne were able to get into the CRM so easily, how no guards stumbled across Rick shattering a guys' head in the hallway, why Rick left his fake hand in Jadis' room, and how Rick survived a close range grenade explosion, but in many ways that is just nitpicking. It is a TV show and there are bound to be unrealistic aspects.

This was incredibly satisfying in every regard, and I would be fine if they didn't do a second season. The action scenes were very well done, and their presence does add flair to an episode that could very easily have been exposition (my issue with the Dead City finale). I wish that the CRM could continue to be a threat, if they are to continue this story, but it does wrap everything up. And that's really what I needed this episode to do. It needed to complete a story, and this season feels like one story with a beginning, middle, and end, with the way this episode was handled.

It was great to see Judith and RJ again, and even though we didn't see Rick's return to Alexandria, it was enough (in my head) to see his reunion with his son and daughter.

Just a word for folks who read this, don't give that much attention to those who are giving 1 and 2 star ratings just because they are mad that Glenn died back in 2016. And also don't make decisions based off of the 10 star ratings either. Just go in with an open mind and make the descision for yourself. I have been growing skeptical recently, and this proved me wrong. That's the best thing I could say about anything.

The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon: Alouette (2023) Season 1, Episode 2

France is a different place

[9/10 · 18 September 2023]

I was a huge fan of the premiere episode for this show, but I was still a bit worried that that greatness might be squandered. The whole religious arc of certain characters got me worried some.

Yet I will say that to start off, the production values of this episode are just as grand and epic as the first episode. Daryl and co. Traverse through old villages and he eventually winds up fighting walkers in the ramparts of an old castle. There's a bit of plot armor there but it was still wildly entertaining.

I will also add that the action in these first episodes is really well choreographed and realistic in it's execution. Daryl's morning star has a weight to it that other weapons lack throughout the TWD universe.

I really enjoyed seeing France in the beginning of the apocalypse. I haven't seen FTWD so all I've seen is the snippets we got in the first few seasons of the main show. It was effective in the way it showed the chaos, but then the feeling of being trapped when everyone is evacuating at the same time. That's something cool that I didn't expect to see here.

The acting is great all around. Norman Reedus can be that southern-fried hick character but he also has a charisma to him that we haven't seen much in the Daryl character yet.

If I had to nitpick some things, I wasn't a huge fan of the new group we meet in this episode. They're very similar to the Convent we see in episode 1 and there's not many defining features that make them stand out. While the fact that there's more altruistic groups in France, it kind of lessens the sense of danger that we could be feeling.

During Daryl's fight with the walkers in the castle, I noticed that there was a group of walkers in the background that were just standing there and not attacking. That's a literal example of Daryl's plot armor, but a minor thing.

My final negative is minor (like my other ones) but the idea of religion in this universe is polarizing. My stance is that religion will help bring people together within the universe. That is what I hope the whole 'Messiah' arc is building to. But I don't want Daryl to become religious because his character has always been kind of neutral within the series. That's less of a negative and more of a worry that I have. (That may also be that haters of the show will say that the showrunners are making some kind of religious stance and are trying to cause controversy.) Everything I said in my negatives were just little things that I noticed. As of now, I am enjoying 'Daryl Dixon' more than 'Dead City'. Having two strong episodes gives me hope for the future.

For all of you that won't watch this show, read the tagline, because "Hope is not lost."

The Walking Dead: Dead City (2023– )

I'm Negan

[8/10 · 12 September 2023]

'The Walking Dead' is a controversial show. It has legions of fans but also a large group of people who hate it. I am one of the fans and when 'Isle of the Dead' was announced, I was elated. I have issues with how the showrunners handled the character of Maggie in Season 11, but the final scene between her and Negan in the last episode was one of my favorite parts of that season.

Unfortunately, Season 11 was not one of the better seasons (in my opinion) so I went into 'Dead City' kind of nervous.

And man, that premiere did not sell me. Jeffery Dean Morgan was great but I really don't like how they handle Maggie in that episode (or the whole season). It seems like all she does is mope around and blame Negan for everything that goes wrong. Lauren Cohan does well in certain scenes (like the fight with the Walker King in episode 5) but I really can't call her a standout because she goes from angry to emotional to having a really bad headache, nothing else.

After a mediocre premiere, the show got better, ESPECIALLY with how Negan acts. JDM carries the show and he does it like he's the only lead.

What the show did well was redeem Negan, perhaps moreso than TWD's main show did. His arc is really well handled. The walker FX and the portrayal of the villian were done well, and so was the gore. I like where the show leaves Negan and that excites me for the next season.

However, that also kind of screws up the ending of the season. I don't know why it needs to be two seasons when the story they're telling would fit in a ten-episode run. They pad out this season when they could have a really good season here had they combined this with the story they're building to.

I have to talk about the CGI, because it doesn't look great. New York City doesn't really have any defining features here, and it feels just like Atlanta in Season 1 of TWD, just smaller. I wanted the city to play more into the story and it doesn't change anything. They didn't need to market it as Walking Dead in New York because it doesn't feel like that.

Parts of the story feel contrived and a little bit to convenient for my liking, and while it sets up an interesting premise, the season itself is anticlimactic and I don't like that.

I've gone on way too long, but the first season of 'The Walking Dead: Dead City' is very flawed, in my opinion. But I'm giving it an 8/10 because there is some very good things here and the second season should be badass.

I just don't think it's as great as some people say it is, yet I would recommend to fans of the main show.

The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon: L'âme Perdue (2023) Season 1, Episode 1

My Boy is Back

[10/10 · 11 September 2023]

The Walking Dead became one of my favorite shows around Season 4. It grew in scale to a point where I almost felt that it was too unrealistic when it ended. I was excited for Dead City but I couldn't help but be let down by the amount of green screen and the rather anticlimactic season finale.

But MAN! 'The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon' remedies all of that with an exceptional budget and scale that actually works (for me, at least). The episode opens with some beautiful shots of Daryl walking through apocalyptic France. One of the standouts was him on the Pont-Du-Gard.

My biggest issue with Dead City was that it was too generic, both in scenery and in story. While the episodes' end makes it feel a lot like "The Last of Us", that is a story that makes sense within the universe. I am not religious, but the idea of religion taking over could have interesting repercussions in later stories. I want to see what they do with that plot as the season progresses.

The episode wasn't perfect, but I think it is better than much of Dead City and I'm certainly more excited about this show now that I've seen what the showrunners have up their sleeves. Norman Reedus, keep on doing what you're doing cause you're awesome.

And so is this show.

Oppenheimer (I) (2023)

I can only describe it as cinematic excellence.

[9/10 · 9 August 2023]

However, I will have trouble rating this. I will admit that the initial premise didn't have me sold. A three hour film about scientists creating the nuclear bomb and the following court case seemed kind of like a slog. But the trailers and the first reviews were good.

So I waited to see the film until I could watch it at my local IMAX theater and I'm glad I did. Somehow, Nolan has managed to make what is essentially a bunch of conversations interesting. The way the story is set up, jumping between time periods was very interesting, whic was something else I was nervous about. I enjoyed that aspect, where you see certain things happen in one year and then you jump ahead maybe ten years and see where Oppenheimer is then, but then you might go back in time to see (or more likely hear) something happen that they will return to. The nonlinear narrative allowed for my viewing experience to be less stressful, because the film gives you all of the information when you need it, not overloading you.

The visuals and the landscapes were breathtaking, especially on such a large screen. Nolan makes the jump between different aspect ratios during certain scenes which helps show which character has power in that scene. Specifically Oppenheimer or Strauss. The black and white scenes mixed in give the film a different visual flavor that I enjoyed trying to decifer while watching.

All of the actors do great work. I might be beating a dead horse by saying that Cillian Murphy was great in the role, but I wouldn't say it if it wasn't true. RDJ, Matt Damon, Emily Blunt, and everyone else seem to be in top form. I felt like every character gets something to do and none of them were shoehorned in.

The runtime has long been a source of controversy, but I cannot think of a scene that needs to be cut out. Certain films as of late could be shorter, but 'Oppenheimer' runs at three hours yet it doesn't overstay its welcome. It builds the story and everything that happens has a reason to be there.

I guess my only complaint is that the second half of the film is very heavy on dialogue and some of that is hard to hear due to the loud (but magnificent) score. But if you listen I think that it is pretty easy to pick up on what is going on.

Again, I don't know what I am going to rate the film. I am currently thinking a 9.5 but the more I think about the film, I can't think of anything that would take away from a 10 star rating.

I believe that 'Oppenheimer' lives up to the hype and praise that it is getting. I would recommend.

The Last of Us (2023– )

Great Companion to the Game

[9/10 · 22 May 2023]

It took me a long time to get around to playing the game, which I started because I was watching the show. I had heard massive praise for the show while its early episodes were airing and I decided to give it a shot. Being that I am a huge fan of The Walking Dead, it confused me as to why I wasn't that interested in the show following the pilot episode.

However, once I started the game I began to see all of the great easter eggs and nods to the source material that the show contains. That is my first plus - fans of the game will have a different experience than those who haven't playing the game, and I was able to play both of those sides.

Often times, modern media is so obsessed with insane action and over the top set pieces that take you right out of the media. TLOU never does that. Just about every scene is grounded in reality (save MAYBE the bloater attack in episode 5 and Ellie killing James in episode 8) and that makes you feel like this apocalypse is real and as dangerous as they all claim.

Unfortunately, that is also what will bring the show down for many. The game has one of the best combat systems that I have ever played and the show does little to adapt that. There is not an eighth as much action as there is in the game, which makes the show more realistic, but not as entertaining. That's not to say it is absent, but very much toned down.

What the action is replaced with is great character development, beautiful cinematography and landscapes, and brilliant performances from Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey. You believe that Pascal is a hardened survivor who has lost everything and that Ramsey is a spry and smart-mouthed teenager. Many of the supporting characters (Henry, Sam, and David especially) are played wonderfully as well.

The CGI in scenes looks very good, which can't be said for many video game adaptions. The FX are great on the Infected (namely the Clickers and Bloaters) and when you see someone get murdered it looks like they are being murdered.

I jumped on the Last of Us bandwagon way too late, but I'm glad I did at some point because in my mind, this show is worth the praise it gets. The season has some slow patches, but overall, it is a great adaption of the game and an even better companion for both fans of the game and non-gamers alike.

The Walking Dead: Chokepoint (2019) Season 9, Episode 13

Rick's Last Episodes Are Great, But This Might Be S9's Best

[10/10 · 13 December 2022]

Season 9 is one of the strongest seasons of the show. It's episodes like "Chokepoint" that highlight that fact. Being that the episode is merely building up to a Daryl/Beta brawl, the tension, suspense, and the fight choreography is brilliant.

After some middling (but not bad) episodes in S9, this gives us a welcome dose of action into the mix. I found this to be one of the most entertaining episodes to watch. The setting is also very refreshing. Actually, I'm gonna rephrase that: the use of the setting of an abandoned, under-construction building makes the entire Daryl vs Beta/Beta's Squad intense and very realistic.

This is very much Die Hard with Norman Reedus... I think this is my favorite of S9, if I could pick one.

The Walking Dead: Rendition (2021) Season 11, Episode 4

A (Slightly) Less Brutal Introduction to New Adversaries

[7/10 · 13 December 2022]

This was by no means a perfect episode. However, after the build-up to the Reapers (S10.17, S10.18, S11.3) it worked for me, at least.

The episode opens up similarly to the previous episode (with the opening being one of the best parts of it) but this time follows Daryl as he escapes the Reapers unscathed but is captured by Leah, his former lover. What follows is a slow-building introduction to Pope, the leader of the Reapers.

This episode is reminiscent of S7E3 "The Cell" where Daryl is imprisoned in the Sanctuary and tortured for information. But this episode contains a different aspect, where Leah doesn't want Daryl to die or be hurt. It makes the waterboarding scene (which was enjoyably disturbing) that much more intense, even though we know that Daryl won't be killed.

What truly stands out about this episode is Pope, portrayed by Ritchie Coster. While the Reapers may not be the most unique of TWD villians, I do enjoy the more human aspects of Pope and the Reapers. The Whisperers last season were terrifying in an almost inhuman way, and even Negan played god for a bit. We haven't had truly human villians in a while.

"Rendition" has many strong moments, but I did find that another Daryl-in-prison episode was repetitive. But Pope's introduction and the climactic 'baptism by fire' sequence really hold this one up.

Halloween Kills (2021)

Does Exactly What It Says It's Gonna Do

[9/10 · 1 November 2022]

I don't understand the hate this movie gets. Is it as good as the original? No. If you say it's the worst -- you're right. Of course, after 'Halloween 5', 'Halloween 6', 'Halloween: Resurrection', and the Rob Zombie remakes. This is a biased review, as I enjoy the franchise as a whole, but 'Halloween Kills is a superior entry in the Halloween franchise. While it might lack some of the deeper meanings that were in the 2018 entry, it still does what it needs to. It builds the Shape up as a villian to be reckoned with, more of a reason why the town of Haddonfield must kill it. For those fans that want brutal kills, this movie delivers. For fans of the franchise, the fan service is impeccable, despite some characters being wasted (namely Marion and Brackett).

There are issues; like the dialogue can be obnoxious at times; the repeated, sort of cringy deliveries of "Evil Dies Tonight"; and some of the character's motivations don't make much sense. But why did the Shape have a tattoo on his wrist in Halloween 5? Why did they kill off Jamie in Halloween 6? Why was Resurrection a thing? The mistakes this movie makes hurt far less than those made in previous entries.

If you don't want brutal, gory kills, then don't watch the film with the word "kills" in the title. If you want kills, as well as classic, 80s-inspired slasher camp, go in expecting that. What you will find is some of the most entertaining carnage you will see in a horror franchise.