I join CTV Atlantic’s Todd Battis to talk about the jump scares of “Five Nights at Freddy’s 2,” the historical drama “Hamnet,” and the Broadway stylings of “Merrily We Roll Along.”
Watch the whole thing HERE!
I jointhe CTV NewsChanel to talk about the jump scares of “Five Nights at Freddy’s 2,” the historical drama “Hamnet,” the Broadway stylings of “Merrily We Roll Along” and the thrills of “The Secret Agent.”
Watch the whole thing HERE!
I sit in with Deb Hutton on NewsTalk 1010 to go over some of the week’s biggest entertainment stories and let you know what’s happening in theatres. We talk about the Netflix deal to buy Warner Bros and what that means for the industry, a new RoboCop statue, Mr. Simmons Goes to Washington, a name change for Pamela Anderson and reviews of “Five Nights at Freddy’s 2” and “Merrily We Roll Along.”
Listen to the whole thing HERE!
I join CP24 to talk about the jump scares of “Five Nights at Freddy’s 2,” the Broadway stylings of “Merrily We Roll Along,” the Netflix show “My Next Guest with David Letterman with Guest Adam Sandler” and “The Beatles Anthology” on Disney+.
Watch the whole thing HERE!
I sit in on the CFRA Ottawa morning show with host Bill Carroll to talk about the new movies coming to theatres including the jump scares of “Five Nights at Freddy’s 2,” the historical drama “Hamnet,” the Broadway stylings of “Merrily We Roll Along” and the thrills of “The Secret Agent.”
Listen to the whole thing HERE!
I join the Bell Media Radio Network national night time show “Shane Hewitt and the Night Shift” for “Booze & Reviews!” This week I tell you about a the movie “Five Nights at Freddy’s 2” and some chain restaurant cocktails to enjoy with the movie!
Click to HERE to listen to Shane and me talk about the auction of a famous safe, high fiving Pavarotti and some fun Christmas movies!
Then, it’s “To shake, or not to shake; that is the question”! To hear the Booze & Reviews look at “Five Nights at Freddy’s 2” and some chain restaurant cocktails to enjoy while watching this flick click HERE!
Fast reviews for busy people! Watch as I review three movies in less time than it takes to make the bed! Have a look as I race against the clock to tell you about the jump scares of “Five Nights at Freddy’s 2,” the Broadway stylings of “Merrily We Roll Along” and the thrills of “The Secret Agent.”
Watch the whole thing HERE!
SYNOPSIS: In “Five Nights at Freddy’s 2,” a new horror film based on the popular videogame and now playing in theatres, eleven-year-old Abby (Piper Rubio) sneaks away from her protective brother Mike (Josh Hutcherson) to reunite with her pals, four Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza animatronic mascots who are possessed by the spirits of the children who disappeared during Fazbear’s glory days.
CAST: Josh Hutcherson, Elizabeth Lail, Piper Rubio, and Matthew Lillard, Skeet Ulrich, Wayne Knight, Mckenna Grace, and Teo Briones. Directed by Emma Tammi.
REVIEW: To begin, let’s start at the end. ”Five Nights at Freddy’s 2” wraps up with an obvious set-up for another film. No spoilers here, but it explains why the movie feels like a means to an end, literally. By that I mean the entire convoluted story feels like a trailer for the franchise’s next movie.
It’s a shame the film delivers little more than jump scares because it kicks off with an interesting premise.
The animatronic action begins in 1982 at a birthday party at Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza Place. As young Charlotte (Audrey Lynn-Marie) patiently waits for her favorite character to appear, she spots a little boy being dragged out of the party by yellow animatronic rabbit Spring Bonnie (Matthew Lillard). She prevents the kidnapping, but winds up a victim of The Marionette, a terrifying puppet with a white mask, a wide grin and painted on rosy, red cheeks.
Cut to 2002. It’s a year after Fazbear security guard Mike (Josh Hutcherson) discovered the pizza joint’s animatronic mascots, Freddy Fazbear, Bonnie, Chica, and Foxy, are possessed by the spirits of the children who disappeared during Fazbear’s glory days and had their eyes on a new victim, Mike’s innocent sister Abby (Piper Rubio).
With the help of Vanessa (Elizabeth Lail), a police officer (and daughter of serial killer William Afton, played by Matthew Lillard), Abby was spared, but now Abby feels a connection to the animatronic meanies and wants to reconnect. “She misses her friends,” says Mike. Trouble is, that makes her a target for The Marionette.
After a strong start, and the addition of the creepy Marionette, it’s a shame the rest of the movie relies on jump scares and toothless violence instead of the inventive horror of the first fifteen minutes.
The character design by Jim Henson’s Creature Shop is top notch, hitting the right balance between kid friendly animatronics and threatening evil robots. They’re a blast. Take for instance Chica (Megan Fox), a large animatronic chicken with “Let’s Party” emblazoned on her t-shirt, who gleefully squeezes Wayne Knight’s head with the words, “Let’s see what’s going on inside your head. Just what I thought! Nothing in there at all!” It’s the kind of fun PG-13 horror that offers relief from the movie’s reliance on jump scares.
“Five Nights at Freddy’s” devotees will find loads of fan service and Easter eggs, but audiences hoping for real horror will find the movie to be as stale as a decade old slice from Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza.
Inspired by true events, “Twelve Mighty Orphans,” new historical sports drama starring Luke Wilson, and now playing in theatres, reunites Martin Sheen with his “Apocalypse Now” co-star Robert Duvall.
Set during the Great Depression, the story revolves around WWI hero and up-standing citizen Rusty Russell (Wilson), a math and science teacher, tasked with teaching orphans at the Masonic Home in Fort Worth, Texas. The students are exploited, forced to work manual labor and beaten when they step out of line, and even when they don’t. In an effort to build char acter and foster a feeling of self-worth in the boys, Russell forms a football team, even though they don’t have a football or shoes.
“We have two seasons,” says Doc Hall (Sheen). “One without shoes and one with shoes. This is the season without shoes.”
A montage or two later, Russell seems to be making progress with the team of underdogs but not everyone is happy about it. “Every second they’re on the field, we’re losing money. says Frank Wynn (Wayne Knight), the taskmaster who mistreats the boys.
According to Doc, their early practices look more “like an Arthur Murray dance class” than an organized sport but soon the team comes together. Named the Mighty Mites, they use new, innovative strategies that set them up for success and, ultimately, to be an inspiration to a nation in need of heroes. “You have to adapt if you want to be competitive,” Russell says. “We don’t have the size, so we have to utilize what we do have.”
“Twelve Mighty Orphans” is a feel-good film light on surprises but heavy on inspiration. It’s predictable and old-fashioned, but it undeniably has its heart in the right place: right on its sleeve. Fine performances from Wilson, Sheen (who appears to be having the most fun of anyone on set) and Duvall, as the team’s financier, help ground the film’s high strung emotional tone.
You’ll root for the team, and the movie too, even when you can barely see through the clichés.
