Stacy's Blog Has Got It Going On

"You're a good woman.  I wish I'd known your husband." -Joe Bulo "No.  My husband would've killed you where you stood the first time you met.  So be glad you're talking to his wife." -Floyd Gerhardt "Fear and Trembling" opens with a flashback.  Otto Gerhardt (Michael Hogan) takes his 12-year old son, Dodd (Victor Hawryluk) to a movie theater where he is a having a meeting with his rival, Kellerman (Kai Lennox).  Otto has Dodd murder Kellerman while he takes out the goons. In present day, Dodd (Jeffery Donovan) takes his nephew, Charlie (Allan Dobrescu) on a job to beat up some of the Kansas City Mafia crew. It's revealed that Simone Gerhardt (Rachel Keller) is having sex with Mike Milligan (Bokeem Woodbine), and he manages to get a lot of information from her, including that Otto is being taken to a doctor's appointment later that day.  The Gerhardt's have a sit-down with Kansas City, where the Gerhard

"We have to be very careful what we choose to believe." -Professor Phillip Goodman Ghost Stories  is a British horror movie that follows Professor Phillip Goodman (Andy Nyman), who hosts a TV show where he debunks supernatural frauds and psychics.  His childhood idol, Charles Cameron (Leonard Byrne), a paranormal investigator, contacts him and they meet face to face.  Charles reveals that he is now a believer in the supernatural due to his inability to solve three cases that continue to haunt him.  Charles dares Phillip to prove him wrong.  So Phillip sets out to investigate all three cases and what he discovers along the way is more terrifying than he could have possibly imagined.   What Works: The biggest praise I can give Ghost Stories is that it's actually scary.  I'm not talking about jump scares either.  Ghost Stories tells three different spooky stories that manage to build the tension and the creepiness by using atmosphere and suspense.  It re

Normally, this is where I put a favorite quote from the movie.  Instead, this is a warning that this review will contain spoilers.  I implore you, do no real past this point if you haven't seen the movie.  A lot of stuff happens in this movie.  If you haven't seen  Avengers: Infinity War,  drop what you're doing and go watch it.  And stay off the Internet until you do.  You DO NOT want this one spoiled for you.  Trust me, I'm not a doctor.  You've been warned. Avengers: Infinity War  follows Thanos (Josh Brolin), a genocidal Titan who is hunting down the six Infinity Stones (stones of basically infinite power), which are scattered across the galaxy, and he will slaughter anyone who gets in his way.  The Avengers team up with the Guardians of the Galaxy, Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch), and the entire nation of Wakanda to stop Thanos from getting all of the stones.  But he is the strongest enemy any of them have faced. What Works: I was reall

"Uh uh, honey." -Donathan Hurley  Man, Ghost Island is on a role.  Another great episode with some fantastic fireworks.  Good stuff. Who Played Well: Let's start with this week's Ghost Island resident, Angela.  Although she ended up losing her vote, I think she made the right move going for the advantage.  A 67% is worth the risk.  I don't know who she would have voted for, but it didn't matter.  I think she's still in a good spot. Then we have Domenick and Wendell who both did a great job of reading the situation correctly and getting rid of Desiree.  I especially like how Domenick acted like a mob boss.  He has been playing much better since Chris was voted out. Moving on to the Malolo 4, Michael, Donathan, Jenna, and Laurel did an awesome job of tag-teaming Desiree under the bus.  Their work at Tribal Council was impressive and it was really fun to watch.  I think Michael must have done a good job communicating with Domeni

"Do you wish me to break your heart?" -Djinn Ugh.  I take back anything bad I said about the first two Wishmaster movies.  Let's get this over with. Wishmaster 3: Beyond the Gates of Hell follows troubled college student, Diana Collins (A.J. Cook), who is working with her Professor, Joel Barash (Jason Connery), in a museum when she discovers the fire opal, which is the prison to the evil Djinn (John Novak).  She releases the Djinn, who kills Professor Barash and steals his skin.  Now the Djinn is hunting down Diana, who only has her friends, her boyfriend, and St. Michael the Archangel (Tobias Mehler) to protect her and to prevent the gates of Hell from opening. What Works:   I have to say, this movie grabbed my interest with the opening sequence which involved a car crash that was pretty impressive for a straight to DVD sequel.  They do an even better car crash during the 3rd act.  Both were impressive, I've got to say, but it's obvi

"Say hello to my little friend!" -Tony Montana Scarface tells the story of the rise and fall of Tony Montana (Al Pacino), a Cuban refugee and ex-con who arrives in Miami.  Tony enters the drug trade and starts climbing the ranks and making moves, eventually becoming the head of a drug empire, only to watch everything crash and burn around him. What Works: Al Pacino really gives it his all in this movie.  He brings Tony Montana to life with an all-around phenomenal performance.  He is so believable that he is terrifying.  If Al Pacino ever gave me a look like he does sometimes in this movie, I would run the other way.  He may not be the most likable protagonist, but dammit, he sure is interesting. I love over-the-top violence in movies, and Scarface has it in spades.  Violent murders are pretty common in this movie, and I love it.  From the various shoot-outs, to hanging by helicopter, to the infamous chainsaw scene, if you love your movies to have e

It's been a very long time since I've seen the original Super Troopers .  It's honestly been almost ten years.  I remember I really liked it at the time and I thought the opening scene was hysterical.  I should probably re-watch it.  But in the meantime, let's see if Super Troopers 2 has got it going on. Several years after the Troopers were fired from their jobs as local police officers, they are given the chance to become Troopers again, when a border dispute between the United States and Canada ends with a small portion of Canada being added to Vermont, including one whole town.  The Troopers are offered new jobs replacing the local mounties to prep for the transition.  Unfortunately, the townsfolk doesn't want them there.  Plus there is a smuggling operation going on, and the suspicious mounties are less than cooperative.  It's up to the Super Troopers to solve the case and win over the town. What Works: The comedy in Super Troopers 2  is

"Yeah, I'm inclined to agree with Peggy.  It's not like you're gonna just drive home with a Gerhardt in your windshield and, y'know, start supper. -Sheriff Hank Larsson Things are heating up in Fargo as Sheriff Hank Larson (Ted Danson) and Officer Lou Solverson (Patrick Wilson) learn that the gun used in the Waffle Hut shooting had Rye Gerhardt's (Kieran Culkin) fingerprints on it.  Lou travels up to Fargo to get a lay of the land.  He is partnered with Fargo Detective Ben Schmidt (Keir O'Donnell) who is pretty worthless.  They witness Skip Sprang (Mike Bradecich) acting suspiciously outside the office of the deceased judge.  They question him, but Ben decides to let him go. While the Gerhardt's continue to decide whether or not to go to war or to sell to Kansas City, Lou and Ben arrive at their compound.  Ben is terrified and is useless in getting information, but Lou informs them that Rye is wanted for murder and in completely unfazed a

"Just give me the phone, ok?  They will kill you." -Cara Traffik  follows reporter, Brea (Paula Patton), who gets taken away on a a romantic trip by her boyfriend John (Omar Epps) to a beautiful house in the middle of nowhere.  On their way to the house, they run into some trouble with a group of bikers, who are part of a human trafficking ring.  One of the girls who is being trafficked slips a phone with information on the ring into Brea's purse.  Brea and John soon find some surprise guests at the house...not just their friends Darren (Laz Alonso) and Malia (Roselyn Sanchez), but the bikers, who have come back for their phone, and will kill anyone who gets in their way. What Works: This section will be short, as the only thing I like about this movie is the story.  I typically like this kind of movie.  Home invasion movies can be really fun, and with the bad guys having a clear motivation there was some potential here.  Plus the fear Brea has to face o

Well, now that I'm finally caught up on watching all of the Cloverfield movies, I supposed I should rank them.  I think this series is interesting because each film is so drastically different from the others.  But still, I think we all know which film is number 1... #1: 10 Cloverfield Lane It shouldn't surprise anyone that I have this film as number 1.  It's so great.  It has an excellent, capable protagonist in Mary Elizabeth Winstead, an amazing, complex villain in John Goodman, a simple, yet engaging story, and pure excellence all the way through.  I love 10 Cloverfield Lane .  It's easily the best in the series and it isn't close.  I know some people don't care for the 3rd act, but I don't have a problem with it.  Like with The Cloverfield Paradox , the end serves as a way to connect this film to Cloverfield , but unlike The Cloverfield Paradox , it doesn't feel forced here.  I know some may disagree, but I don't care.  10/10: Amazing

"Gagerriffic, bro." -Sebastian Noel I wasn't expecting much from this episode compared to last week's epic showdown, but I am pleased to announce that this episode did not disappoint! Who Played Well: We'll start off with someone who really surprised me by turning their game around, Angela.  She had a great week.  She not only won Immunity in epic fashion, she realized she wasn't in a great spot and took action by throwing Michael under the bus and getting him to flush his idol.  Really great gameplay from Angela this week. We can talk about Chelsea, Desiree, Domenick, Kellyn, and Sebastian all in one spot here.  They all did their jobs well and were key pieces in the Michael/Libby vote.  The extent that their influences played in a part in this vote definitely differs, but they all did a good job nonetheless. Finally, we have Donathan and Laurel, who I believe made the right move.  I think taking out Wendell would have been too

"Too noisy." (Signing) -Lee Abbott A Quiet Place follows the Abbott Family as they try to survive in a world where most of the human population has been killed by dangerous creatures that hunt by sound.  If you make a noise, they will come for you.  Regan Abbott is deaf, so the family can communicate with sign language, which is why they've survived for as long as they have.  But when a freak accident makes a loud noise, the creatures come hunting, and it will take everything the Abbott's have to survive. What Works: The biggest praise I can give A Quiet Place is the film's pacing.  It flies by and there is almost always something really engaging.  Once the film gets into the second act, it doesn't let up.  The danger and the fear never goes away, which makes the movie really engaging, leaving you constantly on the edge of your seat. The acting is also excellent, especially because there is barely any dialogue in this film.  Most o

"Logic doesn't apply to any of this." -Tam The 3rd film in the Cloverfield series follows a group of astronauts who go into space to test a particle accelerator in hopes of supplying Earth with infinite energy.  When a test finally goes right, but damages the ship in the process, the crew is startled to find that the Earth has disappeared.  As they search for Earth and repair their ship, strange things begin to happen as the lines between dimensions are blurred and the Earth they do find, might not be the one they left. What Sucks: This will be easier for everybody, especially me, if I start with what sucks first...there's a lot.  First off, the writing is just terrible.  The dialogue is pretty lazy, I gotta say.  I've watched movies and TV shows with dimensional crossover before, and the dialogue here is so generic and cliched.  Plus, the comic relief character, Mundy (Chris O'Dowd), makes the same jokes over and over again.  SPOILERS:

"Wake him up." -Dodd Gerhardt "He's dead, I think." -Hanzee Dent "Weak." -Dodd Gerhardt "Before the Law" picks up with four members of the Kansas City Mafia arriving at the Gerhardt Family compound.  Kansas City offers to buy the Gerhardt's out, but let them continue to run everything, they would just report to Kansas City.  Before any decisions are made, both Floyd Gerhardt (Jean Smart) and her oldest son, Dodd (Jeffery Donovan) claim that they are in charge of the family now.  Bear Gerhardt (Angus Sampson) and Dodd's daughter, Simone (Rachel Keller), side with Floyd, while the Gerhardt's hitman, Hanzee Dent (Zahn McClarnon) sides with Dodd.  With Rye Gerhardt (Kieran Culkin) still missing, Hanzee is sent to track him down. But Hanzee isn't the only person after Rye.  Mike Milligan (Bokeem Woodbine), a member of the Kansas City Mafia, believes that Rye is the most likely of the Gerhardt's to f

This movie really should have been called Wishmaster Goes to Jail .   During a robbery at an art museum which results in the death of her boyfriend, Morgana (Holly Field) inadvertently awakens the Djinn (Andrew Divoff), who immediately confesses to the robbery and the murders of several security guards.  The Djinn goes to prison and gets up to his old tricks by granting wishes and taking souls, slowly gaining power to try to take over the world again.  It's up to Morgana and her ex-boyfriend-turned-priest, Gregory (Paul Johansson) to find a way to stop him. What Works: My positives for this movie are similar to the first Wishmaster .  Andrew Divoff is incredible as the Djinn.  His screen-presence overshadows everyone else, and it's not close.  His performance is excellent, and he's just a ton of fun to watch. I also love the practical effects.  This movie had a lower budget than the first so there are less cool effects, but when they do use them, they don'

I know Truth or Dare  looks like the dumbest movie ever, and I shouldn't want to see it.  But I can't resist a movie with such a schlocky premise.  This kind of movie is right up my alley, but does Truth or Dare actually have it going on? While on Spring Break in Mexico, Olivia (Lucy Hale) and her friends are brought out to an abandoned mission by Carter (Landon Liboiron) who convinces everyone to start playing truth or dare.  Carter later reveals that they have to answer the truth or do the dare, otherwise they die.  Carter flees and Olivia and her friends return home.  But they quickly realize the game has followed them home.  As the group starts to die one-by-one, Olivia and her friends have to find out how to beat the game before it's their turn again. What Works: As dumb as it sounds, I love the premise of this movie.  It's just so schlocky and ridiculous.  As soon as I heard about Truth or Dare  I was on-board.  And there are definitely some goofy and

Another video game movie!  Will Rampage be the first good video game movie?  Probably not... A space station/laboratory owned by the unscrupulous Claire Wyden (Malin Akerman), crashes after a genetic experiment goes horrible wrong.  Three containers that carry a substance that causes mutations in animals crash to earth.  A wolf and an alligator are both infected, as is a gorilla named George that is in captivity.  As George starts to grow and become more violent, his friend and rescuer Davis Okoye (Dwayne Johnson) tries to figure out how to save George and how to stop the rampaging animals from destroying Chicago. What Works: Rampage is another extremely stupid movie.  But the one thing that keeps the movie somewhat grounded is Dwayne Johnson and his relationship with George.  Johnson is just so damn charismatic that he can say practically any line and make it work.  He's extremely likable, especially because he doesn't like people.  He'd rather spend his

"Careful what you wish for." -Djinn Jewelry appraiser Alexandra Amberson (Tammy Lauren) is asked to appraiser a beautiful fire opal.  Unbeknownst to her, trapped inside the opal is an evil Djinn (Andrew Divoff), which is basically a genie.  The Djinn feeds off of wishes, but the wisher usually immediately regrets their wish, as it always come with a terrible price.  Alexandra accidentally frees the Djinn, and now she must prevent him from unleashing legions of Djinn upon the Earth. What Works: Wishmaster is a very dumb horror movie.  But it doesn't try to be anything else.  I can respect that.  Once you get past how silly this movie is, it's a lot of fun.  Andrew Divoff is excellent as the Djinn.  He really chews on the scenery, giving a very memorable performance. The practical effects are really spectacular.  The filmmakers got really creative with most of the deaths and the various tortures the Djinn inflicts upon the wishers.  There is s

If you took a shot every time someone brought up war in this episode, you'd end up a ghost! Well, that was a quick war.  Let's take a look at how everyone did. Who Played Well: We can start with Donathan and Laurel.  They've done a great job integrating themselves in with the Naviti.  They are now in a strong alliance with Wendell and Domenick and neither one of them are targets.  They're both in a great spot and could go a long way. Good on, my girl, Kellyn, for winning Immunity.  As insane as this tribal was, I'm sure it felt good to be safe this round. I typically don't love when players tell people they have idols, but I think with Wendell telling Domenick, they 100% solidified their alliance.  Plus Wendell did a good job of turning people against Chris.  And he hung on to his idol; a bold move, but he read the room correctly and still has his safety net. Finally, we have Domenick, who, once again, had a mixed night, but it was net positive.