Seriously!? Review: Hot Fuzz & Monty Python and the Holy Grail

Starring: Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Martin Freeman
Directed by: Edgar Wright
Language: English
Rating: R
Running Time: 2 hr 1 min

This second entry to the Cornetto Triology was a recommendation from a good friend I met in university and I finally watched it. At the same time, I've now completed the triology!



Top London cop PC Nicholas Angel is good. Too good. To stop the rest of his team looking bad, he is reassigned to the quiet town of Sandford. He is paired with Danny Butterman, who endlessly questions him on the action lifestyle. Everything seems quiet for Angel until two actors are found decapitated. It is called an accident, but Angel won't accept that, especially when more and more people turn up dead. Angel and Danny clash with everyone while they try to uncover the truth behind the mystery of the apparent "accidents". [Source: Film_Fan on IMDb]

I have no idea why I skipped out on this movie...or really I just procastinated on seeing it. I really enjoy the other two movies in the triology: Shaun of the Dead and The World's End, so I had no doubts that I would enojoy this one. May I also add that said friend has some pretty good taste and I knew she wouldn't recommend me anything I wouldn't like.

Simon Pegg and Nick Frost is another dynamic comedic duo that will always deliver the laughs and I hope they make more movies together, although Pegg on his own is just as entertaining whether it's comedy or something else. I had fun with this movie, which is what I expected. The concept wasn't anything new, but the execution is what matters in the entertainment department. The stunts were wild, the antics were hilarious, and the cast of characters had such great chemistry with each other. Overall, this was another enjoyable entry in the Cornetto Triology. While it isn't my favorite entry, I definitely wouldn't mind giving it repeated viewings.

Rating: 3.5/5


Starring: Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Eric Idle
Directed by: Terry Gilliam & Terry Jones
Language: English
Rating: PG
Running Time: 1 hr 31 mins

Now for a Patreon request from Norma D.! You forced me to step out of my box and watch a movie that some of my friends (and old director) made references to.

History is turned on its comic head when, in tenth-century England, King Arthur travels the countryside to find knights who will join him at the Round Table in Camelot. Gathering up the men is a tale in itself but after a bit of a party at Camelot, many decide to leave only to be stopped by God, who sends them on a quest: to find the Holy Grail. After a series of individual adventures, the knights are reunited but must face a wizard named Tim the Enchanter, killer rabbits and lessons in the use of holy hand grenades. Their quest comes to an end however when the Police intervene - just what you would expect in a Monty Python movie. [Source: garykmcd on IMDb]

This isn't the first time I've watched a request I had no intention of ever watching. I have never watched any of the Monty Python movies; mostly because I'm not super into British humor. I know this film is beloved by many as well as their other comedy endeavors, but I simply had no interest in finding out why people enjoyed them so much. But here we are, my first Monty Python movie.

It was...interesting, I guess. I did enjoy some of the humor and the characters were entertaining for the most part. It was interesting that the story was later broken up into different chapters focusing on each member of the round table. It's also nice to finally have some context for some of the jokes I've seen and heard over the years, even though one of those jokes have been comically botched by the scratches on the disc I rented from work. Unfortunately, the humor had more misses than hits for me personally. A lot of the time I found it kinda repetitive or I didn't understand it due to language and time. Sometimes I found myself kinda bored with the quest for the Holy Grail and the movie felt longer than an hour and a half. Some characters' stories made more sense than others and kinda fit with the overall story, but the ones that didn't really lost me. Because I wasn't emotionally invested in this movie or the characters, I couldn't get too mad at the sudden, out of nowhere ending. All I could do was sigh and accept what was given to me on the screen.

Something I like to ask myself when I watch these classics for the first time is "Do I feel like I missed out on something great?". For this movie in particular...no, no I don't. It was nice to know those inside jokes, but I don't feel like I should've watched this sooner or anything without it being a request. I can understand why people enjoy this movie, but my assumptions of it not being for me were correct.

Rating: 2/5

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Seriously!? Review: Christmas Edition

Starring: Chevy Chase, Beverly D'Angelo, Juliette Lewis
Directed by: Jeremiah S. Chechik
Language: English
Rating: PG-13
Running Time: 1 hr 37 mins

No surprise that I missed out on posting these classics during December. Something I say often to myself about delayed posts: "Better late than never...I guess".



It's Christmas time and the Griswolds are preparing for a family seasonal celebration, but things never run smoothly for Clark, his wife Ellen and their two kids. Clark's continual bad luck is worsened by his obnoxious family guests, but he manages to keep going knowing that his Christmas bonus is due soon. [Source: Rob Hartill on IMDb]

Originally, I was only planning on watching two Christmas classics, this movie and A Christmas Story, but my job recently purchased these fun little binge boxes. These binge boxes feature a different theme with sometimes funny titles such as a collection of infection movies called "I Don't Think a Flu Shot Will Cut It" and other titles are very straightforward like classic black and white horror films called "The Original Nightmares". This collection of holiday fanfare was called "Unwap the Classics". In short, what came to be a double Christmas feature turned into watching all 6 films in the box.

Anyway, this wasn't part of the collection, but that information will be relevant for the rest of the post. I honestly admit that I haven't seen any of the National Lampoon movies...at least, I don't remember seeing any of them. I am aware of the comedic talent of Chevy Chase through Three Amigos!, Saturday Night Live, and snippets of Caddyshack. So, I knew that I was in for a good time with this movie and a good time was definitely had, despite the skipping issues I had to overcome on this well loved borrowed disc. The humor still hits perfectly in this current era in film and I can see families in the future still laughing and enjoying this film.

I really enjoyed that the humor can appeal to any age group and there were plenty of relatable Christmas shenanigans that happen. From putting up outdoor lights and none of them working to dealing with 'interesting' relatives, I enjoyed every minute of the hilarious chaos that occurred for the Griswolds. Watching this movie made me curious what other craziness that the Griwolds had to deal with in the other National Lampoon entries. Perhaps it'll be a future Seriously!? Review entry.

Rating: 4/5


Starring: Peter Billingsley, Melinda Dillon, Darren McGavin
Directed by: Bob Clark
Language: English
Rating: PG
Running Time: 1 hr 33 mins

In the 1940s, a young boy named Ralphie attempts to convince his parents, his teacher and Santa that a Red Ryder BB gun really is the perfect Christmas gift. [Source: IMDb]



This early 80's Christmas classic is one I've seen references and clips to for many, many years. I also remember them advertising the live stage version for TV...but I don't think that ended too well. So, here I am; I have finally seen this movie and...it was okay. I guess if I change my mindset to back then I can understand why so many people love this movie and consider it a classic. While I didn't find myself loving it as much as most, I did find it entertaining to see all these childhood winter shenanigans unfold. From running away from bullies, taking on dares with friends, and being afraid of a terrifying (and perhaps unprofessional) mall Santa, I enjoyed every moment with Ralphie. I thought most of the situations Ralphie was faced with were still very relatable and perhaps proves why this movie withstands the test of time. Getting unwanted/embarassing gifts from a relative or dealing with your parents' odd hobbies are things I can see people, and perhaps kids, relating to.

Despite this movie being made in the 80s and set in the 1940s, I'm surprised how much the humor still holds up in present day. Sure, there might be a few things here and there that might be lost to time, but for the most part, the parts that were supposed to be funny were indeed funny...at least to me. Much like the previous Christmas film, I'm glad I watched this, although I don't know if I would purposely watch this again for the holidays. At the same time, I wouldn't be upset if it happened to be playing on TV either.

Rating: 3/5


Starring: Tom Hanks, Chris Coppola, Michael Jeter
Directed by: Robert Zemeckis
Language: English
Rating: G
Running Time: 1 hr 40 mins

This is the story of a young hero boy on Christmas Eve who boards on a powerful magical train that's headed to the North Pole and Santa Claus's home. What unfolds is an adventure which follows a doubting boy, who takes an extraordinary train ride to the North Pole; during this ride, he embarks on a journey of self-discovery which shows him that the wonder of life never fades for those who believe. [Source: Anthony Pereyra on IMDb]



This was a movie that I wasn't completely sure if I've seen or not, but as the movie went on, I don't think I've seen it before. It's really hard to remember everything you've seen when you watch more than 200 movies a year. Nonetheless, I watched this mostly starring Tom Hanks children's book adaptation and...I wasn't super into this. I think if I watched it back in 2004, I might've liked it a little more, but it definitely is made for children and families with children. The whole story revolves around believing in magic and be impressed with all the holiday whimsy, which is fine. I mean it is to be expected for a Christmas movie, but it has been done before...and better, in my opinion.

The acting is pretty good from all the actors and I thought the story was pretty decent. My biggest complaint for watching it in 2020 is the animation. CGI movies, especially for children's movies, seem to not age very well and this movie is no exception. The children's faces seem a little off and the worst sight to see is when they make it to their destination with the hundreds (or thousands) of elves. Those elves still kinda haunt me to this day. If you can look past that, this is a decent Christmas film full of wonder for the kiddos, but for me, I don't think I'll be returning to this animated feature from the early oughts.

Rating: 2.5/5


Starring: Edmund Gwenn, Maureen O'HAra, John Payne
Directed by: George Seaton
Language: English
Rating: Not Rated
Running Time: 1 hr 36 mins

When a nice old man who claims to be Santa Claus is institutionalized as insane, a young lawyer decides to defend him by arguing in court that he is the real thing. [Source: IMDb]



This is another Christmas classic that I'm not sure I've seen. I know I have seen the 1994 remake starring a young Mara Wilson, Elizabeth Perkins, and Dylan McDermott quite a few times as a kid and pre-teen. I believe there are 2-3 other versions of this story, but I think I've only seen these two (and possibly the 1973 remake?). Honestly, my memory is very hazy on the specifics. I can say for sure that I have seen this one and the 1994 remake, which seem to be the most popular versions of this story. Whether I've seen the original or not, I wasn't upset in reliving this familiar story I haven't seen in decades.

The brief details I remember in the story from the 1994 film seemed to be played out similarly in the original. Although, Wikipedia says that the 1994 version has a more serious tone. Perhaps I'll go back and revisit that version at some point. Nonetheless, I knew what I was getting myself into. It's another story about a child who doesn't quite believe in Santa, because her mom has a very matter of fact serious disposition about life. Unlike The Polar Express, I enjoyed this execution of Christmas magic and tapping into your inner child a lot more. Despite it being in black and white, the characters are very vibrant, colorful, and extremely likable! As cheesy as the relationships in this movie can be at times, it's hard not to feel that beautiful warmth in your heart when things come together so nicely. I honestly can say that this does live up to the Christmas classic title as it does withstand the test of time.

Rating: 4.5/5

Before I conclude this belated Christmas post, I wanted to mention that I watched one of Maja's favorite Christmas movies, It's a Wonderful Life. I remember hearing the backstory about this movie not being very popular, but gained favor through repeated TV airings. I can understand why people enjoy this movie, but I honestly didn't have a lot to say about it to give it its own entry here. I also didn't want to completely leave it out either. It's nice to fully understand that one episode of Rugrats where Chuckie didn't want to exist anymore and I thought it was an okay movie. I don't think it's one that I would rewatch to get into the holiday spirit, but I don't regret taking the time out to watch it (twice kinda).

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Seriously!? Review: Halloween & Friday the 13th

Starring: Donald Pleasence, Jamie Lee Curtis, Tony Moran
Directed by: John Carpenter
Language: English
Rating: R
Running Time: 1 hr 31 mins

What better timing than to cover two iconic slashers than spooky season! Here's another pair of movies I got criticized for not seeing being a horror movie fan. I also took an extra step with both of these this time.



Fifteen years after murdering his sister on Halloween night 1963, Michael Myers escapes from a mental hospital and returns to the small town of Haddonfield, Illinois to kill again. [Source: IMDb]

So, why did it take me this long to watch both of these legendary movies? Well, I never was interested in either of these killers. I consulted a friend on how deeply I should invest in these franchises, so I have a couple installments to talk about in both entries. Now, you ask, what did I think of Michael Myers's cinematic debut? It was alright. I really enjoyed the first person point of view at the beginning introducing our antagonist and I understand why that opener is so iconic. It adds a good setup and shock factor that Michael is just a mere child; a murder child, but a child nonetheless. The cat and mouse chase between Michael, Dr. Loomis, and Laurie was entertaining and, of course, the kills were great. The soundtrack is top notch and transcends the test of time. By the end of the movie, I was happy to now say that I have seen this and the unfortunate Rob Zombie remake/reboot...instead of just the Zombie retelling.

Once I was done with the 1978 movie, I skipped over to 2018's Halloween with Jamie Lee Curtis reprising her role as an even more badass, mature Laurie, determined to end Michael's years of mayhem. Judging from the previews, I thought it had a lot of promise and it convinced me to take the time out to watch the original movie that started it all. For the most part, I enjoyed it, but the relationship with Laurie and Michael was obviously the more entertaining parts of the movie.

In the end, I don't think I missed anything by not watching the 1978 classic as I've seen so many memorable clips from various countdowns and commentaries over the years. At the same time, I don't regret watching either of these movies either. I enjoyed them, but I don't see myself watching them again like most horror fans. I'm also happy I didn't waste my time with the 8 other entries in the franchise. I'm sure there's some good sequels in there, but I'm not that enthusiastic about finding out which ones are the quality ones, unless someone requests me to. 

Rating: 3.5/5


Starring: Betsy Palmer, Adrienne King, Jeannine Taylor
Directed by: Sean S. Cunningham
Language: English
Rating: R
Running Time: 1 hr 35 mins

A group of camp counselors are stalked and murdered by an unknown assailant while trying to reopen a summer camp which was the site of a child's drowning and a grisly double murder years before. [Source: IMDb]



Unlike Halloween, I did not see the 2009 reboot first and was mostly going off of comments I picked up from friends, media, and Scream. I knew the jest of what was gonna happen, the twist at the end, and the message discouraging pre-marital sex among horny teenagers. My "relationship" with Jason was a little less favorable than Michael as I first experienced his brute strength and swift stealth like moves in Freddy vs. Jason.

Watching this movie, I wasn't surprised with what I saw, but if I take out all my movie watching experience, I can easily tell why this film has been enjoyable for horror fans for decades. Unfortunately, this wasn't enough for me to join the Jason bandwagon. #teamfreddy I thought the killer reveal was a nice touch and something different for its time. I also acknowledge the "was that a dream or not" ending left a lasting impression. In short, it was entertaining for me, but if I had to compare the two, Halloween did a lot more cinematically in my opinion. Of course, neither movies are bad, just not my cup of tea.

As for the extra entry in this franchise, I made an attempt to watch all the installments my former co-worker recommended, but...I only ended up watching the second entry. I had full intention of checking out the third movie, but concluded that I didn't want to waste my time with my continued neutral feelings towards a franchise. Yes, it was nice to see Jason Vorhees in action in Friday the 13th Part 2, but wow~ was it campy! No pun intended. Jason really is a mama's boy and it really shows in that third act. The kills were entertaining and I commend Jason's commitment to the cause of slaughtering horny teens, but he couldn't keep my interest enough to trek through a few more movies in his catalog. Once again, I would only move forward if someone requested me to.

Rating: 2.5/5

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Seriously!? Review: Hellraiser & Alien

I've been wanting to do this type of review ever since my co-workers kept picking on me about never seeing these 2 movies I'm about to review. I was already going through my own list of movies I've never seen, so...here we are! I'm slowly going through a list of my own and some I've found online of movies I've never seen that supposedly most have. This could range from classics, influential movies, certain directors or actors I enjoy, or even popular movies I've neglected. Think of "Tamara's Never Seen". I actually wanted to call this new addition "Miko's Never Seen", until I found (and later subscribed) to her YouTube series. So, that's part of the delay of putting this review together. If you've seen any of these movies, please leave a comment below on your thoughts!



Starring: Andrew Robinson, Clare Higgins, Ashley Laurence
Directed by: Clive Barker
Language: English
Rating: R
Running Time: 1 hr 34 mins
Since I already mentioned that I've been criticized for not seeing these two films, especially being a film major or a horror fan, I have my reasons for not seeing them for all this time. I'll probably reiterate this reason in future posts, but a lot of the time I'm simply not interested in seeing it...or they're just really low on my priority watch list. Hellraiser is one that I kinda wanted to see at some point, but was in no rush to jump right into it.


When Kirsty's father, Larry, and stepmother, Julia, move into Larry's childhood home, Kirsty and her boyfriend take a room nearby. Unfortunately for all involved, Larry's house is already occupied: before the family's arrival, Larry's disreputable brother, Frank, used a supernatural puzzle box to summon a gang of other-dimensional demon sadists. Now, Frank requires a series of blood sacrifices to escape the clutches of Pinhead and the cenobites. [source: mrosesteed on IMDb]

Going into this movie, I knew about the iconic Pinhead, the cenobites, the puzzle box, and the body horror elements. Body horror movies are a bit of a hit or miss for me. I don't think I've actively sought them out. Other than what I mentioned, there wasn't much I knew about this movie going into it. Some positives I can say about this movie is that it kept my interest with its story and the practical effects were really impressive for its time. Honestly, I think it still holds up to today's standards. Occasionally, the gore teetered on the edge of being too much for me. Personally, I'm more into psychological horror, but some blood and gore here and there is fine, but too much of it can be unappealing. On the other hand, there were moments I had a hard time connecting to the characters and wanting them to survive. I also had a bit of difficulty understanding the whole mythos of the cenobites and the puzzle box. Perhaps I need to rewatch the movie or look into some commentary to understand it all. Overall, I did enjoy it and will be checking out another entry in the franchise.

Rating: 3/5


Starring: Sigourney Weaver, Tom Skerritt, John Hurt
Directed by: Ridley Scott
Language: English
Rating: R
Running Time: 1 hr 56 mins
When it comes to Alien, I've never been super interested in seeing it. No hate or anything. Much like the body horror genre, sci-fi is another genre that I'm selective about. To get the "judges" off me, I decided to get this one out the way too.


In the distant future, the crew of the commercial spaceship Nostromo are on their way home when they pick up a distress call from a distant moon. The crew are under obligation to investigate and the spaceship descends on the moon afterwards. After a rough landing, three crew members leave the spaceship to explore the area on the moon. At the same time as they discover a hive colony of some unknown creature, the ship's computer deciphers the message to be a warning, not a distress call. When one of the eggs is disturbed, the crew realizes that they are not alone on the spaceship and they must deal with the consequences. [Source: blazesnakes9 on IMDb]

Before anyone assumes that I hated this movie, I didn't. I really didn't. I thought it was enjoyable and, much like Hellraiser, I understand its impact on cinema and their evolution in their respective genres. Once again, I thought the story and characters were interesting. The suspense and pacing was very well done, although some scenes impact were slightly lessen from being exposed to certain iconic scenes many times over the years. Ripley is an amazing female character and I understand why she is such a legendary character for a lot of women. Once again, I was impressed with the practical effects and that they also hold up. So, negatives, hm...I guess there were some moments I tuned out. Am I going to watch more entries? Probably not. I've heard some mixed reviews, beyond Aliens, and it still doesn't interest me. Nonetheless, I'm happy I saw both of these movies and I can't wait to share more reviews in this category.


Rating: 3/5

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