Alex has seen Unwelcome at the cinema and On The Line on Amazon Prime Video this week, and also tells us what's next on his movie agenda.
It's been another fairly tardy week for me on the film front. I blame our recent house move, which has been pretty smooth, aside from our oven cutting off the electrics every time I switch it on.
I did manage to fit one cinema trip in, and watched a genuinely strange movie in the form of Unwelcome. A couple who are brutally attacked in their own home in London get the chance to escape when they inherit a property in rural Ireland. All seems idyllic and like a Guinness commercial, or perhaps an episode of Father Ted, until the twist...they have to leave raw liver at the bottom of the garden every night as an 'offering' to the little people.
It turns out there are small creatures living in the woods, and if they are left hungry, this is not a good move at all. You can't just go to the pub for a pint and realise halfway through that you've not left the offering (as happens in the film!). There will be consequences. Bad ones.
When a family of dodgy builders are brought in to do some repair work to the property, this is when things really start to kick off. The film works better before you see the little people ('Red Caps'), as they are not really very scary at all. The uneasy blend of horror and comedy teeters on the edge of working, but the whole shebang was just a bit plain odd, and quite forgettable to boot. As the lights came on, a couple of ladies exclaimed loudly 'well there's 90 minutes of my life I won't be getting back'. It's a fair point.
Meanwhile, new on Amazon Prime are another Jennifer Lopez wedding movie, but this time involving pirates taking the guests hostage. I've got that earmarked to watch at the weekend, as I do love a good J-Lo wedding film! Marry Me was schmaltzy nonsense in the best possible way last year, whilst Hustlers back in 2019 was genuinely really good. I remember being startled though when an elderly bloke in the cinema nodded off just as Lopez started dancing around her pole. A strange time for a siesta.
Mel Gibson has also resurfaced this week with On The Line. He plays late night radio host Elvis Cooney, described as "the guy who's got it all". Until a caller to his Midnight show decides to pay his family a visit, and document the whole thing live on the air. Aside from the ridiculous elements (which radio station has a manned reception desk these days, let alone at night?!) and a rather corny script at times, it was oddly enjoyable. I know Gibson is not universally popular these days (What Women Want seems like a lifetime ago!), but I liked this one. Even the numerous plot twists in the last 20 minutes. It's a palatable midweek sofa selection, if nothing else.
I'm hoping to catch Glass Onion and Pale Blue Eye on Netflix this weekend, along with Puss In Boots. Happy film watching!
