'Zodiac Killer Project' A Review

Zodiac Killer Project is a meta-documentary about the failed adaptation of The Zodiac Killer Cover-Up: The Silenced Badge by director Charlie Shackleton. Shackleton narrates over b-roll footage, describing the film he intended to make until it fell through and ruminates on the True Crime genre, occasionally cutting to popular features or series to elucidate certain troupes.

Visually the film is simple and meditative, the California b-roll, which may be location scouting footage, is mostly static, the only movement being slow pans and zooms, it's effective to a point but certainly strains attention at feature length. The big issue isn't that the film is experimental in form and content but just that that content, the point of it all, isn't particularly complex. Shackleton criticizes True Crime filmmaking troupes and practices and in the same breath how he couldn't wait to deploy them. He talks about the explosion of True Crime's popularity with a certain amount of distain but is clearly an avid watcher. He expresses frustration about not getting to make his project simply because it would have been watched by a lot of people.

Ultimately the film, Shackleton, has no real insight to offer- he tried to make a film, couldn't, and made this as a substitute- that's it. He feints at broader analysis of True Crime both as a product and the culture's fascination with it but never follows through. However, the way he breaks down imagery and discusses the lexicon of film in conveying information is engaging, the film he describes sounds like the kind of HBO or Netflix project that people would watch, there's a certain appeal to the simplicity and cleanness of the images, but taken together it's all a bit underbaked.

Interesting as an experiment but ultimately incomplete, feels like what it is- the scraps from a bigger, fuller idea.

Currently in theaters.

Stream It.

'Five Nights At Freddy's 2' A Review

Five Nights At Freddy's 2 is a horror sequel to 2023's Five Nights At Freddy's based on the video game series. The movie opens on a flashback to 1982 on a different Freddy's location from the original where an isolated girl Charlotte sees owner and serial killer William(Matthew Lillard) kidnapping a little boy, in attempting to rescue him she is killed and her ghost is trapped. Twenty years later Mike(Josh Hutcherson), his sister Abby(Piper Rubio), and their friend Vanessa(Elizabeth Lail) struggle to adjust in the wake of the events of the first movie when Charlotte's malevolent spirit reaches out to interfere.

Hutcherson, Rubio, and Lail are all great and committed and serve as the grounding point for all the absurdity and violence and give those things emotional stakes making it fun, entertaining, and if not believable exactly than at least plausible. Lillard isn't in it as much as the previous movie but he's got one great, terrifying dream sequence. The supporting cast is all solid and there's one piece of really inspired casting with Skeet Ulrich as Charlotte's dad, a cool bit of resonance with Lillard calling back their Scream villains.

Visually the movie sticks to its roots, focuses mostly on practical effects and coherent tactile action, there's minimal CG and what there is is integrated smoothly and effectively. With a bigger budget they're able to use more locations and the flagship Freddy's location is expanded allowing more animatronics, more elaborate kills, and more visual flare. The soundtrack is catchy and fun, if there's a flaw it's that the plot is a bit convoluted and it ends on a cliffhanger(presumably setting up a third in the series). Still, it's fun, funny, well paced, and above all entertains.

A solid B-movie horror sequel, great counter programing to the season's Oscar hopeful glut.

Currently in theaters, coming soon to Peacock.

Rent It.

Life on life's terms

I don't understand
the fear of death

I don't wish it

or welcome it

I relish each day's

pleasures

I'm grateful

for each day's

challenges

I accept

my responsibilities

with an open

and eager heart

most days

I am filled

with love

but

when it's time to go

whether tomorrow

or in 50 years

I will be ready to depart