This blog began life in the summer of 2022, so I would like
to thank you all for reading my little essays on what I’ve been watching and
hopefully you have discovered some new gems from what I have been blogging about..
For the last entry of the year, I wanted to do a little “review
of the year” but I didn’t want to just repost things that have already been
blogged about. So here we go with a brief mention of some of the movies and
programmes from 2022 that haven’t been covered so far, but did catch my attention for good or bad. Read on to find out!
GHOSTS (US) – I adore the BBC comedy from the Horrible Histories team, but this is the American adaptation of the BBC1 sitcom
about ghosts occupying a decaying property that has been inherited by a young
woman and her partner. She has a fall and finds she can see and communicate
with the ghosts haunting the property. The BBC1 version has run for 4 seasons so far,
and the same team are behind the US version. Sometimes, the British sense of
humour gets lost in the translation, but credit where it’s due, the US version
of Ghosts is a rare example of where it works. Once the viewer gets past the
similarities, GHOSTS US takes on its own identity and is all the better for it.
Season 1 is currently streaming on BBC Iplayer. Each episode runs for just over
20 minutes (with adverts that’s a full half hour in the states) so they are in
easily digestible chunks.
SMILE – not based on the Dr Who episode of the same name,
this horror movie has similarities to the indy-horror “It Follows”, in that the
horror can be anyone, anywhere. A doctor witnesses a traumatic moment for a
patient and begins to see people smiling and death following soonafter. Whereas
It Follows is a thrill-ride on a low-budget, Smile begins to lose the plot
very quickly resulting in a dull movie, where it could have been tighter and possibly
shorter, allowing for a genuinely frightening movie. Sadly, this feels like a
missed opportunity. I say this as it was one of the few movies I was really looking
forward to this year! Available to rent from major online retailers.
TROLL – Not a remake of the 80s horror flick with a character
called Harry Potter (it’s true, look it up). Imagine a Godzilla movie but set
in Norway. This is it. A ridiculous plot but with some great special effects
and a genuinely fun approach, I thoroughly enjoyed this romp. A large-scale
disaster movie, just set somewhere other than the USA. I wasn’t sure what to
expect from this one, but I certainly wasn’t disappointed. Running on just the
right side of an almost parody of American action movies, this one gets a
thumbs up from me. Available to stream on Netflix.
PREY – dropping on Disney+, this took me completely by
surprise as a new entry in the “Predator” franchise. With repeated outings for
the alien hunters running out of ideas and credibility, this one takes place in
Earths past and with a hard-as-nails female protagonist, this movie is a great yet stripped back entry for the franchise and allows us to see what can happen when
a civilisation armed only with spears comes up against the intergalactic
terrors. Available to stream on Disney+
STAR TREK – STRANGE NEW WORLDS – Yes, I posted a whole entry
about one episode of the serials inaugural season, but the pre-Captain Kirk and
“Discovery” spin-off is one of the true success stories of 2022. Unshackled from
Discovery’s season-spanning epic adventures, this allows for a return to the days of
“adventure of the week”. At only 10 episodes long, it goes by very quickly, but
it’s a fun return to the days of weekly sci-fi and with a talented cast and
great writing, it’s one of the best things on TV this year. Available to stream
on Paramount+ and is due for release on DVD/Blu Ray in 2023.
Of course, there have been LOADS more. Highlights include the movies Bros, Everything Everywhere All At Once, The Adam Project, Spiderhead and Knives out sequel Glass Onion, and serials like 1899, All Of Us Are Dead, Obi Wan Kenobi, Peacemaker and so on but I won’t write about these here. They may receive their own entries as 2023 goes on.
As I sign off 2022 with this final entry of the year, I would like to wish you all a very happy new year and hope you'll drop in on this blog again in 2023!
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