​February went by so fast I sped through most of March before slowing down. Pausing to catch a breath, seems time to compile another round up of releases. Although fiction remains in production not much has made it to print. That said, past pieces found in anthologies such as Dead Letters, Thicker than Water, and No Trouble at All are still readily available for purchase. As for other writings, the film work dominates a lot of my attention, though I’ve nothing to complain about for the most part. So, let’s dive into the pile. 

The month kicked off with a Romancing the Stone knock-off called Argyle. I’ve never been so disappointed by a film. It should not only top many lists for the worst movie of 2024, and I think there’s a fair case for making Argyle one of the worst films ever made. Without hyperbole, I honestly felt physical pain watching portions of this picture. Worse, it’s not even comedically bad. Argyle is simply awful, but I will say that gave me fuel for a few choice sentences because at least the review should be entertaining.

Argylle Is Atrocious | Film Obsessive

Not long after, I got the privilege of interviewing a wonderful individual by the name of Nic Novicki. He’s a standup comedian, actor, writer, director, and we discussed the Easterseals Disability Film Challenge. This is a project he founded over a decade ago that involves giving filmmaking opportunities to differently abled individuals. Nic himself is a little person and well aware of how people with disabilities don’t often get a fair shot in Hollywood, he conceived the Disability Film Challenge.

The article has more details about the challenge itself. Suffice it to say, it’s a marvelous opportunity that’s more of a hand up than a handout. The video interview is also illuminating thanks to Nic. He’s been answering questions about it for so long he has a ready set of responses that’re concise, engaging, and informative. 

Nic Novicki Talks about the Easterseals Disability Film Challenge | Film Obsessive

Diving back into films I scored screeners for two horror flicks. I always like getting the indie fright films. Although there’s a high probability they won’t be good, the chance they might be means having an opportunity to tell others about a film they might not otherwise discover. To that end, I mostly enjoyed Gods of the Deep.

This horror movie wears its Lovecraftian influences loud and proud. Embracing a low budget, the script actually finds some smart workarounds to keep the film compelling. In many ways, I think a few clever alterations could turn Gods of the Deep into a captivating audio drama. As a film, though, it’s mostly for fans of Lovecraft stories. The ways in which it falls apart towards the end make the movie a bit ridiculous, yet it could also mean Gods of the Deep is ideal for a beer and a pizza movie night with friends.

​Gods of the Deep Lacks Depth | Film Obsessive

After that I watched something called There is a Monster. This is one of those instances where a solid idea falls apart because of the low budget. Instead of finding ways to shoot around the limitations, the filmmakers plowed forward. Consequently, terrible effects undermine a potentially powerful story. In addition, the point of the narrative is so obvious it begins to hammer viewers over the head. 

There is a Monster Yet No Terror | Film Obsessive

Around then I took a break from horror to visit an indie film called Bleeding Love. It stars Ewan McGregor and his daughter Clara. The story is old hat, especially by indie standards. In many ways this movie felt like a demo reel for Clara McGregor’s next audition. Still, I’m sure some angsty teens living sheltered lives in suburbia would absorb this as if gaining insight into something safely grim. That isn’t to say Bleeding Love is a bad movie, but it does nothing remarkable enough to make it stand out. 

Bleeding Love Is Nothing New | Film Obsessive

Time for another retrospective, I penned a piece about Mystery, Alaska. This hockey picture came out in 1999. Originally, I intended to do an article about how few hockey films there are. However, I quickly discovered way more than I imagined. There’s even a John Wayne movie where he plays a hockey star coming back to the game in order to make money for his chicken farm – Idol of the Crowds (1937). With my primary thesis proven wrong, I pivoted to simply exploring the film as is, a lighthearted drama containing a couple of laughs. That led me to the realization sports films are rarely about their sports. The games within become metaphorical tools for examining life. More than anything, Mystery, Alaska is the kind of flick we don’t see too often. And it faded from public consciousness so quickly back in 1999, I liked the idea of reminding people this lovely little village comedy exists.

​On a side note, trying not to spend money I don’t have, I tried to watch the movie online for free. However, the site I found it on turned out to be a Russian dubbed version, edited for time. This chopped up rendition actually amused me for a bit because I did rent the full flick from Amazon, but jumping between the two I noticed strange cuts. A lot of the traveling shots, characters motoring around town on snowmobiles, I get why those got sliced out. Yet, there’re these abrupt jumps between scenes that made me wonder how tight are the time constraints on Russian television? One millisecond over your allotted time and they make you drink Putin’s polonium tea.

Revisiting Mystery, Alaska: Where Hockey is All | Film Obsessive

Dune 2 finally arrived in theaters. I was fortunate enough to get a chance to review the next chapter in Denis Villeneuve’s epic space opera. Initially, the assignment slated me as a backup. Fortunately, free space in my schedule allowed me to see the film at a press screener ahead of the other reviewers at Film Obsessive. As such, editors decided to go with my review.

I found the film to be fabulous. However, I understand some complaints about the picture. The movie tends to blow through its main themes with a hurried bullet point delivery rather than an in-depth exploration. As far as I’m concerned, a melodramatic space opera can be forgiven for such things. Others disagree, but I cannot imagine we aren’t on the same page that Dune 2 looks absolutely amazing. Whatever complaints one has about the narrative, the movie is a stellar visual achievement.

Dune: Part 2 Delivers | Film Obsessive

February closed with a final horror film, The Omicron Killer. This movie is straight up garbage. I think it wants to be comedic, but the efforts are piss poor. Even when clever the horror and gore get repetitive to the point of dull. I hoped it might be good-bad, but such expectations died a quick death. I tried to be respectful of the filmmakers because I do think they made an honest effort. Still, the review has some sweet fiery lines burning this picture down.

The Omicron Killer Is No Lethal Variant | Film Obsessive

And that pretty much summarizes February. The only thing left to report is that the next Beerfinger album is roughly two songs from completion. Most of the tracks have been mastered. Doing so made me realize one tune needed adjusting; however, that quickly led to the fact the song wouldn’t work as is. Attempting to modify the music produced an entirely different tune. But things are progressing faster than I expected. Lessens is just around the corner so stay tuned. 

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire is ideal for fans of the franchise. Anyone outside that circle, however, may not be as forgiving. Though the film features several solid moments, it juggles a Koosh ball of plot threads. Despite ample comedic moments throughout, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire never solidifies into a tight narrative. In many ways, it feels like a sketch show more concerned with fan service, nostalgia bait, and world building than telling a story.

​Events take place a few years following Ghostbusters: Afterlife. The Spengler family is now settled in New York, taking up residence in the old familiar firehouse, and fervently keeping ghostbusting alive. Aided in that endeavor is the generous assistance, fiscal and informational, of founding members --- Winston, Ray, and Venkman. Bureaucratic nemesis Walter Pecker, now mayor of the city, is looking for any excuse to shutdown the operation, and simply doing their job is unfortunately offering reason enough. However, an ancient evil is rising that threatens the world. With the apocalypse looming --- who you gonna call?

Dan Aykroyd and Kumail Nanjiani as Ray Stantz and Nadeem Razmaadi. © Sony Pictures. 

Apparently, everyone. There’s no shortage of potential protagonists in Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire. That wouldn’t be problematic if it didn’t take time away from storylines. The issue is that the cast is so bloated there’s barely time to understand why anyone is here. Peripheral characters, even those recurring from previous films, often seem tacked on with barely any purpose. Rather than cutting the cast, allowing the story to focus, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire tries to include everyone which ultimately means telling no one’s story satisfactorily.

There’s almost no reason for Finn Wolfhard to be here. Celeste O’Connor returns as Lucky Domingo in split second scenes. James Acaster plays a new character named Pinfield who feels completely superfluous. And though none of these roles are poorly performed, they serve so little purpose the characters border on drive-by cameos and whatever the Ghostbuster equivalent of red shirts might be.

​Some of this stems from the clear desire to devote time to world building. Although Afterlife spent similar screentime expanding the lore, it did so in a way that served the story it was trying to tell. Frozen Empire, however, jams in expanded content fans may find engaging, but which doesn’t do much for the story. It’s like adding a detour to what could have been a straightforward trip. As such, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire is a shotgun blast of themes. Some of which include but are not limited to joining a family as a stepparent, youth struggling to be taken seriously, and the old guard wanting to take up the cause again. Each gets little more than lip service, but they are there.

Mckenna Grace as Phoebe Spengler. © Sony Pictures.​

That said, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire does have its charms. The film is comedic throughout. Several laugh-out-loud moments abound. Paul Rudd is a delight whenever onscreen, managing to be serious yet comical however the moment demands. There are plenty of instances that will have audiences chuckling enthusiastically. Yet, if one were to complain, it would be that every character is a quick wit quip artist. Ghostbuster: Frozen Empire can get a little dull comedically with every other line of dialogue featuring a sarcastic comeback. Still, much of the humor is amusing throughout, and I doubt many will leave without a smirk.

The opening, which takes place in the past, is fabulously creepy. Often Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire walks the fine line between horror and comedy as admirably as its predecessors. When it leans into horror it provides proper chills. Some scenes are guaranteed to add nightmare fuel. It’s just a shame there aren’t more.

​One thing that doesn’t work is a lot of the nostalgia bait. Afterlife featured similar instances, but managed to use them in ways that furthered the narrative. What occurs in Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire feels like serotonin triggers distracting from the film’s flaws rather than narrative expansion. Still, fans are likely to squeal with glee when they see things like the Ecto-C. And frankly, they should.

Scene from Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire. © Sony Pictures.

Most of the movie seems like it’s made for a specific audience. In an interesting way, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire feels closer to The Real Ghostbusters animated series than the film franchise. And while that appeal is fair for devotees of the overall fictional universe, it may not translate to delight for general audiences. I suppose to put things in perspective, leaving the press screener I overheard an enthusiastic child who sounded over the moon having seen this film.

That joy is thanks in no small part to a fabulous cast. While the founding Ghostbusters return --- Ernie Hudson, Dan Aykroyd, and Bill Murray --- to do a solid job, the real stars are the newer roles. Mckenna Grace remains a lynchpin in the quality of this franchise. She delivers some of the most heartfelt moments in the movie. Kumail Nanjiani adds some charming quirkiness somewhat reminiscent of Rick Moranis, while Emily Alyn Lind provides a rarely seen friendly ghost that is relatably tragic.

However, even when well performed, some roles feel shallow. Bill Murray and Annie Potts seem like they did a day of shooting, and while I’m sure they did more, their parts border on those aforementioned drive-by cameos. Paul Rudd and Carrie Coon don’t get enough screen time to flesh out their situation, a shame considering how well they work together, and their plot potential.

Quality CGI provides some solid ghostbusting scenes. Unfortunately, none of the action carries much weight. Whatever stakes Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire builds it undercuts instantly to keep the story going without turbulence. It’s almost as if the filmmakers never want the audience to worry about the heroes.

​Director Gil Kenan does a decent job shooting the movie, but the lack of narrative tension keeps it from feeling compelling. Though a bit of horror and high-quality comedy occur throughout, the ultimate plot line is a mess that ends unsatisfactorily. Although fans may delight; Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire is, at best, a single viewing worth streaming once --- entertaining but no need to see in theaters.