Cocaine Bear – Film Review

Any movie with a title like Cocaine Bear is expected to be insane. What is insane is the story that inspired Elizabeth Banks’ horror-comedy. In September of 1985, a drug smuggler named Andrew C. Thornton III dropped a load of cocaine from a plane into the wilderness, as a way to lighten the load of the plane he was in, and ended up flying out, only for his parachute to fail, causing his death. What happened next was stranger than fiction, as four months later, a 175-lb black bear was found dead in the wilderness with its insides discovered to have been filled with the cocaine that fell from the plane. The bear ended up stuffed and dubbed “Cocaine Bear” or “Pablo Eskobear”, named cleverly after notorious drug lord Pablo Escobar. Someone must have thought that this story would have made for a good movie idea, only instead of the bear up-and-dying, it became a monster on a coked-up rampage in a horror movie. Of course, a straight horror idea would not be taken this seriously, so why not make it a comedy, and have Elizabeth Banks direct it?

‘Happy Death Day’ Film Review

Grade: B

‘Happy Death Day’ knows it is just another copy of the 1993 comedy classic ‘Groundhog Day’; in which Bill Murray plays a selfish weatherman named Phil Connors, who finds himself reliving the same day over and over until he changes his ways, but not before finding love in Andie MacDowell’s Rita Hanson. It is especially reminiscent of the movie so much to where it cannot help but reference it in one scene. Our heroine, Tree Gilbman (Jessica Rothe) could even be a younger and sassy Connors if he were a sorority girl on the cusp of depression. I could swear ‘Happy Death Day’ is essentially a remake of the classic, but disguised as a slasher flick blended with a satirical college comedy. The story is nearly the same; protagonist is rude and discovers he/she is in a loop, reminds potential love interest (played here by Israel Broussard) of events noticed previously, becomes a better person, time loop ends and protagonist lives to see another day. However, the one ingredient that adds flavor to this birthday cake is a killer in a sweater and baby mask, and a mystery that needs to be solved.

‘Get Out’ Film Review

Grade: B

A horror movie directed by Jordan Peele about the twisted side of racism should play as a ‘Key and Peele’ sketch made for Youtube. But nope! This was actually released in theaters almost a year after ‘Keanu’ (a ‘Key and Peele’ movie) was released. Whereas, Peele went in front of the camera to give the performance of his life with his comic partner Keegan-Michael Key in ‘Keanu’, here in ‘Get Out’, there is no trace of Peele to be seen. Instead, he is working behind the camera (and writing) to bring us a twist on the usual horror comedy trope and anxiety about meeting your girlfriend’s parents. Alfred Hitchcock may be the master of suspense, but with Jordan Peele’s masterful work behind the camera, he might just bring a new kind of horror to modern audiences.