Divide and Conquer

 SPLIT (2016)

Reviewed by Jerry Saravia

I applaud M. Night Shyamalan for attempting a complex psychological thriller and I'd say that "Split" is among his better efforts. Despite my recommendation, the film is far too uneven and exploits schizophrenia and alternate personalities with a slightly ham-fisted approach. I do not expect a realistic film about alternates and dissociative identity disorder in an alleged horror film environment that incorporates shades of the slasher film variety. I do expect to witness these personalities and whatever traits they share individually but "Split" is meant to scare, to shock and to terrify only. It does succeed at all three.

Three young women are kidnapped in Philadelphia by a meek-looking man with 23 personalities! He keeps the women locked up in a sealed room in an underground tunnel where escape is futile. The crazy lunatic (okay, he's crazy though that is not a medical term) is either named Barry, Dennis or Patricia! One is a studious looking intellectual type, the other is an 8-year-old child and, of course, one is a woman. The alters appear on different days and confront the terrified girls with either calmness, rage or simply wanting to hang out and listen to Kanye West on his stereo! The young women include the introverted Anya Taylor Joy as Casey who tries to reason with this probable serial killer, and we also got Haley Lu Richardson and Jessica Sula though they are not given much to do other than embrace each other, prepare for the worst by trying to break free and run down endless underground tunnels. Casey is the one with potent flashbacks to her less-than-savory uncle which begs the questions - why not just have Casey as the girl protagonist against this DID man whose 24th personality is something less than human and is about to pounce at any moment? This might have made room for introspection and more insights into how his mind works and into Casey's own difficult traumatic background. It is hinted that the man with 24 faces might have had trauma as well. 

James McAvoy is a threatening presence with his eyes evoking malice even when he or she is calm. It is a transformative, perplexing and downright creepy performance that should have warranted an Oscar nomination. Not even Ed Norton from "Primal Fear" could convey such lucidity and sense of impending dread as McAvoy does here. He's the main reason to see "Split" and gives the film immense power. Anya Taylor-Joy is an electrifying presence and her last few scenes showcase her own internal wounds. I shan't omit Betty Buckley as the therapist, Dr. Fletcher, who sees something unique and disturbing about her multiple personality patient.  

"Split" is not perfectly realized when it comes to McAvoy's alters nor is it an unnerving display of directorial magic from Shyamalan. Having said that, the Nightman has created a strong, almost unforgettable entry in his rather uneven filmmaking oeuvre. The psychology might be muted and a tad exploitative, but the thrills and suspense are not.  

Reality comes crashing down on your memories

 TOTAL RECALL (1990)
Reviewed by Jerry Saravia

"Total Recall" has some nifty special-effects and Arnold Schwarzenegger delivering comical punchlines and kicking ass, and naturally shooting a few people along the way. This is an adaptation of a Philip K. Dick novelette that may bring up ideas of identity and alternate reality but all of that vanishes with its elongated chase story of a would-be secret agent. Or is he?

Arnie is Douglas Quaid, a construction worker in the year 2084 who is married to Lori (Sharon Stone), "the girl of his dreams," who wishes Doug would dream of anything except Mars. Doug is obsessed and keeps watching the news about Mars involving a freedom brigade, mining operations and alien artifacts. Despite his obsession and being told by a co-worker that the fantasy travel agency where you can virtually pretend to go to Mars left someone lobotomized, well, you can't keep a man like Arnie from being less than curious. It is more than a virtual experience - they implant false memories in your brain. Something about this seems less than a fleeting fantasy where, for an extra charge, you can pretend to be a secret agent and save Mars and its people. 

There is much here that could be mined for a psychological exploration of one's psyche, identity and the implications of false memories but "Total Recall" is not that kind of movie. It is a concrete, muscular action movie with Arnie being chased by villains led by the one and only Richter (Michael Ironside) - his arched eyebrows alone could do all the killing. Also oozing some malevolence is Ronny Cox as Cohaagen, the Martian governor who could care less about the population especially when they need air to survive (Cohaagen is so evil that he knocks over a fish aquarium killing its fish). Richter is so evil that he can kill a rat impulsively. Schwarzenegger manages a couple of goofy one-liners like "You're screwed!" or "Consider that a divorce!" Some portions of the film can verge on misogyny and almost all the women, except for Stone's duplicitous Lori, are depicted as prostitutes. Nevertheless, "Total Recall" has the right atmosphere (so to speak) for the depiction of Mars plus the immense production design surrounding the vast underground spaces near an alien reactor. Of course, Schwarzenegger is a rousing action hero and, though he may not show much nuance as Quaid, he gets the job done. Nasty fun but expect only a trickling of Philip K. Dick's ideas here. 

E.T.'s have always been home

 DISCLOSURE DAY (2026)
Reviewed by Jerry Saravia

Whenever I see any recent UFO's or UAP's footage, I am less than thrilled and feel I have been conned. Everything is grainy, out-of-focus or simply a case of people who refuse to get to close to anything resembling an alien because, in a sense, it lends credibility for some and for others it just proves the visual evidence is hogwash. "Disclosure Day" sort of mimics the grainy, black-and-white and out-of-focus footage during its grand finale - I think it is suggesting that any real disclosures of alien intelligence suppressed by the government will be far more glorious, unimaginable footage than any movie can provide. There's not much in "Disclosure Day" that you haven't seen before yet there is enough here to provide intrigue and entertainment value until, well, we will see.

A young whistleblower and cybersecurity expert named Dr. Daniel Kellner (Josh O'Connor) is being chased by the secret government agency, Wardex Corporation, because he has stolen files copied to thumb drives that holds over 70 years' worth of visual proof of extra-terrestrials on this planet. He's on the run with his exhausted girlfriend, Jane (Eve Hewson), a former novitiate, and they hide in a nunnery and then some house in the middle of a rural area that surely can be pinpointed by the government in seconds. 

Meanwhile, a Kansas City meteorologist, Margaret Fairchild (Emily Blunt), with bigger aspirations to become a news anchor, has a moment live on air where she makes clicking sounds and then collapses. It is not a language anyone can understand except for Wardex and the fugitive doctor who immediately get wind of this situation - the language is extra-terrestrial. Wyatt Russell is Jackson, Margaret's boyfriend, who has no idea what is going on and is in constant disbelief over Margaret's amazing psychic abilities that have been dormant for some time. They too go on the run when Margaret realizes she has a connection to Daniel. I sensed a little throwback to Spielberg's "The Sugarland Express" here but I digress.

"Disclosure Day" is a Steven Spielberg chase picture and who else can do this like nobody's business. Spielberg and writer David Koepp allow time for some introspection and philosophies over Daniel's wanting to disclose the files online - would it cause a national discussion and interest in what the government has been hiding from us all along? And what about those who follow any religion and have faith in God, would this cause a rupture in their religious belief system that only humans exist in the universe? These are fascinating questions that are brought up but never exactly followed through. What would the existence of alien life actually do to us in our planet? Would people even care in 2026? My suspicion is, unfortunately, no. 

There are some unnerving scenes with Colin Firth as the Wardex CEO Noah Scanlon, who can telepathically communicate with Margaret and Jane thanks to an alien wand of sorts. This wand can cause him pain and turns his eyes black or turquoise blue, and Firth conveys that tension beautifully. All this is to gather information on the whereabouts of our protagonists which begs the question, what sort of alien "thingy" is this? The most unnerving and scary moment that gave me major goosebumps is when Jane is almost held in a trance and pierces her hand with a crucifix while Scanlon confronts her telepathically. 

There are some hair-raising moments including a freight train and a car (recalling Spielberg's own "Duel") that had me holding on to my seat in ways that only Spielberg can manage to. "Disclosure Day" is solidly entertaining and never feels long, always keeping one invested and interested in knowing where the eventual cosmic revelations will lead us to. I felt closer to the strenuous emotions of Margaret and Jane than I ever did to Dr. Kellner, who always seemed a little aloof and uncertain. I like the inclusion of Wyatt Russell as Jackson and he has some good comic lines of bewilderment, though he's unfairly cut out of the film midway through. This is Spielberg's more frenetic approach to his "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" and it has already raised discussions on its religious themes and whether we are getting close to a real-life alien disclosure. Perhaps. Any day now?

Mattel Movie Decides Fun is out of the question

 MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE (1987)

Painfully Endured by Jerry Saravia

Back in the 1980's, I always watched the slight, goofy He-Man cartoons with my younger brother. They were a diverting and virtually painless 30 minutes that my brother thoroughly enjoyed (my 70's equivalent would have been the animated "Super Friends"). It was wonderful to see my brother excited and amped up as a new weekly cartoon episode unraveled featuring the further adventures of He-Man and She-Ra facing the primary antagonist, Skeletor. Fun, diverting, painless. These adjectives would not describe Cannon Group's live-action 1987 adaptation of "Masters of the Universe," which landed with a severely towering thud. A movie like this should be infectious and fun and, alas, it is about as much fun as being forced to eat rotten apples - this movie looks rotten as soon as the "Superman"-like opening credits roll.

Dolph Lundgren is He-Man, who just doesn't fit snugly in the role. He is tall but not nearly as muscular as in the cartoon. Lundgren looks tired and exhausted after running around shooting robots with laser guns and holding a heavy sword at the same time. That must be exhausting! Frank Langella is Skeletor wearing a largely inanimate mask - other than his lothario voice, you would never know it was Langella which means almost anybody could have been handpicked to play the role. I will not describe the plot except that it has to do with a device that lands on Earth (along with a few of our chivalrous heroes) and some musician finds the device and thinks it is some synthesizer! Courteney Cox appears as this musician's girlfriend who lost her parents in a plane crash years back. Cox tries to bring some nugget of emotion and acquits herself, seemingly, but I can't say the same for the rest of the cast.

Purportedly based more so on the He-Man action toys than the popular 1980's TV cartoon, "Masters of the Universe" shows that Cannon productions could mishandle this franchise worse than Superman. The same summer saw "Superman IV: The Quest for Peace" which at least was funny (with worse special-effects). I'll say one thing in He-Man's rather fruitless favor - James Tolkan as an irate, straight-arrow cop brandishing a shotgun and realizing he's out of his league next to these cosmic monsters and He-Man. Charismatic Tolkan (and a DeLorean sound effect liberally borrowed from you know where) are mildly entertaining and have some heft. The rest is disposable junk.

Jedi lovers will doubly be jaded again

 THE MANDALORIAN AND GROGU (2026)

Endured by Jerry Saravia

Perhaps what made "The Mandalorian" work in most of its three seasons on the Disney+ channel was its intimacy. The Mandalorian himself was a bounty hunter modeled on Boba Fett and something of an enigmatic gunslinger in the fine tradition of the good old westerns. Once he finds a Baby Yoda (Grogu, a tiny green creature with wizened ears who can use the Force and has a propensity for eating anything within reach) and rescues him, we all Jaded Jedi lovers developed a love for this unusual buddy-buddy in the world of the vast Star Wars universe. "The Mandalorian and Grogu," a feature film extension following the first 3 seasons loses all intimacy and a sense of adventure or genuine action scenes with purpose. I hate to report that this is the first Star Wars movie in eons, in 12 parsecs maybe, that left me bored.

The movie opens with a council meeting where there are discussions on bringing back the Empire that had long vanquished. Before long, one inquisitive associate is gunned down. Mando arrives (played once again by Pedro Pascal and two other stand-ins) and laser blasts the entire council room of its Stormtrooper guards and successfully knocks down a few AT-AT's with the help of the cute-as-a-button Grogu. It is a snowy landscape a'la Hoth and Mando kills an Imperial warlord whom he was to bring in for questioning to the New Republic. Yeah, Mando bringing in someone for questioning is like asking Grogu not to use the Force. Since that incident got "messy" according to the New Republic's Colonel Ward (Sigourney Weaver), Mando is sent on another mission - to rescue Jabba the Hutt's son, Rotta (voiced by Jeremy Allen White), who is imprisoned and forced to fight gladiator-style battles with various opponents. The idea is to return the son to the Hutt crime clan who, in exchange, will spill the beans on some new members of the Empire and their dastardly plans.

Some of this could have lent itself to more dramatic confrontations and deeper character exploration about everyone's favorite masked bounty hunter. I'd also would have liked to learn more about Grogu. Worse yet is that other than some ugly monster guards that look like rejects from the Cantina Bar and a mysterious bounty hunter villain with a flat-rimmed shield over his head, there is no real villainous presence here. There's Janu Coin (Jonny Coyne), a devious warlord and Rotta's master but he is seen too fleetingly. We get endless rescue attempts and sheer repetition and monotony of action chases and shootouts. The one chase scene thru what looks like a "Blade Runner" city is quite lamely composed and thrown together with no sense of geography. Nothing that appears on screen is exciting, humane or thrilling because the characters are mere window dressing. Only Grogu shows his sweetness and dedication to his adopted father particularly towards the end when mortality looms near. 

There is a mild humorous exchange between Mando and Rotta about fitting in at the New Republic's headquarters but other than that (and Scorsese's wild animated cook character), nothing else will entertain. I never thought the day would come when I would call a "Star Wars" movie generic. Time to explore new worlds.

Quintessential Liminal Space Horror Movie

 BACKROOMS (2026)

Reviewed by Jerry Saravia

Liminal spaces in abandoned, closed-off areas are slowly becoming a subgenre of horror. Early in 2026, I saw the unsettling "Exit 8" which has liminal spaces in the form of endless subway corridors. "Backrooms" might become the quintessential liminal space horror movie, a most unsettling and unnerving movie experience. It is nightmarish, subversive and elliptical particularly as a surrealistic experience that may drive you up the wall. It has driven me up the wall and beyond.

There's a dank-looking furniture store, Cap'n Clark's Ottoman Empire, that is reducing prices though it makes little difference. The parking lot is expansive with this store existing in the middle of it, and no customers ever come by. Chiwetel Ejiofor is the store owner, Clark, and you would think that dressing up as a pirate in commercial promos would help build sales but it doesn't (the store's name could use some revision). Clark is an alcoholic, a failed architect, and he has been forced out of his home by his unseen wife - he now lives in the spacious store. Problems circulate like wildfire with Clark not being able to pay the electrical bills, barely pay his two employees, and he sees an attentive therapist, Mary Klein (Renate Reinsve), who can aid Clark though she may not admit what his real problems are. Electricity malfunctions with lights going on and off at odd times in the store. Eventually, Clark notices something odd in the basement wall and finds he can walk through it to endless backrooms. One has furniture and a TV set in the middle of one room, leading to a dead bird, and more backrooms where chairs are embedded on ceilings and floors. There is also a surveillance camera and a couple of cardboard cutouts of people. What in creation is going on here? Is this another world created by aliens? (Perish that thought). Are these rooms part of other unfinished stores? (Perish that thought as well). Or is this all in Clark's mind, a gradual symptom of his alcoholism? (You can strike and perish that from the record as well). 

"Backrooms" is not just content with Clark's vivid perceptions but also with Mary's perceptions as well. She came from an unhappy childhood home where her agoraphobic mother sealed the windows with newspaper clippings and blocked their entrance door with furniture, afraid they will come for them if they are seen. The home is eventually demolished and, in a metaphorical sense, so is Clark's. These two eventually find themselves in these infinitely creepy backrooms because memories linger, for better or worse, and they become visual representations embedded in their own past. Not to mention that the destruction of a home or even other places long remembered by some also become represented in these backrooms. Maybe, maybe not.

20-year-old Kane Parsons has astonishingly directed "Backrooms," his first feature based on a Youtube web series which I must check out. There are no easy answers in what is the film equivalent of Salvador Dali surrealism crossed with Picasso's Cubist ideas poured in rather thickly. It is a mesh of visions that can startle, fascinate and deliberately question what you see on screen. A staircase leading to a door on a ceiling in the middle of dozens of rooms without partitions is one of the more notable examples of a Daliesque moment. Three characters existing in this vacuum with deformed, fragmented faces (they are Still Lifes that definitely echo Picasso) stand by idly. Silence pervades with echoes of music heard somewhere in the distance while everything is lit with fluorescent bulbs. All this would be striking in its own way yet the inclusion of Ejiofor's anxious Clark and Reinsve's subdued Mary is the icing on the creepypasta cake. Forewarning: if you suffer from anxiety, do not watch this movie.