INCOMING (2024)

Written & Directed By Dave Chernin & John Chernin

Cinematography: Ricardo Diaz

Editor: Josh Crockett and Elizabeth Praino

Cast: Mason Thames, Ali Gallo, Isabella Ferreira, Thomas Barbusca, Kaitlin Olson, Bobby Cannavale, Raphael Alejandro, Ramon Reed, Bardia Seiri, Scott Macarthur, Victoria Moroles, Loran Gray

Four freshmen navigate the terrors of adolescence at their first-ever high school party.


This is a raunchy teenage comedy that feels like it is more made for teenagers of today, but in its own strange way, it still has a kind of innocence to it.

It will feel familiar for those who have seen plenty of team coming-of-age comedies, but it feels like it belongs more to this next generation as a kind of passing along the lines.

It’s raunchy in language, but it never quite feels exploited of strange and it just feels like a generally fun time and offers to teach lessons and its own rough way.

It is mostly all talk, plenty of action, but very little play and luckily no sex scenes. It stays pretty woke and equilateral though there is a surprisingly little bit of nudity that seems to come out of nowhere and is shocking, but that is as raunchy as the film gets other than language and a brief surprising sex scene out of nowhere. 

That proves at certain points that the movie is more for shock and giggles.

The adult cast here is mainly the big names and full of pros with Kaitlyn Olsen and Bobby Cavale, who plays more of a comedic supporting character that he seems to be getting expertise. This at least seems to have somewhat of a conscience, and it’s just more lonely than anything. 

Even though for all of its juvenile humor, this film can be quite charming and keeps an innocence about itself that stays not only entertaining but interesting throughout and truly tries to push the envelope at times, but never as far as one would expect or put it truly over the top.

No, the storylines and character motivations will feel familiar as it feels like a mashup of different teen movies. I’ll put in one, but luckily, it’s not a spoof or parody of those films. 

Though with the Netflix sheen. It comes across at times as trying to fill a niche for an audience or making it feel so businesslike rather than with a heart. 

All in all the film is a good time.

Grade: B-

TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE (2022)

Directed By: David Blue Garcia
Written By: Chris Thomas Devlin 
Story By: Fede Alvarez & Rodo Sayagues
Based on characters created by: Ken Henkel & Tobe Hooper
Cinematography: Ricardo Diaz 
Editor: Christopher S. Capp

Cast: Sarah Yarkin, Elsie Fisher, Jacob Latimore, Mark Burnham, Alice Krige, Moe Dunford, Olwen Fouere, Jessica Allain, Neil Hudson

After 48 years of hiding, Leatherface returns to terrorize a group of idealistic young friends who accidentally disrupt his carefully shielded world in a remote Texas town.


It does live up to its title and as long as you are in the mood not to think and just want violence with little reason or build up.

It’s Meant to be a direct sequel to the original film. It doesn’t even work on that level. While bringing back some aspects and characters of the original film but not as much or with real Meaning but more symbolic.

I have followed this franchise since the beginning as the original first film is one of my all-time favorites horror films. The first sequel has been the only one close to satisfying since. As each following sequel has had their strength but has shown more weakness than anything and this sequel is by far one of the more disappointing. As even the films before at least tried for Some originality or tried to bring something new to the table. Even if just a stylistic vision. This offers next to nothing new in fact it could easily be a stand-alone horror film, not one attached to any particular franchise. 

This film is just ugly and I say this as a fan of some of the previous films. Even the last one which was a prequel at least offered some inventiveness along the way. To keep you invested. 

This is updated &  by the numbers but really even though a reboot could have been any horror film that just offers up something more excessive. Not to mention a built-in history and knowledge of the monster that lies at the heart of the tale. 

As most of the characters are disposable. They are dispatched before we really get to know them we are told their source is nothing to really make us care other than the decency of not wanting another human being to perish.

This seems like a slasher movie made more for an audience who wants to see violence and asks little of reason or correlation for it.

Not to mention throw in some next-generation women and diverse characters to set up to be slaughtered in an entertaining fashion In which it is made to mroe look more like revenge or an audience fantasy. A kind of stick it to those who really annoying in society.  As their best defense is to just film him And somehow throw in school shootings. So it saws through so-called wokeness. 

The director and script Seem more invested in kills and laying on gore than being inventive in any other way. There are a few impressive shots thrown in but by the time you see them you are already in the middle of a mess. 

What truly is mysterious is that these sequels have a wealth of material as well as the franchise has plenty of resources to be used and it seems other than the main. Characters that whenever a new film comes forth seem to be disconnected from one another. Trying to do something different that seems more random than anything. 

This film is not like any of the other films. Just because it’s different, doesn’t make it bearable. Where actually it felt typical of more modern horror films. The last film which tried to add lore and a mystery or guessing game to the formula seemed like it was trying. This film seemed more designed or planned than any other. Just as the more modern reboots. 

It’s not a film that would seem rewarding to even be seen in theaters. 

Grade: F