REview: The Eternaut (2025) | Close Encounters of Another Kind

If you’re a movie fan, alien invasion movies are not only fairly common, they’re fairly repetitive thematically speaking. Which is to say that the aliens turn up, humanity puts aside their various differences, and the aliens are repelled. The thing is this is not a fairly common template, it’s the version of such things Hollywood exports all over the world.

http://screenphiles.com/2025/05/06/review-the-eternaut-2025-close-encounters-of-another-kind/

There’s been a lot of carping on Netflix’s #TheElectricState production budget and it’s certainly expensive (and looks it) BUT overall it’s pretty entertaining. Easily one of the best movies produced by the streamer.

#netflix #streaming #scifi

Shooting With a Virtual Green Screen

I recently did a REview of M. Night Shyamalan’s Trap – it’s not a great movie – but the making of that video was the first time I worked with a virtual green screen on a longer-length video (I use it regularly on shorter ones). The experience was informative and something I intend to use again, so I wanted to write briefly about what I learned.

http://screenphiles.com/2025/03/14/shooting-with-a-virtual-green-screen/

REview: The Monkey (2025) | A (Very) Bloody Good Time

I have to admit that when I learned that Osgood Perkins (I Am The Pretty Thing That Lives In The House, Longlegs) was working with James Wan on a Stephen King adaptation, I wasn’t optimistic. After all, Wan is at best uneven as a director/producer while I’d argue that there are more mediocre to bad Stephen King adaptations than solid ones.

http://screenphiles.com/2025/02/17/review-the-monkey-2025-a-very-bloody-good-time/

Trailer Into Reaction – Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025) | Official Teaser Trailer

I remember growing up wishing that Marvel Studios had control of the properties they 'leased' to other studios during their bankruptcy, like Spider-Man, the X-Men and the Fantastic Four. Well, 2.5 out of three ain't bad because with Disney's purchase of the theatrical assets in 2019 they officially regained possession of the X-Men and Fantastic Four. And while Sony Pictures still owns…

http://screenphiles.com/2025/02/04/trailer-into-reaction-fantastic-four-first-steps-2025-official-teaser-trailer/

REview: Oddity (2024) | An (Almost) Perfect Beast

Damian McCarthy’s Oddity is by my reckoning the best movie horror movie I’ve seen in 2025 (it was released toward the end of the prior year) not because it’s perfect – though it’s pretty damn close – but because it does so much right. By which I mean the movie introduces numerous things at the beginning of the movie that it pays off before the credits roll.

http://screenphiles.com/2025/01/27/review-oddity-2024-an-almost-perfect-beast/

I was working in Pixelmator Pro and made this image (the picture and ‘Yellowjackets’ logo are from IMDB and Showtime) for my Youtube channel.

I like it. It reminds me somewhat of ‘Nighthawks at the Diner’ by Edward Hopper.

I recently rewatched ‘Alien’ (1979) and while I wouldn’t call it slow, it does take its time establishing the scenario.

I miss that in movies, most which seem hellbent on making their case for being as quickly as possible.

And speaking of ‘Hellbent’ (2004), pretty good movie.

REview: Squid Game 2 | Clear Skies But Clouds Ahead?

The second series of Netflix's Squid Game is really good though I wonder if the upcoming third, and final, season can maintain momentum and wrap in a satisfying fashion; which if you've seen The Prisoner (1967-1968) – a series Squid Game is likely inspired by, along with Battle Royale (2000) – is harder to do than one might think. And it's worth reiterating that…

http://screenphiles.com/2025/01/14/review-squid-game-2-clear-skies-but-clouds-ahead/