They Cloned Tyrone | Review by: Stefano Bove

What do a pimp, a prostitute and a drug dealer all have in common? They are our unlikely heroes trying to get to the bottom of a cloning conspiracy that has been secretly operating without anyone's knowledge. This story is bizarre to say the least but there is just some magic happening that keeps you wanting more. The characters, the acting, and the writing just pull you in on the adventure that is basically Stranger Things for adults; that alone should sell you on this movie.

The story follows Fontaine, played by John Boyega; the local drug dealer and all around nice guy. Boyega gives a solid performance and great chemistry with his co-stars, Jamie Foxx and Teyonah Parris. This is by far, Jamie Foxx’s funniest role of his career. His character, Slick Charles, is the local pimp who buys drugs from Fontaine. I can not remember the last time every line spoken by an actor has genuinely made me laugh like he did in this movie. He had so many quotable lines, I found myself reciting many of them days after watching. Parris plays a prostitute named Yo-Yo because as Slick Charles says, "you just keep coming back". Parris works for Slick Charles and has dealings with Fontaine so the three of them have an interesting dynamic and clearly a lot of history.

I very rarely rewatch a second time so quickly but I just knew I missed so many small details and after a second view, I was right. The locations are full of secrets and reveals that add so much depth to the writing. The second watch, I found myself just looking at every piece of decor in every scene to uncover more about the time/space this movie takes place in.

After you laugh for 90 minutes, you realize there is a really well-crafted story about systemic racism in America and on the system that keeps the ghetto's and its citizens from growing in any way. This modern day, large scaled version of The Truman Show is worth a watch.

4/5

Review by: Stefano Bove

Rating all V/H/S/Halloween Segments

Like sorting through your candy after a night of trick-or-treating, V/H/S/ Halloween is a mixed bag. The eighth instalment in this cult-favourite horror anthology series comes up short of previous entries, but there are still a couple of treats in here that should satisfy your twisted cravings. A chilling still from V/H/S/ Halloween . Diet Phantasma This wraparound segment follows an R&D team testing a new low-calorie soda made with “real ghosts.” It’s silly fun, but gets a bit repetitive with each new test subject. The commercial playing during the end credits was a nice touch. Rating: ★★½☆ Coochie Coochie Coo This short feels like walking through a haunted house — but not in a good way. The plot is like something torn from a creepypasta thread. Everything is constantly being spelled out in a painfully obvious way. The practical effects and makeup are decent, and this is probably the only segment that comes close to being scary...

The Mandalorian Season 3 Review

Listen, I love Star Wars. I will always love Star Wars. The original and prequel trilogies were a big part of my childhood, and helped shape my love of cinema. While The Mandalorian isn’t among my favourites in the franchise, I thought it had a promising first season and a significantly stronger season two. Season three had so much potential, but a frustrating lack of focus held it back from greatness. This show’s always had a bit of an identity crisis, but it’s never been as clear as it is here. Does it want to be a procedural-style adventure of the week, or tell an epic, multi-season spanning arc? Season one leaned toward the former, while Season two found a satisfying balance of both. Season three tries to find that balance, but the overarching story it wants to tell is bigger than the few episodes allotted to do so. There are only 8 chapters, some barely over 30 min. That’s a fair...

The Rip Review

The Rip is all the evidence you need that a great cast can elevate an otherwise run-of-the-mill movie. Without its impressive A-list roster, this would’ve likely been lost among a crowd of forgettable January dumping ground releases. Throw Matt Damon, Ben Affleck and a handful of other extremely talented actors into the mix, though, and now you’ve got something worth watching. While there are exceptions that prove the rule, a lot of these police/cartel thrillers are interchangeable when it comes to their cookie-cutter story beats. The Rip breaks exactly zero molds, but it also doesn’t feel as uninspired as it could’ve. There are enough surprises to keep things engaging, and the tension - which the movie often hinges on - is appropriately high strung. The action is punchy and loud, which is no surprise coming from Director Joe Carnahan. While I do have minor issues with some of the sequences feeling a bit choppy in how they were shot and edited, the action is solid and packs...

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