Doctor Sleep and Terminator Dark Fate. SPOILER REVIEWS

PODCAST/AUDIO VERSION:

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On this episode I review both Doctor Sleep and Terminator: Dark Fate.    Jason G. does chime in with his thoughts on Doctor Sleep.   Are this films any good?    Find out here in our spoiler reviews.

Thoughts?   Comments?   Do so below.

YouTube Version

Find the written version of Terminator Dark Fate here.

Doctor Sleep SPOILER REVIEW and Thoughts

Late 2018, director Mike Flanagan produced Haunting of Hill House on Netflix.   Very enjoyable, Doctor Sleep was his follow up.  

After watching this movie, I couldn't help but sense that this seemed better suited for streaming.  The vibe and cinematography of Hill House were felt all over Doctor Sleep.  Except this production was a lot bloodier.

What I didn't like:

Not very scary.   Also, was Abra overpowered?   

In the first, and halfway through the second act, Rose the Hat and her crew felt like a threat.  The scene when Bradley(Jacob Tremblay)is murdered was hard to watch.  Once Abra starts to realize a portion of her abilities, the menace of True Knot(the name of the villainous group)is lessened.  

Danny, Abra, and Billy dispose of its members without much trouble.   The Overlook Hotel didn't present Abra with much of a threat, either.    A missed opportunity I feel.

What I liked:

I liked the names of the members in True Knot like Barry the Chunk, Apron Annie and Grampa Flick.  

I also enjoyed how Doctor Sleep borrowed minimal footage from 'The Shining' and re-shot scenes with new actors such as Danny Torrance's parents.

I noticed homages to past directors like Wes Craven and Stanley Kubrick.  The scene where Abra gets off a bus and on to Elm Street.  Or the many transitions between scenes using Kubrick-esque fades.  

A recurring theme plays out in the movie.    That being father figures dying.   The primary examples being Danny dealing with his father's death and that tying into his alcohol addiction.    Abra's father being killed.   Tony(Danny's ghost guide) finally transitioning.   And in the end the same happening to Danny.   What does it mean?

Demonstrating the unique abilities of those who shine was cool.   Like Danny's ability to read minds or Snakebite Andi's ability to influence others.  Crow Daddy's ability to locate those who shined.  Abra seemed to have many skills, but it was never defined.   Same with Rose the Hat.   Rose's flying scene and her 2nd interaction with Abra was great.

The overall soundtrack(borrowing from 'The Shining')and sound effects were highlights of Doctor Sleep.

This was an engaging 2 1/2 hour movie.   I'm writing this review in its second week of release, and it hasn't done well in the box office.    Maybe more people would've watched this as a streaming mini-series which I feel would've fit right in.